Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[Wiseguy]

I agree that rate of indictments are a good measurement of activity, but there’s also the law enforcement side of the equation. Rate of indictments are directly responsive to law enforcement pressure. If Buffalo’s Organized Crime Squad were to receive a huge slash in budgeting, other examples show that there would be an equally responsive drop in cases, regardless of the family’s organised crime activity.

For example, look at the New York Mafia’s budget cuts. Following 2011’s “Mafia Takedown Day” and the ensuing budget cuts (the New York Mafia FBI Squads’ budgets were cut to more than half of what they were), there was a remarkable drop in FBI cases against the Colombo crime family. That’s not because the family altogether dropped its organized crime presence. Evidence shows they instituted a new hierarchy with new making ceremonies following 2011. But the FBI stopped pursuing cases, and paused their active hierarchy investigations that began in the 1990s and ended in 2012. Prior to 2011, the FBI’s specific Colombo Squad cultivated low-level informers who either agreed to testify to wired up on the streets, and the FBI - aided by wiretaps and bugs - were able to work their way up to the hierarchy. But after 2011, the FBI has not actively cultivated informants. You might say, “well Gohn, there have been informers against the Colombo family since then.” And you’d be right. But all informers post-2011 were not prodded or pushed; they sought out the FBI themselves to cooperate, such as Luca DiMatteo’s shakedown victim and Jerry Ciauri’s loansharking victim.

If rate of indictments were influenced solely by a family’s activity, then one would think that the Colombo family went from being a powerful criminal enterprise in 2011 to a withered crew of street thugs only a few years later. Instead, I think the rate of indictments correlates more accurately with the FBI budgets/priorities, and that should always be a huge factor when you’re looking at a family’s activity.

I probably sound like a broken record when I tie everything to the Colombo family, but you can look at a similar lack of Bonanno family cases in the 1980s and 1990s, after the FBI decided to merge the Bonanno family squad with the Colombo Squad due to their perception that the Bonanno family posed less of a threat after they were kicked off the Commission. As the Bonanno family faced less and less indictments than their peers, their activity actually INCREASED, and they grew from the weakest of New York’s Five Families to the second strongest.

Indictments are not a given. Yes, the FBI will pressure a family more if the family is more active, but budgets and federal priorities are an equally big factor.

Putting aside the fact that comparing the New York families to any other is apples and bowling balls, your point about budgets/priority might apply in the short term. But that only works for so long. As more time goes by without cases, the more clear things become. The reasoning you outline above has been used for years regarding Detroit. And now Buffalo.

[B.]

Indictments, or lack of them, over an extended period of time have proven one of the best ways to measure activity. Do you think it's just happenstance that we see a lot of cases in New York, much less in Chicago, and none in San Francisco?

Indictments are an important part of the conversation, but lack of evidence is not evidence toward any particular end and does nothing to support a dogmatic stance. I agree that a lack of indictments suggests fewer criminal activities. That in turn tells us something about the nature of the organization. Still, indictments are not an accurate way to measure the total existence of a mafia organization. I don't have a better alternative with what's currently available to us, either, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shift all my weight onto indictments alone.

It's not happenstance that we see more cases in New York City than other mafia cities. New York City has always had more cases than other cities with mafia families even when smaller US mafia families were at full "viability" (not my word). The relationship between the mafia and law enforcement in the NYC area reflects that and always has. There are five families, each one larger in membership today than most US families at their peak. Using a city with the largest concentration of mafia members in North America as a counterexample to a family that is alleged by its own self-professed underboss to have less than 1/4th of its peak membership total is not an argument I follow.

We've been through this academic argument before. Theoretically, a family could sit around and do nothing - or be completely legitimate for that matter - and still be a family. But in practical terms, that's not how it works.

It's not an academic argument and I assume that word was chosen as a pejorative anyway. My understanding of the organization is based on the way it has been described by a variety of member informants, cooperating witnesses, and members caught on tape. You know, qualified academics who have no practical knowledge. One of my main points of interest is how mafia members have defined the organization and its rules/protocol. Despite some exceptions, it is surprisingly consistent over many decades, eras, and regions. It depends above all else on networking and relationships, which Violi is a living example of.

