by Wiseguy » Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:42 pm
Recently finished reading this book. Overall I liked it but a few things did stand out.
As already mentioned, there was the claim about the Bonannos being oldest family in New York. Not sure where they got that. Also Sciasci being killed to appease Gotti because he called a Gambino member a druggie? Not exactly. Also the claim that the NY families had been getting a "serious ass kicking" by Russian, Chinese, and Albanian gangsters? I'd challenge the authors to give even any examples of that. Then there was the claim about the Bonannos "being in no position" to avenge Montagna. That may indeed be true but the same thing could be said about the Rizzuto's failure to avenge Sciascia. I did like how the authors basically conceded that Canadian justice is a joke.
As far as the war itself, while the Rizzutos certainly had their enemies beforehand, it seems to me that the void was created with Vitos' extradition to the U.S. and the subsequent arrest of so many people in the organization (including several of the top guys) in Project Colisee. The Desjardins-Mirarchi-DiMaulo group was the driving force to take out the Rizzutos. While it's easy to believe they at least supported it, probably looking for an opening, much of the 'Ndrangheta's involvement seems vague or based on circumstantial evidence. You also had the black street gangs trying to push their way into traditional Rizzuto territory with the firebombings. I thought it was interesting that Montagna, who had an uneasy alliance with Desjardins before it all went bad, used the blacks to collect extortion payments. And it seems both sides used them to carry out some hits.
Recently finished reading this book. Overall I liked it but a few things did stand out.
As already mentioned, there was the claim about the Bonannos being oldest family in New York. Not sure where they got that. Also Sciasci being killed to appease Gotti because he called a Gambino member a druggie? Not exactly. Also the claim that the NY families had been getting a "serious ass kicking" by Russian, Chinese, and Albanian gangsters? I'd challenge the authors to give even any examples of that. Then there was the claim about the Bonannos "being in no position" to avenge Montagna. That may indeed be true but the same thing could be said about the Rizzuto's failure to avenge Sciascia. I did like how the authors basically conceded that Canadian justice is a joke.
As far as the war itself, while the Rizzutos certainly had their enemies beforehand, it seems to me that the void was created with Vitos' extradition to the U.S. and the subsequent arrest of so many people in the organization (including several of the top guys) in Project Colisee. The Desjardins-Mirarchi-DiMaulo group was the driving force to take out the Rizzutos. While it's easy to believe they at least supported it, probably looking for an opening, much of the 'Ndrangheta's involvement seems vague or based on circumstantial evidence. You also had the black street gangs trying to push their way into traditional Rizzuto territory with the firebombings. I thought it was interesting that Montagna, who had an uneasy alliance with Desjardins before it all went bad, used the blacks to collect extortion payments. And it seems both sides used them to carry out some hits.