Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[UTC]

My thought is that it's just part of PC culture.

[Pogo The Clown]

What Wiseguy said. I'll change my mind if in the coming years we start seeing some made guys i.e. some Soldiers, some Capos, the occasional administration guy with groups of associates working with them, etc start getting busted like we see with the other families.


Like I said before we haven't seen a made member busted in Buffalo since 2002 and we are now into the 8th year of this alleged resurgence and still nothing to indicate it.

Violi was just busted or you saying geography?

Yes I was speaking of Buffalo proper.


Pogo

[antimafia]

Are you guys aware that in Operation Canadian Connection in Calabria (2019) which eventually ended up partially with project sindacato in Ontario (now flunked because the cops read private lawyer-client communication) two ndranghetisti speak about the Luppinos?

The story is
Carmelo Muià has to go to visit Angelo and Cosimo Figliomeni in Ontario to enquire about the murder of his brother in Siderno. Angelo and Cosimo are - for Siderno - the head of the Società of Siderno, dislocated to Ontario for a number of reasons. Partners and satellites of the Commisso they are the head of the Siderno Group in Toronto and around.
Carmelo Muià speaks with Giuseppe Macrì, also in the società of Siderno, also charged in the operation. Muià asks about the murder of Cece Luppino, killed in January 2019 in Hamilton, son of Rocco Luppino. Cece is Macrì's nephew.
In fact Giuseppe Macrì is married with Liliana Tavernese, who is the sister of Gisella Tavernese (married Prochilo), who is the mother of Angelica Prochilo who was the wife of Cece Luppino.
Muià and Macrì discuss the murder and Muià says that he is going to ask to the Figliomeni what the hell is happening in Ontario, why the murders. Macrì says that indeed the situation is not good in Ontario and they both talk about the fact that some Calabrian clans in the area in Canada are 'going with the sicilians' which essentially explains the war. However, the Luppino's links with Siderno - they hint - mean that there still has to be respect and involvement somehow.

I found this interesting with the discussion here about Luppino-Violi and Buffalo too.

Yes, we posters are aware -- please see viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4122&p=160864&hili ... ta#p160864.

On the wiretap, Cece Luppino's uncle Giuseppe MacrÌ, an 'ndranghetista who likely lives in Siderno, tied Luppino's murder to a number of bitter conflicts in Canada. Anyone doing an Internet search on MacrÌ will see that it yields he has a company in Siderno, along with wife Liliana Tavernese -- see https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/ ... act-anchor). MacrÌ spoke on these topics on February 13, 2019 in a conversation in Italy with fellow 'ndranghetista Carmelo Muià. Luppino had been killed 14 days earlier. MacrÌ tried to discourage Muià from going on a planned trip to Ontario because of unspecified risks the latter might encounter there, but Muià went to Ontario anyway in late March.

Macrì stated that the background to Luppino’s murder was also the background to the violence that befell an uncle of Cece’s. Luppino's first cousin Joe Capobianco was reported to have been stabbed in the home of Natale Luppino on April 19, 2018. Capobianco's father is also known as Joe Capobianco. I don't think journalists confused the two Joe Capobiancos, especially because the age of the victim was reported. Macrì might have known something that we don't: that Natale Luppino was the actual intended target, which of course would have been and was immediately theorized anyway by we mobwatchers. Police sources had told reporter Nicole O'Reilly that the stabbing victim was not a member of the Luppino family, which is true, as Diane Capobianco (mother and wife respectively of the two Joe Capobiancos I mentioned respectively) is the sister of Cece Luppino's mother, Elena, i.e., Helen, wife of Rocco.

Recall, as well, that one theory about the reason for Cece Luppino's murder is that his father, Rocco, was the intended target. Again, a theory that we would have come up with quickly ourselves, and did, anyway.

In relating the background to Luppino's murder, Macrì told Muià the story in the context of a split caused by some Calabrian clans allying themselves with the Sicilians present in Canada.

In the last three years I have sometimes wondered whether there is either 1) a war pitting a particular faction in the Italian underworld of Montreal against Buffalo Family members and other Calabrian-Canadian criminals in Hamilton, Burlington, Niagara Falls, and the Greater Toronto Area generally, or 2) a proxy war involving an Ontario crime group representing Montreal that is battling one or more crime groups in Ontario. There was violence in Ontario both before and after the Project Otremens bust.