That you have to go back to the 1970s to make your point says something. It was the 1980s that the feds really started getting comprehensive intel on the mob on a national basis. And it's only gotten better through the years.

That is untrue. Beginning in the early 1960s, the FBI began to cultivate a staggering number of new informants, including members, and had well-placed bugs in the offices of multiple US mafia bosses and other locations frequented by members. FBI reports about mafia figures from the late 1950s vs. the early 1960s is like the difference between black and white vs. color TV. Much of the information on Buffalo during that period came through the bug in the Magaddino Funeral Home and provided a great deal of the FBI's working knowledge of the group and its history, but infiltration via high-placed informants doesn't appear to have been as deep as in NYC or other cities where they were able to put together a much more complete picture.

When talking about organizations that have been around for as long as 100 years, the 1970s is not ancient history but a middle period that could still potentially help us understand what's left of the organization today, indirect as it may seem. There is a reason why, in the May 2014 informer article, they say it's not a coincidence that the Genovese family is today run by a Corleonese and the Bonanno family was for a time in the 2000s run by a Castellammarese (who then went to Montreal and became involved immediately in mafia activities because of the existing Bonanno network there). It's not scripted or designed that way, just a result of the networks and relationships that shape these families over time. Violi is again an example of this.

Technology has certainly improved and surely the FBI was able to gain sources (including informants and bugs) that gave them a view into the Buffalo family in the last few decades. Getting "better" at investigating the mafia still depends largely on the same types of sources as it always did and I look forward to more recent FBI documents being declassified so we know exactly what information was being provided via their sources.

If you're expecting a bunch more news to be coming out about Buffalo LCN (on either side of the border), I think you're going to be disappointed.

I was referring more to declassified FBI reports from the 1970s through 2000s, which could help us out in the same way that Mary Ferrell and other FOIA-sourced documents have, not "breaking news", but I'm glad someone is looking out for my soft little heart.

[NickleCity]

From the National Post article that started it all

Violi is also the grandson of the late Giacomo Luppino, who, from his humble home in Hamilton, was a senior mob authority in Canada in the 1960s and 70s. Luppino was said to have hacked off the ear of a rival and carried the leathery flap around with him for years.

It was Luppino who helped forge an alliance between Hamilton’s mobsters and the Mafia of Buffalo, which at the time was a powerful entity.

The Buffalo mob has since fallen on hard times. Old-timers who had run the group for years were dying of old age or retiring with little sign of new blood coming in, including Joe Todaro Sr., who was known by the nickname Lead Pipe Joe and was Joseph Todaro’s father.

The police evidence gathered during the three-year probe claim the organization was being resuscitated as the last reputed boss, Leonard (The Calzone) Falzone, was ailing. He died in 2016.

The reorganization seemed to begin in 2014.

Violi himself said he was inducted into the Buffalo Family as a “made” member in January 2015, according to the documents, and around the same time, Rocco Luppino, Giacomo Luppino’s son, was allegedly named “captain” of the group’s outpost in Canada; a younger Luppino relative was asked if he wished to also be “made.”

Violi said he beat out 30 other guys to become Underboss, the documents claim. All would have to be “made members” of the Buffalo Family to be considered for the post.



So from the very beginning of this it was admitted that the Buffalo family was withering away but it is clear an effort was made (most likely by Joe Todaro Jr) to bring the organization back. There are 10-15 guys still alive from that 1997 list that most likely isn't a full list and 22 years later it's impossible for the family to have 30 members????

Just something to think about Ron Fino, who was the informant that helped the Feds but LIUNA Local 210 under govt. trusteeship, said the Todaro’s never retired and Falzone was the front boss. With the new information about Todaro Jr., it looks like he could have been right. And if Buffalo had an actual front boss, they were not withered as much as has been reported. And BTW Fiona is still adamant the mob influence of 210 was never eradicated and the Capitano’s are still invloved in 210. Also, he is indicated the family is involved in healthcare fraud with NY families.

