Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[antimafia]

Man slain near Sherway Gardens was 'Mob enforcer': Sources

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/ ... etobicoke/

From the article: “Tony was well-known in TOC (Traditional Organized Crime) as Scratch,” the source said. “He is/was an enforcer for Joe Violi and linked directly to the Calabrian Commisso family.”

Does this mean he was an enforcer for the Luppino family (Joe Violi) and part of the Commisso family? Does Buffalo fit into this equation because of the Violi/Luppino connection?

Also, on February 21, 2016 Bongiovanni attended a party in Toronto with Coconspirator 2 and with “friends and associates involved with possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.” The Commisso’s are in Toronto and some are related to the Luppinos according to the Luppino family tree. Luppino Family Tree with Todaro Connection.jpg

NickleCity:

Over the weekend I was right to be suspicious about the updated article mentioning that Fiorda was a mob enforcer for Joe Violi, especially because the original article mentioned that the former was an enforcer for a Frank Viola. This morning I received confirmation of my suspicion -- Fiorda was not a mob enforcer for Joe Violi. More soon, I hope.

I have my suspicions about Fiorda's made status -- and he may very well be made -- but I don't fault Adrian Humphreys for quoting the source who is apparently a mobster. Maybe Humphreys should have corroborated the claim -- maybe he did but couldn't say how he did so; or maybe quoting a police source who said that Fiorda "was considered a mobster for quite a few years; a periphery player who was always seen as a tough guy” wasn't enough substantiation. We have all read articles and books by Canadian organized-crime reporters and authors in which one or more sources are cited as support for a particular theory or claim and then, as time goes on, what the sources claim turns out not to be true.

When I tentatively first posted about this story both on Gangster BB and here, I wrote that more information would need to come out to see whether the shooting was related to Italian organized crime -- Fiorda's identity had not yet even been established. There is a very strong possibility that this murder has nothing to do with a mob war in Ontario and nothing to do with other mob violence in Ontario.

If I have time, I will repeat later what I have previously written here and elsewhere about the historically strange and interesting dynamics between the Calabrian crime groups in Ontario and Quebec (mostly the former), as well as stress that intermarriage and common ancestry -- even from the same comune -- are not prophylactics as regards intragroup and intergroup violence.

When you wrote

Also, on February 21, 2016 Bongiovanni attended a party in Toronto with Coconspirator 2 and with “friends and associates involved with possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.” The Commisso’s are in Toronto and some are related to the Luppinos according to the Luppino family tree.

you didn't properly quote from p. 14 of the Bongiovanni indictment, which reads as follows:

45. On or about February 21, 2016, the defendant BONGIOVANNI attended a party in Toronto, Canada with friends and associates involved in possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.

It is a leap of logic or an erroneous reading that would cause someone to conclude that the friends and associates were Toronto based rather than people from Western New York or somewhere else in the US. Am I still intrigued about their presence in Toronto? Abso-fucking-lutely! The wording in the indictment is similar to what was in the release issued by the DOJ USAO for WDNY (https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/re ... conspiracy):

The indictment alleges that between 2008 and approximately June 2019, the defendant had friends and associates who he knew were involved in the possession, use, distribution, and importation of controlled substances including marijuana and cocaine. Those friends and associates included individuals whom the defendant believed to be members of, connected to, or associated with Italian Organized Crime (IOC).

If you and other posters want to check with the various journalists about my disputing Fiorda's mob-enforcer duties for Joe Violi and Fiorda's made status, please do so discreetly, which includes not mentioning my poster handle and not quoting my posts here without my permission. The Black Hand Forum is a closed group for a number of reasons. I may very well contact the reporters myself and tactfully address the errors or possible errors; so if other posters do the same, the journalists are going to assume that on these forums I am bad-mouthing them, which I think I have avoided for the most part over the years because I can only imagine how difficult it is to get this stuff right.

