by B. » Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:43 pm
Antimafia's translation of what Daniel Renaud published re: Sal Vitale's two visits to Montreal post-Sciascia:
Inside, about twenty "men of honor" of the Montreal mafia receive him and his flying companion, who is already there. Vito Rizzuto is here, his father, Nicolo, too. The men present have a drink and expect a lot from Vitale's visit. They believe that the latter will announce to them the name of the successor of Gerlando Sciascia. But they will be disappointed. Massino did not send Vitale to Montreal for this reason, but to try to rebuild the relationship between the two clans at a time when clouds are looming on the horizon. Vitale and his companion then return to New York. When reporting to his brother-in-law, Vitale told him that he had noticed that "the guys from Montreal" were disappointed that no one had been named to succeed "George of Canada". Massino may have had to step into the door at that moment, because when he sends his right arm back to Montreal, six months later, the tone has changed. Vital enters the same room, where are more or less the same men of honor as the first time. This time, he has an official approach to do and he moves away from a few steps with Vito Rizzuto.
- I have orders from Joe. He wants to name you officially at the head of the Montreal cell, Vitale announces him without hiding a certain pride.
Calmly, Vito Rizzuto looks at his interlocutor in the eyes and answers:
- No, I do not want it. Out of respect for my father, you give him this title, not me.
Vitale acquiesces and confirms Nicolo Rizzuto, then 75 years old, in the position of godfather of the Montreal cell of the Bonanno clan. But when Salvatore Vitale returns to Massino, he is perplexed. Later, he will tell Lorie McDougall, who visited him in New York, that it was only because of the protocol that the Montreal mafiosi agreed to receive him and that he had the impression that they laughed at him. For Vitale, the Rizzuto were already doing what they wanted. They no longer needed to ask permission in New York and they were now independent
- He says on Vitale's first visit the Montreal decina was hoping to learn who their new capodecina was and were disappointed when one wasn't named; this is what Vitale reported back to Massino. This is a twist that hasn't gotten much discussion, that Montreal were eager to be assigned to a new capodecina.
- Vitale's story here about offering the position to Vito is consistent with other accounts he's given, but the obvious difference is here he says Nicolo Rizuto was "confirmed" as the official capodecina. Whether Montreal pulled away or not (they were very autonomous under Cotroni too), it changes the narrative significantly if Nicolo became an official Bonanno captain. I've seen it said that Rizzuto "sent word" he wouldn't answer to Montagna -- what's the original source of that and who would he have sent word to?
- Here Renaud uses "godfather" synonymously with capodecina. Coverage about the war seems to use it more loosely, though some of what's been reported fits the godfather = capodecina idea. For example Montagna is said to have backed DiMaulo and then Gallo for "godfather". If it was simply defacto power neither of these men needed Montagna's blessing, but what Montagna could offer is a title. As mentioned, Desjardins ruled himself out as "godfather" as it was used in the media because he's not Italian, which suggests it was a role reserved for members or people qualified for membership.
- Vitale's memory isn't the best and he can be inconsistent on some details. For example when he testified more recently he couldn't remember who Joe LoPresti was or anything about him despite having a pretty detailed story about the murder when he first cooperated. It's also another discrepancy with Massino, where Vitale thought Gerlando Sciascia killed LoPresti without permission and asked for approval after the fact, while Massino remembered Joe LoPresti in his testimony and said he gave permission for his murder, citing LoPresti's drug use and disrespecct toward Sciascia. Interestingly, Vitale's earlier description of the LoPresti murder is similar to Massino's story about Sciascia killing Cotroni without permission and telling Massino after the fact. I bring this up because this Renaud passage would not be the first time Vitale was inconsistent.
Be interesting to see the debriefing or source material for this part of the book. The wording is highly specific about the Bonanno leadership "confirming" Nicolo Rizzuto's position.
The Basciano/Massino conversation, if I'm interpreting it even half-right, is about a big NYC contractor on record direct with Massino who is apparently a connection point between Canada and multiple important Bonanno members/leaders circa 2004-2005. "Canada" apparently requested that Sal Montagna service the associate. Montagna had requested Basciano's permission to go to Canada which is consistent with Dom Cicale's claim that Basciano and Montagna were in contact with Montreal.
Vitale is our main NYC source for the idea that Montreal broke off or stopped recognizing the NYC leadership, but he was essentially shelved shortly after his Montreal visits so it's looking like he was out of the loop on whatever ongoing contact was taking place. If Cicale was truthful, there was also "unofficial" contact going on between Basciano and Montreal in both NYC and Canada -- the secretive nature of this arrangement likely came via drug trafficking. Massino told Cantarella to get Basciano into the construction business because he was worried about the source of Basciano's money, indicating drugs, so that fits Basciano keeping the drug deals w/ Montreal secret.