[Pogo The Clown]

Do you have information that suggests the FBI's knowledge of the Buffalo membership was ever comprehensive or close to it? I ask that in earnest, as I have been researching the Buffalo group quite a bit in the last few years and I haven't seen anything from any era that suggests they had comprehensive member identifications at any point. To be fair, I'm less familiar with the 1980s and 90s, but much of the foundation of the FBI's membership counts are drawn from the 1960s. Each decade of FBI investigation doesn't exist in a vaccuum and much of it is based on building on previous information. Because the FBI was missing identities for more than half of the alleged membership in the 1960s, they were missing a large part of that foundation. Again, I don't know what sources of information the FBI had in more recent decades and I'm not trying to prove anything. This is a vital part of the discussion, plain and simple -- weigh it out how you want.

The NYC mafia also had extensive cooperation from member informants and witnesses from multiple families from the early 1960s up to present day, who could in turn identify members of different families as well as their own, during that period you refer to. NYC built solid foundations thanks to their sources in the 1960s and have continued to be at the absolute top of the game when it comes to identifying mafia members, but even then I've never seen an NYC FBI member list where every suspected member is identified/confirmed. I'm not familiar enough with Chicago to comment on them. Again, FBI offices and their sources/knowledge vary dramatically.

That was my point. Both the Buffalo and NY offices started at an Intel deficit but as the decades went on they filled those gaps and got more complete pictures of their respective families.


During the 70s the Buffalo office had at least 3 member informants (Pasquale Calabrese, Willam Scolino and John Sacco who rose to Capo). I believe Calabrese was even the first ever LCN member to testify in court (don't remember if Valachi ever did). The Rochester office had at least 5 member informants (Joe LaNovara, Angelo Monacchio, Anthony Oliveri, Al DeCanzio, Joe LeMendola) during the same period. That is more than 1 member informant for every 10 members in the Rochester family. The Rochester guys were of course first with Buffalo so there would have definitely been an overlap in Intel sharing. I'm sure there were other Buffalo informants I don't know about. So the Buffalo-Rochester offices developed more informants than the Philly, NJ and NE offices and were proposional to the NY offices during the same era.


Look at the success rate with high level prosecutions of the respective offices. During the late 1960s-early 70s the Buffalo office busted successive Bosses, UnderBosses and top Capos like Sam Pieri, Fred Randaccio, Dan Sansenese, Joe Fino and Pat Natarelli. That is more high level LCN prosecution successes than the NY, Philly, NE and NJ offices during that period who really didn't experience such success until the 1980s. So yes I would say by the 80s into the 2000s the FBI had an Intel picture of Buffalo comparable to the other offices.


I think the reason we (as in mob followers) don't have such a complete picture of Buffalo like we do with NY and Philly is just a general lack of coverage. There never was a Buffalo Capeci and Anastasia. There was a lot less general media coverage of Buffalo during the 1980s-1990s as compared to the other families because there was just a lot less going on as the family withered away during that time. We also never had a JD or HK digging deep into the Buffalo offices records like we do with NY. So while our view of Buffalo may not be comparable to what we know about NY and Philly we shouldn't confuse that with the Feds not knowing the score in Buffalo.


Pogo

[gohnjotti]

Putting aside the fact that comparing the New York families to any other is apples and bowling balls, your point about budgets/priority might apply in the short term. But that only works for so long. As more time goes by without cases, the more clear things become. The reasoning you outline above has been used for years regarding Detroit. And now Buffalo.

It's the same concept on a smaller scale, no? I wouldn't say apples & bowling balls.

Also, yes, I agree with what you're saying Wiseguy. There was not a single case from 2001? (IIRC) until 2017, which shows a period of little-to-no activity. I'm on board with that. But the National Post article, which appears to cite law enforcement documents, allege that the family actually started to regroup in 2014. That means the family was disorganized and non-structural from around 2006-to-2014, which can help explain the lack of cases.

Your "rate of indictments" statement is a good argument, but it doesn't take into account the eight-year period of dormancy from 2006-2014. If we take away those eight years, then the family's rate of indictments aren't too outlandish.

[B.]

That was my point. Both the Buffalo and NY offices started at an Intel deficit but as the decades went on they filled those gaps and got more complete pictures of their respective families.