[NickleCity]

^^^^^^
Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.04.21 PM.pngScreen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.02.31 PM.pngScreen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.00.34 PM.png

Thanks for finding out for sure about Violi vs Viola. My antenna went up because it the indictment mentioned Bongiovanni at party in Toronto and then the article suggested that "Scratch" was and enforcer for Joe Violi and tied to the Commisso clan. Since the Luppino/Violi family has such close ties to Buffalo I asked B. how that could all fit together.

[NickleCity]

^^^

Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.04.21 PM.png

Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.02.31 PM.png

Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.00.34 PM.png

Wasn't trying to say coconspirator 2 or 3 were from Toronto--just an interesting connection about Toronto, now debunked "Scratch" being enforcer for Violi and tied to Commisso clan, and Violi family tree ties to Commisso clan.

[NickleCity]

NickleCity:

Over the weekend I was right to be suspicious about the updated article mentioning that Fiorda was a mob enforcer for Joe Violi, especially because the original article mentioned that the former was an enforcer for a Frank Viola. This morning I received confirmation of my suspicion -- Fiorda was not a mob enforcer for Joe Violi. More soon, I hope.

I have my suspicions about Fiorda's made status -- and he may very well be made -- but I don't fault Adrian Humphreys for quoting the source who is apparently a mobster. Maybe Humphreys should have corroborated the claim -- maybe he did but couldn't say how he did so; or maybe quoting a police source who said that Fiorda "was considered a mobster for quite a few years; a periphery player who was always seen as a tough guy” wasn't enough substantiation. We have all read articles and books by Canadian organized-crime reporters and authors in which one or more sources are cited as support for a particular theory or claim and then, as time goes on, what the sources claim turns out not to be true.

When I tentatively first posted about this story both on Gangster BB and here, I wrote that more information would need to come out to see whether the shooting was related to Italian organized crime -- Fiorda's identity had not yet even been established. There is a very strong possibility that this murder has nothing to do with a mob war in Ontario and nothing to do with other mob violence in Ontario.

If I have time, I will repeat later what I have previously written here and elsewhere about the historically strange and interesting dynamics between the Calabrian crime groups in Ontario and Quebec (mostly the former), as well as stress that intermarriage and common ancestry -- even from the same comune -- are not prophylactics as regards intragroup and intergroup violence.

When you wrote

Also, on February 21, 2016 Bongiovanni attended a party in Toronto with Coconspirator 2 and with “friends and associates involved with possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.” The Commisso’s are in Toronto and some are related to the Luppinos according to the Luppino family tree.

you didn't properly quote from p. 14 of the Bongiovanni indictment, which reads as follows:

45. On or about February 21, 2016, the defendant BONGIOVANNI attended a party in Toronto, Canada with friends and associates involved in possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.

It is a leap of logic or an erroneous reading that would cause someone to conclude that the friends and associates were Toronto based rather than people from Western New York or somewhere else in the US. Am I still intrigued about their presence in Toronto? Abso-fucking-lutely! The wording in the indictment is similar to what was in the release issued by the DOJ USAO for WDNY (https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/re ... conspiracy):

About the coconspirators from the beginning I have and continue to believe the recent drug trafficking arrests/weapons arrests are much more likely to be these individuals. See this post:

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4122&p=128142&hilit=serio#p128142

Don't know that these are the coconspirators but much more likely, especially given that Gerace operates a strip club.

[Stroccos]

So did zummo of the bonnaos flip ? Would he tie into this deal agent case at all ?

[NickleCity]

Man slain near Sherway Gardens was 'Mob enforcer': Sources

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/ ... etobicoke/

From the article: “Tony was well-known in TOC (Traditional Organized Crime) as Scratch,” the source said. “He is/was an enforcer for Joe Violi and linked directly to the Calabrian Commisso family.”

Does this mean he was an enforcer for the Luppino family (Joe Violi) and part of the Commisso family? Does Buffalo fit into this equation because of the Violi/Luppino connection?

