Gasper Valenti testimony on Sal Montagna murder (Asaro trial)

[antimafia]

Sal Montagna was born in Montreal on March 11, 1971. He was only one year old when his family packed up and moved to CDG.

If Nino Montagna was even allowed to operate in the Bonannos’ territory in Montreal, he stood a very good chance of that before Sal was born. Vic Cotroni and Paolo Violi also met and knew of many Sicilian Cosa Nostra members, regardless of whether the members moved to Quebec, visited Quebec, or were in Sicily.

Focusing on Nino Montagna’s time in Quebec in the 1960s would be more fruitful. Even if we come up short, not to worry — the Canadian organized-crime writers and journalists did their research about Sal Montagna’s relatives in Canada. For example, the cousin in Longueuil with whom Sal went to live right after being deported from the US.

Good points. Antonino Montagna may have become a member after 1971 (when Antonino was ~30) and returned to Sicily. He would have nonetheless been on the road to mafia membership while he lived in Canada.

One article stated a brother of Montagna's was already living in Canada prior to Sal's deportation. Do you know anything about this? His brother Nunzio lived in NYC and does not appear to have been involved with the mafia, though his brother Franco traveled to Sicily in 2007 with a Castellammarese mafioso. Addresses I have found for Franco however show he is NYC-based. This family is well-traveled in terms of residence, though.

Sal Montagna's mother's maiden name was Ferrantelli. This is an Alcamese name and there have been mafia figures in Alcamo with that surname in recent decades. This also explains why Franco Montagna is alleged to have been born in Alcamo -- the father is Castellammarese, while the mother is Alcamese. The surname suggests that Montagna may have maternal mafia ties in Alcamo.

I reached out to Adrian Humphreys a week ago, but he hasn't gotten back to me. When he wrote in April 2009 about Sal Montagna’s deportation at the time -- see https://www.pressreader.com/canada/nati ... 3402801614 -- he had details about Montagna's family, some of which were also repeated in the 3rd. ed. of The Sixth Family (published 2014; see p. 435).

One detail found in both the article and the book is that the family shuttled back and forth between Montreal and Sicily. Specifically, Humphreys wrote in the article that when the family moved to New York when Montagna was 15 (so, 1986 or early 1987), the family moved from Montreal. (Humphreys incorrectly has Montagna's DOB as May 11, 1971. In Daniel Renaud's Cellule 8002 vs Mafia book [p. 233] and, more important, the SSDI, Montagna's DOB is indicated as March 11, 1971.) On the same page of Renaud's book is the information that when Montagna's family moved from Quebec when Montagna was just one year old (so, between Montagna's birthday in 1972 and before his birthday in 1973), the family established itself in CDG. Furthermore, in contrast to what Humphreys wrote, Renaud wrote that Montagna was 15 when the family left Europe for North America, specifically New York. I think that Humphreys could be correct about the family moving from Montreal to New York because he notes the family's driving from Montreal to New York through the Lacolle–Champlain crossing; on the other hand, what if the family was back in Montreal for a short time before making their way to New York?

I forgot that one detail in both Humphreys's article and book is that he wrote of Montagna following in the father's footsteps by becoming an ironworker and starting a company -- assuming Humphreys was right about the Montagna family's residing in Montreal at various times, even after the family left Montreal in 1972 or 1973, did Antonino Montagna work in Quebec as an ironworker? start an ironwork–structural steel company? While searching in Quebec's business registry, I couldn't find any businesses that had an Antonino Montagna or Antonio Montagna as either a primary or secondary stakeholder; however, I don't know how or where to access older business-registry records.

Another detail in both the article and book is that Montagna was one of three sons. Is it possible that Montagna was one of four sons? You have mentioned the brother Nunzio in NYC and another brother Franco. Then there's the brother in Montreal. In Humphreys's April 16, 2009 article, he wrote: "While one brother remains in New York, Mr. Montagna has a brother in Montreal and his parents still frequent the city."

I've contacted Daniel Renaud just very recently. If he tells me I can share here or privately the information he provides, I will.

[JeremyTheJew]

In Business or Blood the Montagna murder was detailed.

Idk what is off about Rizzuto knowing Montagna Montagna Father

[B.]