During the 70s the Buffalo office had at least 3 member informants (Pasquale Calabrese, Willam Scolino and John Sacco who rose to Capo). I believe Calabrese was even the first ever LCN member to testify in court (don't remember if Valachi ever did). The Rochester office had at least 5 member informants (Joe LaNovara, Angelo Monacchio, Anthony Oliveri, Al DeCanzio, Joe LeMendola) during the same period. That is more than 1 member informant for every 10 members in the Rochester family. The Rochester guys were of course first with Buffalo so there would have definitely been an overlap in Intel sharing. I'm sure there were other Buffalo informants I don't know about. So the Buffalo-Rochester offices developed more informants than the Philly, NJ and NE offices and were proposional to the NY offices during the same era.


Look at the success rate with high level prosecutions of the respective offices. During the late 1960s-early 70s the Buffalo office busted successive Bosses, UnderBosses and top Capos like Sam Pieri, Fred Randaccio, Dan Sansenese, Joe Fino and Pat Natarelli. That is more high level LCN prosecution successes than the NY, Philly, NE and NJ offices during that period who really didn't experience such success until the 1980s. So yes I would say by the 80s into the 2000s the FBI had an Intel picture of Buffalo comparable to the other offices.


I think the reason we (as in mob followers) don't have such a complete picture of Buffalo like we do with NY and Philly is just a general lack of coverage. There never was a Buffalo Capeci and Anastasia. There was a lot less general media coverage of Buffalo during the 1980s-1990s as compared to the other families because there was just a lot less going on as the family withered away during that time. We also never had a JD or HK digging deep into the Buffalo offices records like we do with NY. So while our view of Buffalo may not be comparable to what we know about NY and Philly we shouldn't confuse that with the Feds not knowing the score in Buffalo.


Pogo

You bring up a good point with Rochester and I remember you mentioning their departure from Buffalo when we were discussing declining family size, which is important to consider. I'd love to know the extent of the Rochester cooperators' knowledge of the Buffalo organization during the years they were active.

I'm familiar with Calabrese's cooperation as it was a major factor in the indictments you mentioned from the late 1960s and early 1970s and he provided a line between the family's street level crimes and the family leadership, plus the Magaddino bug contributed greatly to those investigations. Though he was eager to provide info, I'm not confident in the depth of Calabrese's information, though maybe there is more to the story I've missed. I'm not familiar with the extent of Sciolino and Sacco's information, though I'd be curious what information Sciolino provided before his murder and what the circumstances were of his cooperation.

Buffalo has received a fair amount of coverage through different eras compared to many mafia families, the exceptions being NY and Philly, as you mentioned, who have a spotlight unlike anywhere else. Still, I believe you're right that coverage is one part of things, though not the most significant. The DeCavalcantes are a great example, as they were in an area with heavy local and federal scrutiny but after the office bug was turned off it greatly decreased their knowledge of the organization and aside from Sam and select other figures they didn't get nearly the level of public attention. LE seems to have been lacking in their knowledge in terms of membership until later cooperators, who were in a fairly small territory between NYC and NJ and not in a spread out territory that branched into another country like the Buffalo organization.

Crawling out of this rabbit hole (which I went down willingly), I should emphasize again that any points I've made are in light of Violi's taped comments about being underboss and having 30 members in the running, which unless I'm mistaken seems to be on of the main points of controversy. There are some fairly dedicated Buffalo researchers, though most of them aren't experts on the modern family and are prone to the same kind of speculation we are. My own research into Buffalo, which may not be "JD or HK" level (all the respect in the world to them), has led me to believe that the FBI's knowledge of their activities in the US and Canada, together and separately, has never been total and despite small membership counts in recent decades, what we don't know about the Buffalo family could easily lend itself to ~30 members and a hierarchy of some kind.

[Wiseguy]

Indictments are an important part of the conversation, but lack of evidence is not evidence toward any particular end and does nothing to support a dogmatic stance. I agree that a lack of indictments suggests fewer criminal activities. That in turn tells us something about the nature of the organization. Still, indictments are not an accurate way to measure the total existence of a mafia organization. I don't have a better alternative with what's currently available to us, either, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shift all my weight onto indictments alone.

So, you concede indictments are "an important part of the conversation" but you admittedly have no other criteria to add or by which to gauge the existence and activity of a family?