Also, on February 21, 2016 Bongiovanni attended a party in Toronto with Coconspirator 2 and with “friends and associates involved with possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.” The Commisso’s are in Toronto and some are related to the Luppinos according to the Luppino family tree. Luppino Family Tree with Todaro Connection.jpg

NickleCity:

Over the weekend I was right to be suspicious about the updated article mentioning that Fiorda was a mob enforcer for Joe Violi, especially because the original article mentioned that the former was an enforcer for a Frank Viola. This morning I received confirmation of my suspicion -- Fiorda was not a mob enforcer for Joe Violi. More soon, I hope.

I have my suspicions about Fiorda's made status -- and he may very well be made -- but I don't fault Adrian Humphreys for quoting the source who is apparently a mobster. Maybe Humphreys should have corroborated the claim -- maybe he did but couldn't say how he did so; or maybe quoting a police source who said that Fiorda "was considered a mobster for quite a few years; a periphery player who was always seen as a tough guy” wasn't enough substantiation. We have all read articles and books by Canadian organized-crime reporters and authors in which one or more sources are cited as support for a particular theory or claim and then, as time goes on, what the sources claim turns out not to be true.

When I tentatively first posted about this story both on Gangster BB and here, I wrote that more information would need to come out to see whether the shooting was related to Italian organized crime -- Fiorda's identity had not yet even been established. There is a very strong possibility that this murder has nothing to do with a mob war in Ontario and nothing to do with other mob violence in Ontario.

If I have time, I will repeat later what I have previously written here and elsewhere about the historically strange and interesting dynamics between the Calabrian crime groups in Ontario and Quebec (mostly the former), as well as stress that intermarriage and common ancestry -- even from the same comune -- are not prophylactics as regards intragroup and intergroup violence.

When you wrote

Also, on February 21, 2016 Bongiovanni attended a party in Toronto with Coconspirator 2 and with “friends and associates involved with possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.” The Commisso’s are in Toronto and some are related to the Luppinos according to the Luppino family tree.

you didn't properly quote from p. 14 of the Bongiovanni indictment, which reads as follows:

45. On or about February 21, 2016, the defendant BONGIOVANNI attended a party in Toronto, Canada with friends and associates involved in possession, use, and distribution of cocaine.

It is a leap of logic or an erroneous reading that would cause someone to conclude that the friends and associates were Toronto based rather than people from Western New York or somewhere else in the US. Am I still intrigued about their presence in Toronto? Abso-fucking-lutely! The wording in the indictment is similar to what was in the release issued by the DOJ USAO for WDNY (https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/re ... conspiracy):

The indictment alleges that between 2008 and approximately June 2019, the defendant had friends and associates who he knew were involved in the possession, use, distribution, and importation of controlled substances including marijuana and cocaine. Those friends and associates included individuals whom the defendant believed to be members of, connected to, or associated with Italian Organized Crime (IOC).

If you and other posters want to check with the various journalists about my disputing Fiorda's mob-enforcer duties for Joe Violi and Fiorda's made status, please do so discreetly, which includes not mentioning my poster handle and not quoting my posts here without my permission. The Black Hand Forum is a closed group for a number of reasons. I may very well contact the reporters myself and tactfully address the errors or possible errors; so if other posters do the same, the journalists are going to assume that on these forums I am bad-mouthing them, which I think I have avoided for the most part over the years because I can only imagine how difficult it is to get this stuff right.

Going back and reading what I wrote... I did make it look the indictment said he was meeting with "friends and associates" involved in narcotics on the other side of the border and you are right... can't make that leap with his presence in Toronto, cause the indictment doesn't say that.

[B.]

So did zummo of the bonnaos flip ? Would he tie into this deal agent case at all ?

I know that's not what you asked, but I do feel there is much more to Zummo's story, no matter what his status is now.

His father appears to be Pasquale Zummo, a Sicilian heroin trafficker involved with the Pizza Connection. Zummo's background and the neighborhood he grew up in point to him having been a younger part of the Caffe Giannini crowd that produced the CI Morena and Zummo's co-defendant Paul Ragusa (whose father was a Sicilian Pizza Connection trafficker that hung out in the same circles as Pasquale Zummo).

