Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[SonnyBlackstein]

Although conversely it makes sense if he is made with the Bonanno’s. With the scenario playing out in Montreal that it is likely the Bonanno’s were if not behind, then a major player in the war, his admission into the family would create a valuable alliance with his brother a powerful member of another, regional, family.

Additionally it would obviously explain his attendance at the ceremony and Dominco’s.

Personally I think this makes the most sense.

[Lupara]

Although conversely it makes sense if he is made with the Bonanno’s. With the scenario playing out in Montreal that it is likely the Bonanno’s were if not behind, then a major player in the war, his admission into the family would create a valuable alliance with his brother a powerful member of another, regional, family.

Additionally it would obviously explain his attendance at the ceremony and Dominco’s.

Personally I think this makes the most sense.

Would be great if Capeci could reach out to Morena, through his extensive contacts, in an attempt to find out why the brothers attended the ceremony. I'm thinking that it should've been explained to him during the ceremony who they were and why they were there. After the inductee has been inducted he is formally introduced to everyone in the room. It doesn't make sense if he didn't know Domenico Violi was made then. Even if he wasn't explicitly told he should've assumed it. Makes me question his so called statements about Violi, in case he really did say he didn't know Violi was already made during his own ceremony.

[johnny_scootch]

Although conversely it makes sense if he is made with the Bonanno’s. With the scenario playing out in Montreal that it is likely the Bonanno’s were if not behind, then a major player in the war, his admission into the family would create a valuable alliance with his brother a powerful member of another, regional, family.

Additionally it would obviously explain his attendance at the ceremony and Dominco’s.

Personally I think this makes the most sense.

Two good points especially the latter.

[B.]

I'm trying to help determine who the made Canadian members of the Buffalo Family are or were at one time, roughly in the last 30 years.

Felix Borelli is another one. In 1967 he was listed as a suspected member from Niagara Falls, Ontario. He was on the 2006 list as a made member. He has since died but I don't have an exact year.


Daniel Gasbarinni is a possibility. He was listed as a suspected member from Burlington, Ontario in 1967. He died in 2014.


Pogo

The FBI strongly suspected or in some cases confirmed the following names were members in the 1960s:

Alberto Agueci (murdered 1961)
Vito Agueci
Charles Cipolla (some reports mention all of the "Cipolla brothers" as members)
Dante Gasbarrini
Felix Borelli
Anthony Iati
Albert Volpe
John Volpe
Eugene Volpe
Frank Volpe
Paul Volpe
Ignazio "Harry" Bordonaro
Calogero Bordonaro
John Papalia
Frank Papalia

Other potential members:
Antonio Papalia (father of John/Frank)
Antonio Sylvestro (brother-in-law and close associate of of Gasbarrini)
Natale Luppino
Rocco Luppino
Giacomo Luppino

From what Magaddino said on the bugs, Paolo Violi may have originally been with Buffalo after coming to Canada as a stowaway. The exact circumstances of his joining the Bonanno family are unclear and earlier Buffalo affiliation isn't out of the question given that Montreal allowed transfer members.

Stefano Magaddino was recorded in the mid-1960s saying he had been in Canada for 45 years. This would have meant ~1920 which would have predated Magaddino himself even being in Buffalo/NF, so he was likely referring to the Buffalo family being in Canada that early, which isn't surprising given the proximity of Buffalo to Hamilton and even Toronto. The Buffalo family definitely had involvement in immigrant smuggling and bootlegging through Canada in the 1920s. The question is how early they had membership there. No doubt there are names that have never been identified as there were few sources who had reliable information on Canada.

Rocco Perri was a major bootlegging figure in Ontario who no doubt did business with US and other Canadian mafia members, but it's not clear what, if any, affiliation Perri had. I suspect he was a member/associate of Buffalo, though.

Many if not most of the Canadian Buffalo members were Calabrian or non-Sicilian, which was in contrast with the mostly Sicilian Buffalo membership. Dominick D'Agostino was an early Calabrian member in the Buffalo/NF area and had close contacts in Canada. One report says that D'Agostino was held in high regard by Magaddino "despite" his Calabrian heritage and it seems he may have been a main go-between with the Canadian members.