I guess direct statements on the issue from the FBI and other law enforcement doesn't count? Nor does a clear decline in membership, i.e. 45 members in 1989, 34 members in 1997, 23 members in 2006?

It's not happenstance that we see more cases in New York City than other mafia cities. New York City has always had more cases than other cities with mafia families even when smaller US mafia families were at full "viability" (not my word). The relationship between the mafia and law enforcement in the NYC area reflects that and always has. There are five families, each one larger in membership today than most US families at their peak. Using a city with the largest concentration of mafia members in North America as a counterexample to a family that is alleged by its own self-professed underboss to have less than 1/4th of its peak membership total is not an argument I follow.

Ok, forget New York. As has been pointed out, go with other families like New England, Philadelphia, or Chicago. Why has the FBI continued to acknowledge the existence of those families? And why has there continued to be significantly more cases in those places than Buffalo?

(This is where we fall back on the same excuses that people have been using about Detroit for years, i.e. the family isn't a priority, the members are more sophisticated and low key, etc.)

It's not an academic argument and I assume that word was chosen as a pejorative anyway. My understanding of the organization is based on the way it has been described by a variety of member informants, cooperating witnesses, and members caught on tape. You know, qualified academics who have no practical knowledge. One of my main points of interest is how mafia members have defined the organization and its rules/protocol. Despite some exceptions, it is surprisingly consistent over many decades, eras, and regions. It depends above all else on networking and relationships, which Violi is a living example of.

Going with that criteria, one could argue there are still families in any city where there are two made guys that are breathing and know each other.

That is untrue. Beginning in the early 1960s, the FBI began to cultivate a staggering number of new informants, including members, and had well-placed bugs in the offices of multiple US mafia bosses and other locations frequented by members. FBI reports about mafia figures from the late 1950s vs. the early 1960s is like the difference between black and white vs. color TV. Much of the information on Buffalo during that period came through the bug in the Magaddino Funeral Home and provided a great deal of the FBI's working knowledge of the group and its history, but infiltration via high-placed informants doesn't appear to have been as deep as in NYC or other cities where they were able to put together a much more complete picture.

The intel gathering in the 1960s was inconsistent and didn't last. And you can see from charts, reports, and other sources at the time how much the feds had yet to learn about the mob. It really wasn't until the 1980s, under Reagan, that the Justice Department and FBI finally ready to use RICO and better technology), made a sustained, nationwide investigative and prosecutorial attack against the Mafia. Not only can you see a clear difference in the quality of intel developed during the 1980s, look at how many family bosses across the nation were convicted compared to the 1960s.

When talking about organizations that have been around for as long as 100 years, the 1970s is not ancient history but a middle period that could still potentially help us understand what's left of the organization today, indirect as it may seem. There is a reason why, in the May 2014 informer article, they say it's not a coincidence that the Genovese family is today run by a Corleonese and the Bonanno family was for a time in the 2000s run by a Castellammarese (who then went to Montreal and became involved immediately in mafia activities because of the existing Bonanno network there). It's not scripted or designed that way, just a result of the networks and relationships that shape these families over time. Violi is again an example of this.

The 1970s is ancient history in terms of the context of this discussion. You can't look at holes in FBI Intel from 40+ years ago and use that to question how much they know today.

[NickleCity]

Mobinfitrator you say there is a possibility that Johnny Papalia was under the Rizzutos, possible Bonanno member then, not Buffalo??

Truthfully, Im starting to think perhaps the Todaro's are under the Bonnano's as well. I have intel reports and interviews that show Niagara Falls mobsters crossing the border at Buffalo and going to meets, yet they worked directly for Johnny, who we all know reported to Montreal.

