THE BLACK HAND FORUM

antimafia wrote: ↑Sun Aug 28, 2022 9:29 pm In the years since then, I’ve come to understand how and why for the past few decades the Rizzuto loyalists in Montreal have had more important ties to and better relations with the New York Gambinos than the New York Bonannos, including ties to Sicilians travelling back and forth from Sicily and North America who had ties to the NYC-based Gambinos. Rizzuto loyalists in Montreal who have been travelling to Sicily since at least 2012 continue to this day to be under the close scrutiny of Italian law enforcement.

B. wrote: ↑Sun Aug 28, 2022 5:35 pm Some info Felice shared several years ago (may be referenced in the link above):

Antonio Caputo whose brother is a convicted killer. The Caputos seem to be very close to Tommy Gambino.

Thomas Gambino, son of Rosario
Despite being a member of LA family he answers to the Gambino family in NY

Pff I am even thinking about someone from Canada...a lot of stuff is happening there and I am sure the Gambinos were/are deliberately backing a side in that war

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Were the Gambinos supporting rebel factions in Montreal and Ontario? Something was going on. Felice was saying these things in 2019.

B. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:08 pm Rappresentante = boss, a term they use themselves. Synonyms but I think they can be misinterpreted to imply different things. I'm calling him that here because it may more accurately represent his role than "boss" (which implies he's bossing people around or supervising criminal operations himself).

I think any debate over Buffalo's existence should go in the 900 page thread for it. This thread operates from the evidence-based belief that Todaro is Buffalo boss with a faction of current Family leaders and members in Ontario. No qualitative discussion, just the belief that those individuals hold those titles in the Buffalo Family and are recognized by at least three other Families.

It's seeming like there may be an issue with the Gambino Family. They weren't mentioned as being notified of Violi's promotion and some Ontario people were allegedly inducted by them or another Family under their influence without Todaro's approval. There were the rumors of Frank Cali and the Gambinos weighing in on Montreal matters too (was this substantiated?). If it comes out the Gambinos supported rebel factions in Ontario and/or Montreal we're going to have plenty to talk about.

B. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:55 pm Don't want to veer into the Buffalo debate since this thread is a very cool evidence-based look into how complex the organizational arrangements might be in Ontario (with many many questions remaining).

But quick answer, I belive the evidence shows Joe Todaro to be a gregarious, affluent businessman who has done extremely well for himself in the food business and apparently the hotel business in Florida. I also believe he took on the role of official rappresentante of Buffalo / Ontario because it's a core part of his identity as a third-generation Family boss with heritage in one of the oldest mafia-linked regions in Sicily and he came up in a US city with its own longstanding mafia tradition.

B. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:29 pm https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/sh ... falo-mafia

I believe it was mentioned by more than one article but this one was by Humphreys. Here is the specific quote:

Soon after Violi was allegedly made Underboss, according to the documents, at least three of the families had already been told. Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso, the boss of the Bonanno Family knew, the documents say, and the Genovese Family and the Colombo Family also had been told.

If it's true Mancuso was notified that Violi was promoted in Ontario, it raises the question whether he's been similarly notified of activity in Montreal.

So Todaro contacts "the Commission" asking whether it's appropriate to promote a Canadian to underboss. They tell him a member is a member (which fits our existing understanding).

Todaro then immediately sends word to the Bonannos, Genovese, and Colombos that the promotion has taken place.

B. wrote: ↑Wed Aug 24, 2022 6:24 pm Breaking these relationship down in terms of the formal organizations:

Buffalo Family
- Domenico Violi (underboss)
- Giuseppe Violi (had option of joining Bonanno Family and attended event related to Morena induction, indicating he was made by then)
- Rocco Luppino (capodecina)
- Natale Luppino
- Pat Musitano (Sergeant Metelsky's belief)
- Giuseppe Avignone (again Metelsky's belief)
***- Cece Luppino (proposed but turned it down)

Bonanno Family
- Vincenzo Morena (RCMP informant)

Los Angeles or Gambino Family (likely now branches of the same network)
- Albert Iavarone
- Martino Caputo
- Paolo Caputo

- The Bonanno Family recognized Buffalo's jurisdictional authority, including them in the Morena induction and recognizing Violi's position. The Los Angeles / Gambino group apparently did not follow this protocol, drawing anger from Todaro.

- Similarly, Todaro is alleged to have contacted the Bonannos, Genovese, and Colombos. The Gambinos and Lucchese are curiously not included, with both Families having Sicilian factions who are connected via Torretta and Palermo. Tommy Gambino of Los Angeles in turn is part of this same network.

- Joe Violi's option of joining the Bonanno Family distinct from Morena's induction indicates a Canadian element of the Bonannos in addition to the New York element had a relationship to the Buffalo Family in Hamilton. This could play into Violi's willingness to introduce Morena to Arcadi, Cotroni Jr., and Mucci. It could also correspond to ongoing references to the Bonanno Family inducting members in Ontario in the 1960s and an early 1970s informant who identified a Bonanno faction in Ontario -- our knowledge of confirmed Montreal Bonanno members is limited and this Ontario element is even more vague. If Joe Violi had been inducted into the Bonannos, would he have reported to NYC like Morena (whose relationships were formed in NYC) or a Montreal capodecina?

- Sal Montagna allegedly met with Ontario figures from the Luppino-Violi element (is this confirmed?). It's reasonable to speculate he may have sought political support from the Buffalo Family given his organizational authority in the Bonannos likely played a role in his Montreal efforts and recruitment of Bonanno members like DiMaulo, Gallo, etc. Gaining political support from the other Family active in Canada may have played a role in his efforts.

- There was internecine conflict within the Buffalo Family faction between the Musitanos and Violi-Luppinos. While it may be a stretch to say Joe Todaro "ordered" murders in this conflict, he clearly supported the Violis and Luppinos given he inducted them and promoted two of them.

- Nothing from Otremens that I'm aware of indicated there was a "Violi-Luppino Crime Family", "Musitano Crime Family", or "Rizzuto Crime Family" as these groups are labeled by the RCMP and the media. To our knowledge, these terms describe operational and clan-based relationships rather than formal Cosa Nostra affiliation. Otremens showed the Violi-Luppinos value their membership in Buffalo and the formal status it affords them, with Morena commenting Violi's promotion gives him greater authority in the area.

- The induction of three non-Sicilians in Ontario by a branch of the Gambino-Palermo network shows they aren't simply inducting Sicilians from within their network, but another mysterious connection led to this arrangement and was not sanctioned by Buffalo. It also intersects with other OC groups, the Caputos being tied to the Wolfpack.

B. wrote: ↑Tue Aug 23, 2022 11:41 pm - Weren't there articles too that implied the Caputos were associated with Rizzuto? Now it's surfacing one of them may have been made along with Iavarone into a Gambino-backed LA Family.