EDIT: Thanks to Antimafia -- looks like the Bordonaros were actually from Racalmuto. The Bordonaros were from Montedoro, which is where John Montana and some other early Buffalo/NF figures were from, so Calogero Bordonaro is a good candidate for one of the earliest Canadian members.

I should also point out that Magaddino had somewhat of a falling out with some of the Canadian members in the 1960s. This started with the drug case and problems with the Agueci brothers and John Papalia (note: Papalia was originally supposed to be killed with Alberto Agueci), but extended to Harry Bordonaro (who represented Agueci originally then dropped the case) and Dante Gasbarrini for unknown reasons. What, if any, impact this had on ongoing Buffalo - Canadian relations is unknown.

[Lupara]

Many if not most of the Canadian Buffalo members were Calabrian or non-Italian

I presume you meant non-Sicilian?

[B.]

Many if not most of the Canadian Buffalo members were Calabrian or non-Italian

I presume you meant non-Sicilian?

Haha. Yes -- I will edit that.

[faffy444]

felix borelli was of calabrian descent.

[B.]

Keep in mind Magaddino also alludes to the Bonannos inducting a number of members in Ontario, which was one of his complaints against Bonanno.

Among some names of Bonanno affiliates/associates in Canada posted by HK, a Salvatore Alfano of Hamilton was mentioned. Elder Bonanno capodecina Nicolo Alfano had ties to Montreal and seemingly Ontario, including a phone call reported in the 1960s to Calogero Bordonaro in Ontario. I wonder if there is a relation.

I don't believe any of the names I posted were ever suspected of being anything but Buffalo members, though Limey has Gasbarrini ID'd as a Bonanno. Not sure what his source is on that.

[faffy444]

bill feather has Dante Gasbarrini as a buffalo member.

[B.]

bill feather has Dante Gasbarrini as a buffalo member.

In the bracket next to Tony Sylvestro it mentions the marital relation to Gasbarrini and says "Bon." -- def a mistake either way as Gasbarrini is one of those who there is little question about being a Buffalo member.

[faffy444]

gasbarrini was the son in law of tony sylvestro.

[B.]

gasbarrini was the son in law of tony sylvestro.

He was also his brother-in-law. Gasbarrini's wife was the daughter of Antonio Sylvestro and Gasbarrini's sister, so he married his niece.

[Pogo The Clown]

gasbarrini was the son in law of tony sylvestro.

He was also his brother-in-law. Gasbarrini's wife was the daughter of Antonio Sylvestro and Gasbarrini's sister, so he married his niece.

That would make even Carlo Gambino queasy.


Pogo

[antimafia]

[snip]The Bordonaros were from Montedoro, which is where John Montana and some other early Buffalo/NF figures were from, so Calogero Bordonaro is a good candidate for one of the earliest Canadian members.

[snip]

B.,

Are you sure about the Bordonaros' ancestry? A while back I am fairly certain I found records for Calogero and his son Ignazio ("Harold") through FamilySearch.org that would establish ancestry from Racalmuto in Agrigento. I think you and I also had an exchange about this in another thread when you were discussing Nick Alfano speaking over the phone with Calogero.

Here are some links to what I've found (you will have to be signed in to FamilySearch):

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1876434

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q23H-8CFT

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XGR9-KNY

[B.]

[snip]The Bordonaros were from Montedoro, which is where John Montana and some other early Buffalo/NF figures were from, so Calogero Bordonaro is a good candidate for one of the earliest Canadian members.

[snip]

B.,

Are you sure about the Bordonaros' ancestry? A while back I am fairly certain I found records for Calogero and his son Ignazio ("Harold") through FamilySearch.org that would establish ancestry from Racalmuto in Agrigento. I think you and I also had an exchange about this in another thread when you were discussing Nick Alfano speaking over the phone with Calogero.

Here are some links to what I've found (you will have to be signed in to FamilySearch):

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... cc=1876434

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q23H-8CFT

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XGR9-KNY

I remember that discussion and I think you're right. I will edit my post. There was a group of Bordonaros from Montedoro who settled in the Buffalo area and a branch of them split into Hamilton and I must have assumed Calogero was part of that branch given Montedoro's ties to the Buffalo family. Thanks for the correction...!