Buffalo has always partnered with Montreal and/or the Bonanno in drug trafficking and Magaddino/Todaro never wanted it out there for public knowledge. The Aguici brothers worked with Papalia and Montreal/Bonannos in what became known as the French connection. Magaddino had Alberto Aguici horribly tortured and murdered because of the possibility he may talk. Fast forward to the Pizza Connection and Andy (Andrea) Aielo was busted in ‘83 or ‘84 (I think) in what led to the Buffalo Sicilian Connection. Coppola wrote that Buffalo had become so week thru internal fighting that the Buffalo bosses didn’t know. I know that is not true as had correspondence with an individual that grew up in North Buffalo with the Aielos and is related via marriage. This individual indicated Aiello was a soldier and a good earner and that Todaro was upset when he learned how much heroin was being imported and he wasn’t seeing his full kick. He said, “But he must have been a top earner because he was given a pass for taking his sentence without flipping and like I said was well greeted when getting out by the family in the early/mid 90s and got a lot of fat envelops. His brother handled his affairs at least for some part of the time he was locked up. I am sure he was still kicking up from a book and shy his brother was looking after hence another reason for the pass.“ Anyway, If I remember correctly Aiello was working with Bonannos (although this shipment was via Italy, not Canada) and it was this bust in ‘83-‘84 that led to the BUSICO operation that started the Pizza Connection cases in NYC.

[Wiseguy]

Just something to think about Ron Fino, who was the informant that helped the Feds but LIUNA Local 210 under govt. trusteeship, said the Todaro’s never retired and Falzone was the front boss. With the new information about Todaro Jr., it looks like he could have been right. And if Buffalo had an actual front boss, they were not withered as much as has been reported. And BTW Fiona is still adamant the mob influence of 210 was never eradicated and the Capitano’s are still invloved in 210. Also, he is indicated the family is involved in healthcare fraud with NY families.

Local 210 was declared free of mob influence in 2006 after a decade of being under trusteeship. Next to murder, there's nothing about the mob the feds go after harder than labor racketeering. There hasn't been any case involving Local 210 in the 13 years since it was given a clean bill of health. If you're looking to Local 210 to support your view of Buffalo, you're barking up the wrong tree.

[gohnjotti]

Just something to think about Ron Fino, who was the informant that helped the Feds but LIUNA Local 210 under govt. trusteeship, said the Todaro’s never retired and Falzone was the front boss. With the new information about Todaro Jr., it looks like he could have been right. And if Buffalo had an actual front boss, they were not withered as much as has been reported. And BTW Fiona is still adamant the mob influence of 210 was never eradicated and the Capitano’s are still invloved in 210. Also, he is indicated the family is involved in healthcare fraud with NY families.

Local 210 was declared free of mob influence in 2006 after a decade of being under trusteeship. Next to murder, there's nothing about the mob the feds go after harder than labor racketeering. There hasn't been any case involving Local 210 in the 13 years since it was given a clean bill of health. If you're looking to Local 210 to support your view of Buffalo, you're barking up the wrong tree.

On that front I agree, even though the Local seems to still be corrupt, the federal prosecutors haven’t even touched the possibility of mob ties. One of the big arguments on GBB was that “Hey look, this mobbed-up union exec was charged recently with labor fraud”, but the FBI made no mention of the persons past or present mob ties which would only be in their best interests from a prosecutorial standpoint.

My point is, if the Mob is still in Local 210, the FBI doesn’t know about it, even though they’re still prosecuting corrupt union execs.

[cavita]

[/quote]

Indictments are an important part of the conversation, but lack of evidence is not evidence toward any particular end and does nothing to support a dogmatic stance. I agree that a lack of indictments suggests fewer criminal activities. That in turn tells us something about the nature of the organization. Still, indictments are not an accurate way to measure the total existence of a mafia organization. I don't have a better alternative with what's currently available to us, either, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shift all my weight onto indictments alone.

[/quote]

You know, I agree wholeheartedly on this. Indictments are not always an accurate way to measure activity. I stick with what I know and that means always referencing the Rockford LCN family since I've researched the hell out of them. When the FBI was told of their formal existence in the early 1960s they started investigating them very heavily due to their connections to other families and on their own. Over the years there have been indictments against only the single members of the organization. Never was there any indictments of the members or family as a whole relating to LCN. Never. Because there were no indictments against them as a criminal organization does that mean they never existed? No. It means the FBI did not have enough evidence to prosecute them as such. The FBI closed their books on the Rockford family in late 1976- I have the FBI files on the various members which all pretty much state, "Information from sources regarding subject does not indicate that subject is involved in any activities in violation of Federal statutes. This case is being placed in a closed status.

