Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[NickleCity]

Here is an interesting read from the Report, Recommendations, and Order filed Aug 25 in the Bongiovianni Gerace case related to Gerace's request to get IOC, mafia, ...etc removed from the indictment and his request for grand jury information that talked about the mafia and IOC. Of particular interest is the summary of the testimony from a retired FBI agent regarding his investigation and desire to "flip" Gerace in 2009; and, the testimony of a Niagara Falls detective on the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and "Operation Past Due" that was investigating a collection company with possible TOC ties that was allegedly distributing narcotics and laundering money.















...edited to remove the double p.24 and add p.25 that was left out.

[NickleCity]

Bongiovanni's counsel has made pretrial motions to dismiss indictment against their client, or provide bill of particulars and suppress evidence and statements for violations of 4th amendment, compel additional discovery from government, and disclose information that could be favorable to the defendant without regard to the “materiality” of that information or matter.

It appears the defense is going to claim "vindictive prosecution due to racial animus or bias."

Info above is from the summary. This is a large document and I haven't read it all yet. Here is the link to the court document with these pretrial motions: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov ... 8.81.0.pdf

Bongiovanni's lawyers' claim of vindictive bias is very similar to what former prosecutor and Buffalo reporter Lee Coppola was getting out in his opinion piece in the Buffalo New a few months back. He writes:

Still, federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials today find it convenient to label a suspect as as a “made member,” and to refer to La Cosa Nostra, the national crime syndicate Magaddino helped form and once headed. Only now, to avoid the word “Mafia,” they claim suspects with vowels at the end of their names who know each other belong to “Italian Organized Crime.

See: https://buffalonews.com/article_ea67f6b ... e2cde.html.

If the Buffalo mob does not exist, then perhaps the government is showing a bias toward Italian Americans. I guess how the court responds to these pretrial motions or what comes out in court will help us find an answer to this questions about the viability of the Buffalo mob that we have been debating ad nauseam.

The Court rules that Bongiovanni didn't provide any evidence of racial animus or selective prosecution in regards to the Bongiovanni/Gerace indictments .



I wonder if Lee will write another opinion piece laying out the legal reasons why the court got it wrong. Given Lee's background in law, makes me wonder why he wrote this opinion in the first place. Even more puzzling is why he never explained the law supporting his opinion. As a former federal prosecutor, he should know better--especially given the fact that he focused on drug and gun trafficking while in that office.

[Newyorkempire]

So investigations have been ongoing since at least 2009. Finding the lull in such by law enforcement is getting harder to find

[NickleCity]

^^^^^
I think Lee Coppola would argue with the defense attorney he quotes that LE and prosecutors look for "The Mafia" so they have a job.

But it’s wrong, terribly wrong, for officials to still pin the alleged wrongdoing of a few on an entire class of Americans. Perhaps their reasoning can best be explained by a noted Buffalo defense attorney who told me years ago for a story I was writing on the demise of the Buffalo Mafia:

“If your job was to go into the forest and count the trees, would you come back and say there are no trees?”

There are no trees labeled Cosa Nostra, Mafia, or even Italian Organized Crime in Buffalo. It’s time those charged with maintaining law and order and putting criminals behind bars recognize that.

[Newyorkempire]

Sounds again like he minimizing while fighting for civil rights

[antimafia]

^^^^
Lawsuit claims a Hamilton city manager and a bylaw officer conspired with mobster Pat Musitano in soil dumping scam

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-r ... -scam.html

In case you hit a paywall:

https://outline.com/pj4a72

Hamilton councillor says ‘full-fledged’ police investigation required into mob conspiracy allegations

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-r ... wsuit.html

In case you hit a paywall:

https://outline.com/dbbuMC

Waterdown Garden Supplies neighbour recounts experience with Mob threats

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-r ... plies.html

In case you hit a paywall:

https://outline.com/7spYaj

Flamborough landowner seeks to have polluted dirt mountain charges tossed over “abuse of process”

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-r ... ocess.html

[NickleCity]

Judge won't dismiss charges against ex-DEA agent, sees no anti-Italian American bias
Dan Herbeck Aug 11, 2022

A federal judge has declined to dismiss criminal charges against former DEA Agent Joseph S. Bongiovanni, saying there is no evidence that the U.S. Justice Department targeted him because of his Italian American heritage.

