Buffalo Family organization, early 1977

[B.]

Can only speculate, but that might be the reason select members were ID'd as Bonanno members for a time.

Carmine Persico and a few Colombo members were under Carlo Gambino in the 1960s during their conflict... I don't think they transferred but were temporarily under Gambino's protection. There was something similar about Willie Dara and Mike Sabella with the Lucchese Family during the Bonanno war, though not sure it happened.

Given the Commission didn't recognize Rochester and they were at odds with the Buffalo Family, some sort of political arrangement may have put them under the Bonanno banner to protect them and allow their membership to be recognized.

Stands out that they didn't list every Rochester guy w/ the Bonannos, just key members. Were all of the Rochester guys ID'd as Bonanno members made in Buffalo originally? I've got no clue but that would be good to know, i.e. the ones originally inducted by Buffalo were viewed as legitimate and included in the Bonannos while the ones inducted by the Rochester "Family" were illegitimate, which would fit w/ the Commission not recognizing them.

The FBI thought the rumor had enough substance to include them on Bonanno lists but it needs more explanation and you'd think Massino or someone would have heard about it. Like with Montreal, he might well have some knowledge but a random historic tidbit about Rochester wasn't relevant to his testimony. If we can eventually get ahold of his 302s it might be a gamechanger on some of this stuff.

[motorfab]

Has Rochester ever been recognized as an official borgata at some point or are they just to be considered a faction of Buffalo?

Rochester never received official approval from the Commission to form their own family. But they did break off from Buffalo and the feds tracked them as a separate organization.

Ok I see, thank you wiseguy & B.