Simply put, the FBI gave up on the Rockford LCN, but when a major investigation was underway into the Milwaukee family in 1978 the FBI discovered that the Rockford LCN consigliere, capo and street gambling boss was in the middle of it all. This caused the FBI to admit their assessment into the status of the Rockford was premature and they then started an open investigation into the family again. They gathered evidence, outlined the family structure and surveilled family members again to no avail. The FBI was never able to indict the family as a whole or any members connecting them to LCN. I know this is comparing apples to bowling balls, but it is what it is. No indictments relating to LCN activities yet the family existed according to the FBI and many other sources for 50+ years.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Good discussion all.

Pogo, Gohn, B.

An enjoyable read, kudos gentleman.

[NickleCity]

Just something to think about Ron Fino, who was the informant that helped the Feds but LIUNA Local 210 under govt. trusteeship, said the Todaro’s never retired and Falzone was the front boss. With the new information about Todaro Jr., it looks like he could have been right. And if Buffalo had an actual front boss, they were not withered as much as has been reported. And BTW Fiona is still adamant the mob influence of 210 was never eradicated and the Capitano’s are still invloved in 210. Also, he is indicated the family is involved in healthcare fraud with NY families.

Local 210 was declared free of mob influence in 2006 after a decade of being under trusteeship. Next to murder, there's nothing about the mob the feds go after harder than labor racketeering. There hasn't been any case involving Local 210 in the 13 years since it was given a clean bill of health. If you're looking to Local 210 to support your view of Buffalo, you're barking up the wrong tree.

Although the indictment and conviction of Lou Ciminelli didn’t mention a connection to the Buffalo family he and his father were definitely involved at least as associates. Lou was part of an 90’s Rico when he served as a trustee of 210. The Capitano’s served Todaro Jr as associates before 210 went to trusteeship, and they are back in leadership now. Fino has indicated on numerous occasions (his book and recently to me) that the Capitanos are still involved.

[gohnjotti]

Louis Ciminelli’s bribery/corruption case had a couple of Mafia-esque elements; didn’t he refer to bribery payments in code as “boxes of ziti,” as a reference to The Sopranos?

So, given the case details itself and Ciminelli’s background, you’d think that any real connection to the Buffalo Mafia would have been disclosed by the feds? I mean, the FBI had damning wiretaps and a cooperating witness that was an integral part of the scheme. So where is the Mafia? If the Buffalo Mafia was somehow involved in the union, why didn’t the cooperating witness testify to that, or why wasn’t there any wiretaps referring to this?

I hate playing the fence here, but there are elements on both sides of the argument that I agree. If the Buffalo Mafia is active - I believe it is - then it seems unlikely to me that they have any sway in Local 210, especially given the FBI’s recent scrutiny and investigations.

[Pogo The Clown]

Also, yes, I agree with what you're saying Wiseguy. There was not a single case from 2001? (IIRC) until 2017, which shows a period of little-to-no activity. I'm on board with that. But the National Post article, which appears to cite law enforcement documents, allege that the family actually started to regroup in 2014. That means the family was disorganized and non-structural from around 2006-to-2014, which can help explain the lack of cases.

Your "rate of indictments" statement is a good argument, but it doesn't take into account the eight-year period of dormancy from 2006-2014. If we take away those eight years, then the family's rate of indictments aren't too outlandish.

Yeah I would take that NP article with a grain of salt. Not only is it filled with the usual sensationalism but it claims to site supposed LE documents for this resurgence starting in 2014 but in 2017 the head of the Buffalo office, with back up from state and local LE, directly said the exact opposite of what that NP article claims.


The article also raising some red flags for me. Like listing Leonard Falzone as having been the Boss. That has only ever appeared on the forums and was never mentioned once in the local Buffalo article about his death. In fact the article made it sound like he was inactive when he died. The 2017 article about Buffalo talked about Falzone and made no mention of him having been the Boss either. Also in the 2006 chart he is listed as a Soldier. It also uses "The Calzone" nickname for Falzone which first appeared in a ScottB piece (raising red flags for me right off the bat) and has never been used in the few articles I have seen on him that. The 2006 chart also doesn't have that as his nickname either.


As for the indictments the ones from 2000-2002 were really minor. And even back then it was clear from the LE states Mehta that it was on its last legs.


Pogo