I reached out to Adrian Humphreys a week ago, but he hasn't gotten back to me. When he wrote in April 2009 about Sal Montagna’s deportation at the time -- see https://www.pressreader.com/canada/nati ... 3402801614 -- he had details about Montagna's family, some of which were also repeated in the 3rd. ed. of The Sixth Family (published 2014; see p. 435).

One detail found in both the article and the book is that the family shuttled back and forth between Montreal and Sicily. Specifically, Humphreys wrote in the article that when the family moved to New York when Montagna was 15 (so, 1986 or early 1987), the family moved from Montreal. (Humphreys incorrectly has Montagna's DOB as May 11, 1971. In Daniel Renaud's Cellule 8002 vs Mafia book [p. 233] and, more important, the SSDI, Montagna's DOB is indicated as March 11, 1971.) On the same page of Renaud's book is the information that when Montagna's family moved from Quebec when Montagna was just one year old (so, between Montagna's birthday in 1972 and before his birthday in 1973), the family established itself in CDG. Furthermore, in contrast to what Humphreys wrote, Renaud wrote that Montagna was 15 when the family left Europe for North America, specifically New York. I think that Humphreys could be correct about the family moving from Montreal to New York because he notes the family's driving from Montreal to New York through the Lacolle–Champlain crossing; on the other hand, what if the family was back in Montreal for a short time before making their way to New York?

I forgot that one detail in both Humphreys's article and book is that he wrote of Montagna following in the father's footsteps by becoming an ironworker and starting a company -- assuming Humphreys was right about the Montagna family's residing in Montreal at various times, even after the family left Montreal in 1972 or 1973, did Antonino Montagna work in Quebec as an ironworker? start an ironwork–structural steel company? While searching in Quebec's business registry, I couldn't find any businesses that had an Antonino Montagna or Antonio Montagna as either a primary or secondary stakeholder; however, I don't know how or where to access older business-registry records.

Another detail in both the article and book is that Montagna was one of three sons. Is it possible that Montagna was one of four sons? You have mentioned the brother Nunzio in NYC and another brother Franco. Then there's the brother in Montreal. In Humphreys's April 16, 2009 article, he wrote: "While one brother remains in New York, Mr. Montagna has a brother in Montreal and his parents still frequent the city."

I've contacted Daniel Renaud just very recently. If he tells me I can share here or privately the information he provides, I will.

Excellent thoughts, my friend. Thank you for reaching out to the authors -- very curious what they might have to say.

I do believe the Montagna family maintained strong connections if not a presence in Montreal after leaving for CDG and NYC. It might sound silly, but I looked at Nunzio Montagna's social media some years back and found that he was a fan of the defunct Montreal Expos and I saw other indications that Montreal left a cultural impact on the Montagnas.

It also raises the question of whether Sal Montagna met Gerlando Sciascia through Baldo Amato or if there are deeper ties between the Montagnas and Sciascia that connect to Montreal. Again, silly to mention, but I saw on social media that Montagna's widow was connected to Sciascia's immediate relatives in Montreal. I don't believe Dominick Cicale's account of Montagna being an associate/soldier of Sciascia and serving as a liaison to Montreal was something he invented to capitalize on Montagna's sensational murder, but close to the truth.

Given Sciascia may have been a Sicilian mafia member who transferred to the Bonannos, it opens the possibility that he and fellow Sicilian mafia member Nino Montagna were not strangers and if they didn't know each other in Montreal, they certainly knew each other in NYC.

As for the mysterious brother in Montreal, I've wondered if this was a mistake and referred to Montagna's alleged cousins in Canada. Or if they did only have three sons, I wonder if Franco Montagna lived there. I can't confirm he is a permanent resident of NYC, only that he has address records in NYC. Franco is a question mark given his own association with a Castellammarese mafia figure, especially given his father and brother's membership in the mafia.

I wonder about the history of a Castellammarese community in Montreal, too. There was a Siculiana colony in Montreal possibly as early as World War I and mafia figures from Siculiana visited there long before Carmine Galante went there in the 1950s. But Castellammare is another question -- given Maranzano's ties to Montreal, and in turn his relation to the Domingos who were close to the Montagnas, I can't help but wonder if there is a thread connecting all of this, however thin it might be. Pietro Scarcella was a Castellammarese mafioso in Toronto, so there is a potential contact in that area.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Quality thread gents.

Props to B and Anti.