There are few coincidences in the mafia and it's likely Zummo's ties to Morena and Ragusa go back to Ridgewood / Middle Village in NYC, especially given that Morena and Ragusa had served long prison terms before hooking up with Zummo in this Canadian case. The fact that Ragusa and Morena got together after all of that time, along with Zummo, does not seem random in the least.

Now, Salvatore Montagna is not typically associated with the Caffe Giannini "crew" itself, but his mentor Baldassare Amato was also a mentor/leader to many of the Giannini crew members and from Dom Cicale's info we know Montagna continued to associate with some remaining Giannini figures into the 2000s and despite living on Long Island and being in a Bronx crew, Montagna had a business in nearby Bushwick and hung out in the Middle Village area. Given Montagna's significant presence in Canada (including alleged visit(s) to Ontario) in the years before Zummo, Morena, and Ragusa appear there, seemingly comfortable and familiar with locals like the Violis, I have to wonder if there is not a Salvatore Montagna connection in all of this.

If nothing else, Montagna may have had some role in maintaining the formal connections that eventually allowed Violi to meet the visiting NYC Bonanno group, and for that matter, Morena establishing residence in Ontario with NYC Bonanno approval. Montagna was dead by this time, but what I'm suggesting is he helped lay the groundwork for what we saw develop in this case -- we know someone laid that groundwork and he's as good of a candidate as any.

[Wiseguy]

Just marijuana? Are you sure? Cause that is not what I read in the indictment. I appreciate your position on this discussion, but do try to be accurate.
Screen Shot 2019-11-12 at 11.13.15 AM.png

He conspired to possess and distribute 1000 kilos or more of a mixture and substance containing marijuana, a schedule 1 controlled substance and cocaine, a schedule 2 controlled substance, in violation of Title 21.

Now we can ask a lot of questions about this wording. Do they include both the marijuana and cocaine in the 1000 kilos? I think that is the likely answer and Bongiovanni/his coconspirators added some cocaine to the marijuana for a stronger high? Or one might read this and think that both substances mixed or cut with something else? Of course there is the wording mixture and substance... So did he conspire to sell a mixture, marijuana, and cocaine?

I don't think there is enough information in the indictment to accurately answer these questions, thus the financial conclusions you draw may be true. But they could be way off as well.

That's a good point but, considering the type of OC involved, the region, the time frame, and the respective drugs in question, it's fairly obvious the majority of the 1,000 kilos was marijuana; with an unspecified lesser amount being cocaine.

[CabriniGreen]

I got another question...

This, Militello, is that right?

This cant be the SAME Militellos from the fuckin Gambino indictment, right? Because if it is, my head will explode, lol

[NickleCity]

I got another question...

This, Militello, is that right?

This cant be the SAME Militellos from the fuckin Gambino indictment, right? Because if it is, my head will explode, lol

I don’t think it is. The Militello name in WNY has long been rumored to be tied to the Buffalo mob. He hung out with OJ Simpson and both were investigated for drug dealing. I wrote about a Militello’s recent arrest and the long family history to narcotic trafficking with ties to the Buffalo mob here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4122&p=128220&hili ... lo#p128220

What is interesting about the Sardina drug ring involving Militello and Simpson is that it involved a NY State trooper named David Aquilino who partied in Canada with his drug dealing buddies, much like Bongiovanni did.

Of even more interest is the lawyer for Marty Pecoraro—Angelo Musitano who was on the FBI chart supplied by Manning. Here is part of the article:

"Did you ever see Mr. Pecoraro deliver cocaine to O.J. Simpson?" defense lawyer Angelo Musitano asked.

"No, I didn't," Aquilino said.

"(A witness) will testify later that on, one occasion, Mr. Pecoraro told him he was delivering cocaine product to O.J. Simpson," Duszkiewicz told District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Duszkiewicz identified that witness as Dominic Sardina, who has pleaded guilty to felony drug charges.