Antimafia's translation of what Daniel Renaud published re: Sal Vitale's two visits to Montreal post-Sciascia:
[quote]Inside, about twenty "men of honor" of the Montreal mafia receive him and his flying companion, who is already there. Vito Rizzuto is here, his father, Nicolo, too. [b]The men present have a drink and expect a lot from Vitale's visit. They believe that the latter will announce to them the name of the successor of Gerlando Sciascia. But they will be disappointed.[/b] Massino did not send Vitale to Montreal for this reason, but to try to rebuild the relationship between the two clans at a time when clouds are looming on the horizon. Vitale and his companion then return to New York. [b]When reporting to his brother-in-law, Vitale told him that he had noticed that "the guys from Montreal" were disappointed that no one had been named to succeed "George of Canada".[/b] Massino may have had to step into the door at that moment, because when he sends his right arm back to Montreal, [b]six months later, the tone has changed. Vital enters the same room, where are more or less the same men of honor as the first time. This time, he has an official approach to do[/b] and he moves away from a few steps [b]with Vito Rizzuto[/b].
[b]- I have orders from Joe. He wants to name you officially at the head of the Montreal cell[/b], Vitale announces him without hiding a certain pride.
Calmly, Vito Rizzuto looks at his interlocutor in the eyes and answers:
[b]- No, I do not want it. Out of respect for my father, you give him this title[/b], not me.
[b]Vitale acquiesces and confirms Nicolo Rizzuto, then 75 years old, in the position of godfather of the Montreal cell of the Bonanno clan[/b]. But when Salvatore Vitale returns to Massino, he is perplexed. Later, he will tell Lorie McDougall, who visited him in New York, that [b]it was only because of the protocol that the Montreal mafiosi agreed to receive him[/b] and that he had the impression that they laughed at him. For Vitale, the Rizzuto were already doing what they wanted. [b]They no longer needed to ask permission in New York and they were now independent[/b][/quote]
- He says on Vitale's first visit the Montreal decina was hoping to learn who their new capodecina was and were disappointed when one wasn't named; this is what Vitale reported back to Massino. This is a twist that hasn't gotten much discussion, that Montreal were eager to be assigned to a new capodecina.
- Vitale's story here about offering the position to Vito is consistent with other accounts he's given, but the obvious difference is here he says Nicolo Rizuto was "confirmed" as the official capodecina. Whether Montreal pulled away or not (they were very autonomous under Cotroni too), it changes the narrative significantly if Nicolo became an official Bonanno captain. I've seen it said that Rizzuto "sent word" he wouldn't answer to Montagna -- what's the original source of that and who would he have sent word to?
- Here Renaud uses "godfather" synonymously with capodecina. Coverage about the war seems to use it more loosely, though some of what's been reported fits the godfather = capodecina idea. For example Montagna is said to have backed DiMaulo and then Gallo for "godfather". If it was simply defacto power neither of these men needed Montagna's blessing, but what Montagna could offer is a title. As mentioned, Desjardins ruled himself out as "godfather" as it was used in the media because he's not Italian, which suggests it was a role reserved for members or people qualified for membership.
- Vitale's memory isn't the best and he can be inconsistent on some details. For example when he testified more recently he couldn't remember who Joe LoPresti was or anything about him despite having a pretty detailed story about the murder when he first cooperated. It's also another discrepancy with Massino, where Vitale thought Gerlando Sciascia killed LoPresti without permission and asked for approval after the fact, while Massino remembered Joe LoPresti in his testimony and said he gave permission for his murder, citing LoPresti's drug use and disrespecct toward Sciascia. Interestingly, Vitale's earlier description of the LoPresti murder is similar to Massino's story about Sciascia killing Cotroni without permission and telling Massino after the fact. I bring this up because this Renaud passage would not be the first time Vitale was inconsistent.
Be interesting to see the debriefing or source material for this part of the book. The wording is highly specific about the Bonanno leadership "confirming" Nicolo Rizzuto's position.
The Basciano/Massino conversation, if I'm interpreting it even half-right, is about a big NYC contractor on record direct with Massino who is apparently a connection point between Canada and multiple important Bonanno members/leaders circa 2004-2005. "Canada" apparently requested that Sal Montagna service the associate. Montagna had requested Basciano's permission to go to Canada which is consistent with Dom Cicale's claim that Basciano and Montagna were in contact with Montreal.
Vitale is our main NYC source for the idea that Montreal broke off or stopped recognizing the NYC leadership, but he was essentially shelved shortly after his Montreal visits so it's looking like he was out of the loop on whatever ongoing contact was taking place. If Cicale was truthful, there was also "unofficial" contact going on between Basciano and Montreal in both NYC and Canada -- the secretive nature of this arrangement likely came via drug trafficking. Massino told Cantarella to get Basciano into the construction business because he was worried about the source of Basciano's money, indicating drugs, so that fits Basciano keeping the drug deals w/ Montreal secret.