Bongiovanni and his attorneys have submitted “no evidence” to prove that his 2019 arrest was “motivated by a discriminatory purpose,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer wrote in a ruling obtained Wednesday by The Buffalo News.

Roemer’s ruling is only a recommendation that now must be reviewed by District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr., who will ultimately decide the issue.

Bongiovanni, 57, is a retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who faces felony charges that he took $250,000 in bribes to protect local drug dealers whom he believed to be involved with “Italian Organized Crime” from prosecution….

For the rest of the story see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... ca644.html

[thesociety 89]

One of the posters on BB has said thats how he thinks Buffalo is set up,

Buffalo current
Boss- Joe Todaro
Underboss- Domenico Violi
Acting- Salvatore Frangiamore Jr
Consigliere- ? The three guys that are being consulted with the most are Vic Sansanese, Robert Panaro, and Natale Luppino.
There are four crews, with half of its membership in Canada.
United States side are John Pieri, and Russell Carcone
Canada side are Rocco Luppino, and unknown.
Most of there power came from 210, when the purged happened, the Canadian faction became powerful, hence why Joe Todaro made Domenico Violi the Underboss.

[NickleCity]

Interesting, but I hear and it has been reported that the majority of the crime family is US based. Who knows until more information comes out.

[Wiseguy]

One of the posters on BB has said thats how he thinks Buffalo is set up,

Buffalo current
Boss- Joe Todaro
Underboss- Domenico Violi
Acting- Salvatore Frangiamore Jr
Consigliere- ? The three guys that are being consulted with the most are Vic Sansanese, Robert Panaro, and Natale Luppino.
There are four crews, with half of its membership in Canada.
United States side are John Pieri, and Russell Carcone
Canada side are Rocco Luppino, and unknown.
Most of there power came from 210, when the purged happened, the Canadian faction became powerful, hence why Joe Todaro made Domenico Violi the Underboss.

That poster is Vacari. He's a mental case.

[SonnyBlackstein]

That poster is Vacari. He's a mental case.

Certified sociopath

[Newyorkempire]

Mental case or not all those guys listed are mafia or connected

[antimafia]

First, Project Sindacato, and now Project Hobart. This mafia-and-81s collaboration has been going on for at least 18 years.

Massive gambling case against GTA Hells Angels falls apart over trial delay
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/0 ... delay.html

Funny coincidence. MASSIVE Hells angels gathering/rally in Toronto as we speak.
Gotta love a good coincidnece.

Illegal gambling crackdown fizzles out as charges withdrawn
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/ill ... -withdrawn

[CabriniGreen]

First, Project Sindacato, and now Project Hobart. This mafia-and-81s collaboration has been going on for at least 18 years.

Massive gambling case against GTA Hells Angels falls apart over trial delay
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/0 ... delay.html

Funny coincidence. MASSIVE Hells angels gathering/rally in Toronto as we speak.
Gotta love a good coincidnece.

Illegal gambling crackdown fizzles out as charges withdrawn
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/ill ... -withdrawn

This has become yet another interesting angle in the ongoing developments in the Canadian underworld.

So it looks like the Hells and maybe the Figliomenis (?) control the successor to the Platinum/ Ontario sportsbooks. If the Hells control the Quebec/ Montreal book as well... Well.

Whom else could the Toronto crime family be? Ursinos? Commissos? Bonvonta?

[BeatiPaoli]

To Everyone:

I am coming late into the game. Please provide the name of Sergis "new book" and is it available in English???

Many thanks for anyone's assistance in this matter.

Regards,
BeatiPaoli