Donny Karl, manager of Kixx, said late Friday that Simpson, Aquilino and Pecoraro have all been at the nightclub at various times in the past. But Karl said he has never seen any of them with drugs.

Karl added that he does not know if either Simpson or Pecoraro was ever involved with a Kixx waitress.

"We've had so many employees in and out of here, I'd have to go back into my personnel records to see if such a person ever existed," Karl said.

Several witnesses in Pecoraro's trial have said Kixx was a hangout for members of the drug ring run by Sardina and his brother, Joseph Sardina.

Maybe it was, Karl said, but he said he never observed any drug trafficking by any of those people.

"If they're ever going to do anything illegal, they're not going to do it in front of us," Karl said.

Karl added: "I've known O.J. since I started in the business, and I've never known him to be anything but a gentleman. How many celebrities do you see who will interrupt their dinner to give an autograph to a little kid?"

Aquilino admitted to jurors on Friday that he associated with drug dealers and used cocaine and marijuana while he was a member of the New York State Police. He described Pecoraro as a good friend whom he often met at local nightclubs.

Aquilino said he obtained a State Police business card and window sticker for Dominic Sardina in 1993. He said he gave the items to Sardina on a night when Sardina obtained a small amount of cocaine for the trooper and Pecoraro.

"People believed that (the card and sticker) might help them avoid getting a ticket," Aquilino testified. "A police officer has discretion on whether to give someone a ticket."

Jurors also heard a tape of Aquilino, Pecoraro and Sardina arranging a small cocaine transaction on the night of Feb. 6, 1993. On that night, Aquilino said, he, Pecoraro and two other friends took a limousine ride to a "dancing club" in Canada to celebrate the trooper's birthday.

He and Pecoraro hid the coke in the limousine as it was carried over the Canada border, and they snorted it in the dance club, Aquilino said.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but police officers aren't supposed to be involved with illegal drugs, right?" Duszkiewicz said.

"Correct," Aquilino answered.

NY Governor Ties to Buffalo Mob .png

[NickleCity]

For what it is worth there is a Frances Bongiovanni (née Vaccaro) who passed away in 2010. She was married to a John J. Bongiovanni. https://buffalonews.com/2010/10/08/fran ... ngiovanni/

I bring this up because Rocco Vaccaro was identified as a retired buffalo soldier in the ‘97 chart Manning made available. I think their was a Vaccaro involved in Rochester as well.

Also, Vaccaros in Canada were involved in smuggling marijuana/cocaine into their country from Niagara Falls, in 1990. An article says, Vaccaro was a made member of a Hamilton crime family that report Buffalo organized crime leaders. https://buffalonews.com/1990/09/07/14-s ... local-mob/ Here is a quote:

Police identified the suspects as: Carmen Barillaro, 46, of 6155 Corwin Crescent; Nicodemo Bruzzese, 40, of Tanbark Road; Dominic Vaccaro, 44, of 6740 Crawford St.; Frank J. Spadafora, 36, of 6404 Jupiter Boulevard; Nicodemo Scali, 37, of 6424 January Drive; John T. Cleary, 47, of 6105 McLeod Road; Frederick Campisano, 42, of 6353 Franklin Ave., and Joseph F. DeCaria, 28, of 5729 McGrail Road. All the suspects live in Niagara Falls, Ont., except Bruzzese, who lives in St. Davids. Barillaro was identified as the ringleader of the drug operation by Special Agent Robert Ulmer, chief of the organized crime and narcotics section of the Buffalo FBI office.

Barillaro, Bruzzese and Vaccaro are all "made members" of a Hamilton-based Mafia family that reports to Buffalo organized-crime leaders, Ulmer said.

Ulmer said that Vaccaro has extensive contacts with Buffalo mob members and also supplies drugs to Western New York.