Right after Domenico and Giuseppe Violi were actually sentenced, there was some general speculation that Pat Musitano would benefit from those brothers being inside -- and of course that particular type of speculation happened even earlier, right after the Project Otremens bust. If Musitano benefited early on, he certainly didn't in the end. Because we have seen continued violence in Ontario, it's possible that the Iavarone brothers have been benefiting from the Violi brothers being in jail, regardless of whether those two sets of brothers are friends or foes -- the Violis either did not care or cared a lot that Tony Iavarone was sitting at a table with Montrealers Antonio Pietrantonio, Giuseppe Focarazzo, and Miguel Torres at the December 1, 2018 wedding of Hells Angel and Annie Arbic in Montreal (see https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/ ... -dun-hells). However, pleasse note, though, that on March 6, 2019, Paul Manning tweeted: "Tony still off the map and missing, apparently" (see https://twitter.com/mobinfiltrator/stat ... 91009?s=20).

My hunch might be wrong, but I think that the murder of Joey Catroppa in Cancun last September, the attempted murder of Michael Costa just north of Toronto last November, and the murder of Costa's father John back in January (case of mistaken identity? collateral damage?) are manifestations of whatever mob war is being fought in Ontario.

[B.]

Great post-, Antimafia.

Other factors to consider:

- Montreal Bonannos have a history of alleged membership in Ontario. If that continues to this day, it should have come out of the Morena investigation given the Bonanno ties (regardless of the current relationship). Joe Violi was given the option of joining the Bonanno family, which would have made him an Ontario-based Bonanno like Morena. Would he have been made by the NYC delegation and reported to an NYC captain like Morena or was there another Bonanno leader in Canada who would have sponsored him and included him in their decina?

- An article mentioned that one of the Iavarone brothers was made in an LA family and Joe Todaro was concerned about not receiving this information. This supposedly came out of the Morena investigation as well. We need much more info on this to comment but I don't believe the journalist outright invented it.

- A question, too, is whether the reference to "Sicilians" in the Siderno conversation referred to actual Sicilians or if he meant the Sicilian-originated Cosa Nostra organization, which would include the Buffalo family. To a Calabrian 'ndranghetesi, the Buffalo family would be considered "Sicilian" because it is well-understood that the US mafia aka Cosa Nostra grew out of Sicily and adding to that is that Buffalo has been heavily Sicilian-American since its origin, currently led by a Sicilian-American boss (Todaro, who traveled to Sicily in recent decades). It is the same as us referring to 'ndranghetesi as "Calabrians" regardless of where they operate because the group originates in Calabria. Obviously Cosa Nostra has grown to be more diverse, but to a Calabrian they would still be seen as a Sicilian organization even in America.

[CabriniGreen]

Great post-, Antimafia.

Other factors to consider:

- Montreal Bonannos have a history of alleged membership in Ontario. If that continues to this day, it should have come out of the Morena investigation given the Bonanno ties (regardless of the current relationship). Joe Violi was given the option of joining the Bonanno family, which would have made him an Ontario-based Bonanno like Morena. Would he have been made by the NYC delegation and reported to an NYC captain like Morena or was there another Bonanno leader in Canada who would have sponsored him and included him in their decina?

- An article mentioned that one of the Iavarone brothers was made in an LA family and Joe Todaro was concerned about not receiving this information. This supposedly came out of the Morena investigation as well. We need much more info on this to comment but I don't believe the journalist outright invented it.

- A question, too, is whether the reference to "Sicilians" in the Siderno conversation referred to actual Sicilians or if he meant the Sicilian-originated Cosa Nostra organization, which would include the Buffalo family. To a Calabrian 'ndranghetesi, the Buffalo family would be considered "Sicilian" because it is well-understood that the US mafia aka Cosa Nostra grew out of Sicily and adding to that is that Buffalo has been heavily Sicilian-American since its origin, currently led by a Sicilian-American boss (Todaro, who traveled to Sicily in recent decades). It is the same as us referring to 'ndranghetesi as "Calabrians" regardless of where they operate because the group originates in Calabria. Obviously Cosa Nostra has grown to be more diverse, but to a Calabrian they would still be seen as a Sicilian organization even in America.

Yes, in the Scoppa book, they continuously refer to the " Sicilian Mafia", but it's not clear if they mean Cosa Nostra or the ACTUAL Sicilian mafia. I cant tell if its generic or specific. Same with " Toronto Mafia". I have no idea exactly WHAT they are referring to. Cammalleri people, Caruana- Cuntrera people, Scarcella people and therefore they would be Castellammare Del Golfo people, Toronto made Bonnanos, Toronto made Buffalo people, ndrangheta guys, bikers, maybe a combo of all of the above.....

