Violi was discussing his own firsthand experience being promoted to underboss of Buffalo-Ontario. With NYC he was relaying what Todaro told him and we don't know if what he said to Morena was what Todaro told him verbatim or if he was paraphrasing or generalizing. I'm agnostic, as I said, so sounds like you're arguing just to argue if you think I'm for/against the idea of a reformed Commission.
When it comes to the so-called "Commission" meeting Massino addressed, I don't know what his incentive would be to lie. It would actually make Massino out to be more important if he claimed to have presided over a Commission meeting and the result is still the same, that the Families had an important meeting. If Massino says it wasn't a Commission meeting I believe him.
jimmyb wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 9:49 pm
I don't want to derail this thread, but i find it interesting Gotti would not recognize Stanfa. I believe Stanfa was asking for the Gambinos to intervene on his behalf. Didn't the feds catch Stanfa talking to Tommy Gambino on a wiretap about this? Rosario's son Tommy, to be specific. I believe Tommy told him it wasn't possible. Maybe because of Gotti. Does this timeline sound correct?
I think you're putting the thread back on track, not derailing haha.
DiLeonardo's info indicated they may have stopped recognizing Stanfa later. He mentioned the fact that Stanfa inducted an ex-cop as one of the reasons. I'm not sure if he initially had support from the Gambino Family to take over or what.
One source said John Gambino intially backed Reds Pontani as acting boss in the 1980s but Pontani went to prison before that could happen. Stanfa was very close to the Gambino Sicilian faction so he may well have had their support as we've long believed, but by the time things got rolling John Gambino was in prison. Tommy Gambino said he couldn't help Stanfa, with the implication being the Sicilians lacked the resources to do so at the time (probably true), but with the new info in mind it's possible Tommy was trying to be respectful to his father Rosario's close friend while also honoring the Gambino's edict to not recognize Stanfa.