Here is another article that mentions Vaccaro in Canada: https://buffalonews.com/1990/09/08/figu ... ated-them/

[antimafia]

^^^^^^
Screen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.04.21 PM.pngScreen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.02.31 PM.pngScreen Shot 2019-11-08 at 12.00.34 PM.png

Thanks for finding out for sure about Violi vs Viola. My antenna went up because it the indictment mentioned Bongiovanni at party in Toronto and then the article suggested that "Scratch" was and enforcer for Joe Violi and tied to the Commisso clan. Since the Luppino/Violi family has such close ties to Buffalo I asked B. how that could all fit together.

So after I ask you and other posters to be discreet, you go ahead and tweet the following 10 minutes after I posted:

https://twitter.com/MobBuffalo/status/1 ... 84006?s=20

Buffalo Mob @MobBuffalo 1:16 PM · Nov 12, 2019 · Twitter Web App

Hearing "Scratch" wasn't an enforcer for Joe Violi, rather Frank Viola.

Quote Tweet
Buffalo Mob @MobBuffalo · Nov 8

“Tony was well-known in TOC.. as Scratch,” ...He was an enforcer for Joe Violi [Buffalo Underboss' Brother] & linked directly to the Commisso family.” https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/ ... -etobicoke How the Violis-Luppino, Commisso, & Buffalo families are all connected is anyones guess!

___________________

Anyone on Twitter could ask you directly or via a DM, Where did you hear that?

How would you answer?

I can't tell you that.

I read it from someone else on a private forum -- it's The Black Hand Forum.

From @CdnOrgC. His handle on the organized-crime forums GangsterBB and The Black Hand Forum is antimafia.

I've previously told you in private that you have to be more discreet about what you publicly post on Twitter. When you tweeted about lawyer Angelo Musitano Sr. back in February, you used information I had provided on this very forum; so I suggested you delete your tweet -- you know, so that you don't get sued. If you keep this up, I guarantee that you're going to get sued, either by lawyers, journalists, organized-crime figures, Paul Manning, etc.

If you or anyone is thinking about calling me over to the GRAVEYARD, don't waste your time. I am going to ask soliai to temporarily shelve you or to outright ban you. Even closed Facebook groups have rules that members have to respect regarding the replication, reproduction, and screenshotting of posts, as the rules are implemented and enforced to protect members' privacy and the content that admins, moderators, and posters provide.

[B.]

It might be ideal if there is an established policy on this, set by Soliai and the other moderators.

On one hand, this is a closed forum in the sense that you must register to see the content, but on the other hand anybody can register and there are many voyeurs who read this board and don't post, or in some cases they only read here and they re-post our content elsewhere. There are charts, etc. that get made on here with the intention of them being spread around with the URL and name of the forum. I also know that Soliai has made efforts to promote the forum in order to bring in more members. So while there is a wall around the content of the forum, it is very much an invisible wall.

I've enjoyed NickleCity's posts without drawing conclusions from them and would not like to see him banned, especially given that some other highly questionable people have not been banned in recent months, but I also highly respect Antimafia and his desire to have his research, insight, and requests for privacy treated honorably. I would not want the board to lose his great contributions because of a situation like this.

Hopefully this sort of issue can be handled with a clear policy that everyone understands so that there is no controversy moving forward.

While I post on this board knowing that any content I share can and probably will be shared elsewhere at some point, I would also like to think there is enough mutual respect on a personal level between most people here to honor individual requests not to share content on more public platforms.

[Snakes]

I agree with B and I don't think anyone is in danger of being banned here, at least not in my opinion. Wiseguy is welcome to his own opinion as well and has always presents his case strongly. As long as it doesn't devolve into name calling and flaming (which I have not seen much of, but then again, there is 264 pages here), they can debate until the cows come home.

[B.]

I agree with B and I don't think anyone is in danger of being banned here, at least not in my opinion. Wiseguy is welcome to his own opinion as well and has always presents his case strongly. As long as it doesn't devolve into name calling and flaming (which I have not seen much of, but then again, there is 264 pages here), they can debate until the cows come home.

Oh, I'm not commenting on Wiseguy. I'm referring to the issue Antimafia mentioned with NickleCity involving Twitter.