[CabriniGreen]

Can we stop repeating the same 5 points over and over again. I think it's clear neither side will concede. Let's move on.

My main issue with this thread in a nutshell....


@ antimafia & calabrianwatch

Great post!! The type of info I've been wanting to debate and discuss, not this same damn point over and over.....

Am I the only one interested in the Gerace and Outlaws connection. In the indictment it said many of the employees were members of the OLMC. Maybe it's nothing, but unlikely. Hopefully that'll be the next thing revealed from all this.

@ wiseguy

I agree. Unless connections are made between the Colombian coke the Violis imported, and the stuff being moved by dealers in the street under Bongiovanni protection, it's hard to say that's confirmed, mafia activity. Unless we get the name of a made guy they report to. Or it's a separate thing from the Violis.

The Gerace and Bongiovanni stuff is interesting, but to me the Violis are key to this whole mess. I tend to want to focus on them. Although, I AM now interested in Gerace and the Outlaw connection. Joe Violi said he did a lot of business with Bikers, but never WHAT gang.


I'm wont even go into Ivarone. Look at what ferocity this Buffalo question produced. Does ANYONE have the strength to debate LA making a guy recently? Lol


You got a pair of very active criminals made into a not so active family. WHY?

[B.]

Nothing needs to be debated and nobody needs to have an opinion on Iavarone. We need more information, but as of right now it was reported in an article and apparently based on the Morena investigation. Until we have more info, it should be part of the discussion but nobody should be married to it one way or another. Nobody on here is in a positiib to confirm nor discount the claim and if someone thinks it can't be brought up, they are truly operating in "bad faith."

- Iavarone was employed by the same real estate firm as Giacomo Luppino (first cousin of Cece Luppino and the Violi brothers). This shows they operated in the same legitimate circles.

- As I've mentioned before, social media shows that Iavarone and his wife took a trip around the US before his death and one of the places they visited was Southern California. Could be a coincidence, but couldn't help but notice it.

- The Gambino-Inzerillo network has ties to both LA and Ontario. There is no info suggesting Iavarone was connected to the Gambino-Inzerillo network but it's a connection between the two places.

- Dominick Longo was an LA member (died 1985), a Calabrian from Ontario whose relatives were involved in the Ontario underworld and from the same Calabrian village as prominent Buffalo-Ontario figures. Based on the Magaddino tapes, it appears Longo's first cousin in Ontario was being considered for membership into the 'ndrangheta and Magaddino was adamant that the Buffalo family not interfere in the protocol related to this. We need to determine if the Longos or their relatives remained involved in the Ontario underworld in later decades, whether as part of the 'ndrangheta or Buffalo family. Longo may have also had Bonanno ties, as he once co-owned a Bay Area car dealership with SF member and Bonanno son-in-law Dr. Gregory Genovese.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Violi was just busted or you saying geography?

POINT.

[calabrianwatch]

Are you guys aware that in Operation Canadian Connection in Calabria (2019) which eventually ended up partially with project sindacato in Ontario (now flunked because the cops read private lawyer-client communication) two ndranghetisti speak about the Luppinos?

The story is
Carmelo Muià has to go to visit Angelo and Cosimo Figliomeni in Ontario to enquire about the murder of his brother in Siderno. Angelo and Cosimo are - for Siderno - the head of the Società of Siderno, dislocated to Ontario for a number of reasons. Partners and satellites of the Commisso they are the head of the Siderno Group in Toronto and around.
Carmelo Muià speaks with Giuseppe Macrì, also in the società of Siderno, also charged in the operation. Muià asks about the murder of Cece Luppino, killed in January 2019 in Hamilton, son of Rocco Luppino. Cece is Macrì's nephew.
In fact Giuseppe Macrì is married with Liliana Tavernese, who is the sister of Gisella Tavernese (married Prochilo), who is the mother of Angelica Prochilo who was the wife of Cece Luppino.
Muià and Macrì discuss the murder and Muià says that he is going to ask to the Figliomeni what the hell is happening in Ontario, why the murders. Macrì says that indeed the situation is not good in Ontario and they both talk about the fact that some Calabrian clans in the area in Canada are 'going with the sicilians' which essentially explains the war. However, the Luppino's links with Siderno - they hint - mean that there still has to be respect and involvement somehow.

I found this interesting with the discussion here about Luppino-Violi and Buffalo too.

Yes, we posters are aware -- please see viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4122&p=160864&hili ... ta#p160864.

On the wiretap, Cece Luppino's uncle Giuseppe MacrÌ, an 'ndranghetista who likely lives in Siderno, tied Luppino's murder to a number of bitter conflicts in Canada. Anyone doing an Internet search on MacrÌ will see that it yields he has a company in Siderno, along with wife Liliana Tavernese -- see https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/ ... act-anchor). MacrÌ spoke on these topics on February 13, 2019 in a conversation in Italy with fellow 'ndranghetista Carmelo Muià. Luppino had been killed 14 days earlier. MacrÌ tried to discourage Muià from going on a planned trip to Ontario because of unspecified risks the latter might encounter there, but Muià went to Ontario anyway in late March.

Macrì stated that the background to Luppino’s murder was also the background to the violence that befell an uncle of Cece’s. Luppino's first cousin Joe Capobianco was reported to have been stabbed in the home of Natale Luppino on April 19, 2018. Capobianco's father is also known as Joe Capobianco. I don't think journalists confused the two Joe Capobiancos, especially because the age of the victim was reported. Macrì might have known something that we don't: that Natale Luppino was the actual intended target, which of course would have been and was immediately theorized anyway by we mobwatchers. Police sources had told reporter Nicole O'Reilly that the stabbing victim was not a member of the Luppino family, which is true, as Diane Capobianco (mother and wife respectively of the two Joe Capobiancos I mentioned respectively) is the sister of Cece Luppino's mother, Elena, i.e., Helen, wife of Rocco.

Recall, as well, that one theory about the reason for Cece Luppino's murder is that his father, Rocco, was the intended target. Again, a theory that we would have come up with quickly ourselves, and did, anyway.

In relating the background to Luppino's murder, Macrì told Muià the story in the context of a split caused by some Calabrian clans allying themselves with the Sicilians present in Canada.

In the last three years I have sometimes wondered whether there is either 1) a war pitting a particular faction in the Italian underworld of Montreal against Buffalo Family members and other Calabrian-Canadian criminals in Hamilton, Burlington, Niagara Falls, and the Greater Toronto Area generally, or 2) a proxy war involving an Ontario crime group representing Montreal that is battling one or more crime groups in Ontario. There was violence in Ontario both before and after the Project Otremens bust.

Right after Domenico and Giuseppe Violi were actually sentenced, there was some general speculation that Pat Musitano would benefit from those brothers being inside -- and of course that particular type of speculation happened even earlier, right after the Project Otremens bust. If Musitano benefited early on, he certainly didn't in the end. Because we have seen continued violence in Ontario, it's possible that the Iavarone brothers have been benefiting from the Violi brothers being in jail, regardless of whether those two sets of brothers are friends or foes -- the Violis either did not care or cared a lot that Tony Iavarone was sitting at a table with Montrealers Antonio Pietrantonio, Giuseppe Focarazzo, and Miguel Torres at the December 1, 2018 wedding of Hells Angel and Annie Arbic in Montreal (see https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/ ... -dun-hells). However, pleasse note, though, that on March 6, 2019, Paul Manning tweeted: "Tony still off the map and missing, apparently" (see https://twitter.com/mobinfiltrator/stat ... 91009?s=20).

My hunch might be wrong, but I think that the murder of Joey Catroppa in Cancun last September, the attempted murder of Michael Costa just north of Toronto last November, and the murder of Costa's father John back in January (case of mistaken identity? collateral damage?) are manifestations of whatever mob war is being fought in Ontario.

Yes!! This is precisely the bit of the documents I was referring to. And thanks for adding the other ideas about Luppino’s murder. As for your questions, if you look at it from an Italian perspective then you see that everything starts from Verduci who was a Commisso’s man in Siderno. After his murder the Commisso are “at war” with whoever did that. Ursino becomes the guy the Commisso put their trust in especially because Bruzzese, another close man to Commisso in Siderno is killed. And Bruzzese used to be in the lines of Montreal too and very close to Verduci. So I guess to me it’s seems that the core of it are the Commisso and with the Commisso - as the Italians said in operation Acero, come a Siderno clan war- there are still people in hiding from Siderno to Canada, Commisso people. Thus your scenario 2 is the way it started it seems to me. Then no.1 could have followed because obviously in a war other people, other existing “Italians” might need to take sides. And the sides, for the Italians coming from Siderno are indeed binary: Sicilians are old style LCN (whoever) and calabrians are of course the Siderno/marina di gioiosa ionica and other ndrangheta. But then there are the Luppino for example who are “relatives” so they have to be considered anyway whichever their position.

[B.]

The Iavarones were thought to be allies of the Musitano crime family in the 1990s, but by the time of Albert's murder they were not. The Iavarone name comes up several times in the transcript of wiretap conversations recorded by police in Project Otremens. The RCMP-led, joint forces investigation led to the imprisonment of Joey and Dom Violi for fentanyl trafficking and included a high-level turncoat who recorded conversations as a paid police agent. The brothers pleaded guilty, so the information in the court documents was never tested in court.

On June 30, 2017 the police agent talks about A Iavarone (believed to be Albert) being "straightened out" with an L.A. Family and that Joe Todaro was mad about not being told this. Being "straightened out" is a term used when a man is initiated as "made" Mafia member.

https://www.thespec.com/news/crime/2020 ... -home.html

- No longer being Musitano allies fits with Iavarone's shared employment with a first cousin of the Luppino/Violis.

- Iavarone's name coming up "several times" on the recordings indicates he was significant enough in mafia circles for a Bonanno member to discuss him more than once.

- "Straightened out" appears to be a direct quote from Morena on the June 2017 recording. "Straightened out" is a term for Cosa Nostra membership and Joe Todaro's interest in this info fits with longstanding Cosa Nostra protocol. While I can imagine a Cosa Nostra boss wanting to have a general idea whether someone is an 'ndranghetesi in his territory, it is an official rule in Cosa Nostra that a local boss be made aware of a Cosa Nostra member from another family in his area. Frank Balistrieri wanted to kill Bonanno member Pete Sciortino for breaking this rule in Milwaukee in the 1960s. A family who "straightens out" a member that lives in a remote area is supposed to check in with the local boss.

- The most controversial part of this statement is the "L.A. Family" part. We don't have enough information to know exactly how this was worded by Morena or what it might imply, so let's step away from that for a second. Morena apparently said in June 2017 that Iavarone was a made member of a Cosa Nostra family. If the family was Buffalo, Joe Todaro would know about it and would not be upset about being left out of the loop given it's his own family and he already approved the induction of new Canadian members. If it was the Bonanno family (the only other confirmed family with Canadian members), Todaro would be in the loop given that the Bonanno family already demonstrated with Morena that they would follow proper regional protocol.

- So based on Morena's alleged statement on the June 2017 recording, we can reasonably deduct that Iavarone was a Cosa Nostra member who did not belong to Buffalo or the Bonannos. So where did he belong? Apparently LA, for whatever reason. Let's hope we see the full transcript or get some follow-up info someday.

[B.]

x

[CabriniGreen]

Ok..... NOW were getting to it.....

• On Ursino being a Commisso man.....
Did you see the article, that said Antonio Ursino angered Guiseppe Commisso by granting ( was it Guiseppe Ursino?) A dote, without permission, or consultation? And sending him to Toronto to sit on the Camera Di Controllo?Did he remain Commissos man? I read after the Ursino-Gambino op fell apart, the Commisso- Figliomeni expelled all the non Siderno gangsters, and it TRULY became the Siderno group...


• on antimafia 1st hypothesis on the war....
This was what Daniel Renaud was alluding to in his Rizzuto book. That the Violis were involved with Montagna in the war.

I've been trying to figure the Violis angle in the war up there. The Scoppa book didnt mention the kids once.
Plus they wernt made at that time, so I was a little baffled as to WHY Montagna would meet with them on an organizational matter. Maybe it was an OPERATIONAL matter, maybe he wanted to do something similar to what Zummo wanted. All those Montreal guys were pretty heavy in narcotics, a relationship with the Violis would have shored up those contacts for Montagna.....
He would have been able to navigate the narcotics Table set up by guys like Skunk Giordano from a position of strength and control......

• Its quite telling, that the Luppinos may have been dragged into an Ndrangheta war..... antimafia previously posted that being a member of LCN didnt make Montagna exempt from being a target for murder. But one has to wonder, were the Violis, Natale, the attempt at making Cece, were they straightened out as a means of protection? To keep them safe from reprisals?

[B.]

• on antimafia 1st hypothesis on the war....
This was what Daniel Renaud was alluding to in his Rizzuto book. That the Violis were involved with Montagna in the war.

I've been trying to figure the Violis angle in the war up there. The Scoppa book didnt mention the kids once.
Plus they wernt made at that time, so I was a little baffled as to WHY Montagna would meet with them on an organizational matter. Maybe it was an OPERATIONAL matter, maybe he wanted to do something similar to what Zummo wanted. All those Montreal guys were pretty heavy in narcotics, a relationship with the Violis would have shored up those contacts for Montagna.....
He would have been able to navigate the narcotics Table set up by guys like Skunk Giordano from a position of strength and control......

• Its quite telling, that the Luppinos may have been dragged into an Ndrangheta war..... antimafia previously posted that being a member of LCN didnt make Montagna exempt from being a target for murder. But one has to wonder, were the Violis, Natale, the attempt at making Cece, were they straightened out as a means of protection? To keep them safe from reprisals?

In most mafia wars, the made members hide out while associates conduct most of the hands-on warfare. Being a made member adds a layer of protection during periods of peace, but it makes someone more of a target in a Cosa Nostra conflict given the stature of membership. In Montagna's case, he was an acting boss and so heavily involved in the Montreal war that he guaranteed himself as a target either way.

The Violis would still represent the organization they were with (Buffalo) regardless of their membership status at the time. Just because they were associates at the time doesn't mean their involvement was strictly operational (i.e. criminal rackets). Michael Persico was an associate who took on a leadership role and ordered murders during the Persico-Orena war because he represented his relatives who were official members/leaders. As associates, the Violis couldn't have certain formal conversations, but they could serve as points of contact and facilitate communication between the groups, as associates often do. The associate is still an organizational role, it just has its limits.

In Domenico Violi's case, he was straightened out apparently with the intention of making him the underboss and defacto head of the Canadian faction of the Buffalo family. That's more than just protection. Joe Violi's alleged "option" of joining the Bonannos or Buffalo would also lean away from protection -- if he joined the Bonannos and rivals of theirs remained in the Bonanno-Montreal faction, they could kill Joe Violi and it might even be sanctioned. I don't think there's much evidence right now the Violis were made to protect them from political fallout from the earlier Montreal war.

[CabriniGreen]

• on antimafia 1st hypothesis on the war....
This was what Daniel Renaud was alluding to in his Rizzuto book. That the Violis were involved with Montagna in the war.

I've been trying to figure the Violis angle in the war up there. The Scoppa book didnt mention the kids once.
Plus they wernt made at that time, so I was a little baffled as to WHY Montagna would meet with them on an organizational matter. Maybe it was an OPERATIONAL matter, maybe he wanted to do something similar to what Zummo wanted. All those Montreal guys were pretty heavy in narcotics, a relationship with the Violis would have shored up those contacts for Montagna.....
He would have been able to navigate the narcotics Table set up by guys like Skunk Giordano from a position of strength and control......

• Its quite telling, that the Luppinos may have been dragged into an Ndrangheta war..... antimafia previously posted that being a member of LCN didnt make Montagna exempt from being a target for murder. But one has to wonder, were the Violis, Natale, the attempt at making Cece, were they straightened out as a means of protection? To keep them safe from reprisals?

In most mafia wars, the made members hide out while associates conduct most of the hands-on warfare. Being a made member adds a layer of protection during periods of peace, but it makes someone more of a target in a Cosa Nostra conflict given the stature of membership. In Montagna's case, he was an acting boss and so heavily involved in the Montreal war that he guaranteed himself as a target either way.

The Violis would still represent the organization they were with (Buffalo) regardless of their membership status at the time. Just because they were associates at the time doesn't mean their involvement was strictly operational (i.e. criminal rackets). Michael Persico was an associate who took on a leadership role and ordered murders during the Persico-Orena war because he represented his relatives who were official members/leaders. As associates, the Violis couldn't have certain formal conversations, but they could serve as points of contact and facilitate communication between the groups, as associates often do. The associate is still an organizational role, it just has its limits.

In Domenico Violi's case, he was straightened out apparently with the intention of making him the underboss and defacto head of the Canadian faction of the Buffalo family. That's more than just protection. Joe Violi's alleged "option" of joining the Bonannos or Buffalo would also lean away from protection -- if he joined the Bonannos and rivals of theirs remained in the Bonanno-Montreal faction, they could kill Joe Violi and it might even be sanctioned. I don't think there's much evidence right now the Violis were made to protect them from political fallout from the earlier Montreal war.

Good points, strike that one from the list of theories.... not for protection then....

[CabriniGreen]

@ antimafia

When you posted " Ontario crime group representing Montreal"... I'm admittedly lost here.... whom were you referring to? The Violis?