Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[Frank]

I gotta ask some questions....

Did the Rizzutos initiate the Musitanos?
( Or, even stranger, maybe Buffalo did... But when would that have been, right around the time Papalia was hit? )

Are all the Hamilton- Niagra Falls guys Buffalo people? If the Violis are, this would make sense to me...

When the Rizzutos were under siege, did this weaken the Musitanos backing? Emboldening the Naigra Falls people?

Would Buffalo take the ( unmade) Musitanos side over their own crew? Is this what happened with Papalia?

I noticed they first said Todaro. Now they dont wanna name the guys pulling the strings until they got a kill shot. Interesting.....

How do the Hamilton/Niagra groups fit together? ( These guys are screaming to be put in a chart..)

The Musitanos, Luppino-Violis, Niagra falls ( they hinted at at least 2 groups there...) how do they fit with Montreal? And where do the Bonnanos come in, as the NY family? Or could that also possibly be Gambino people?

You bring up some good points, which I don't think at this time can be answered. It will be interesting to see if this war or maybe separate killings over the last 10 years and indictments can answer the multiple questions we have about the Canadian LCN members and thetie in with the United States Families and also the N'DRANGHETA and also the Sicilians. LE seems to know who ordered the Musitano and the botched hit that the girl was killed. On the surface it seems to me these people that did the hit were at one time connected to the Rizzutos through Fernandez.

[Frank]

I gotta ask some questions....

Did the Rizzutos initiate the Musitanos?
( Or, even stranger, maybe Buffalo did... But when would that have been, right around the time Papalia was hit? )

Are all the Hamilton- Niagra Falls guys Buffalo people? If the Violis are, this would make sense to me...

When the Rizzutos were under siege, did this weaken the Musitanos backing? Emboldening the Naigra Falls people?

Would Buffalo take the ( unmade) Musitanos side over their own crew? Is this what happened with Papalia?

I noticed they first said Todaro. Now they dont wanna name the guys pulling the strings until they got a kill shot. Interesting.....

How do the Hamilton/Niagra groups fit together? ( These guys are screaming to be put in a chart..)

The Musitanos, Luppino-Violis, Niagra falls ( they hinted at at least 2 groups there...) how do they fit with Montreal? And where do the Bonnanos come in, as the NY family? Or could that also possibly be Gambino people?

I would think the Violis are in the Bonanno Family, because it's on record that the were at the Bonanno making ceremony in Canada. I think we are entering all this that' has been going on in Canada at ground zero, with the landscape having changed. It's unclear who is with who. A very interesting time and a very historical period.

[Lupara]

Let me ask this: When Peter Edwards says, "The Buffalo Mob is not dead, despite what some media reports." What media reports have you seen saying the Buffalo Mob is dead? The only recent one I know of is Dan Herbeck's March 2018 article. Is this the one he is referencing? Is he directly challenging it? If so, why?

Could you post Edward's article? May have missed it.

[antimafia]

^^^^
Wiseguy posted the article on p. 7 of this thread.

[johnny_scootch]

Paul Manning seems to have known who was involved in Musitano's murder, as well as what happened to some of the the suspects in Mexico earlier this year. Go to https://twitter.com/markalanwhittle/sta ... 3269522432 -- a tweet from April 7, 2018 -- and follow the thread, including replies.

^^^^
Manning made a post on a news website today -- you can see his tweet there. Last April, he essentially knew that Ranieri was killed the month before, as was Cudmore.

https://www.exaronews.com/arrest-made-i ... la-barberi

@SonnyI know you had questions about the reliability of Manning. It seems this suggests he is in the know. Does it lend credibility to what he told Edwards about Buffalo?

How could it not lend credence to everything he has said? If I gave a shit about twitter I'd follow him, thanks to antimafia for posting all that, probably would have never known otherwise.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Paul Manning seems to have known who was involved in Musitano's murder, as well as what happened to some of the the suspects in Mexico earlier this year. Go to https://twitter.com/markalanwhittle/sta ... 3269522432 -- a tweet from April 7, 2018 -- and follow the thread, including replies.

^^^^
Manning made a post on a news website today -- you can see his tweet there. Last April, he essentially knew that Ranieri was killed the month before, as was Cudmore.

https://www.exaronews.com/arrest-made-i ... la-barberi

@SonnyI know you had questions about the reliability of Manning. It seems this suggests he is in the know. Does it lend credibility to what he told Edwards about Buffalo?

How could it not lend credence to everything he has said? If I gave a shit about twitter I'd follow him, thanks to antimafia for posting all that, probably would have never known otherwise.

Well to the issue at hand it unfortunately says nothing about Buffalo.

[SonnyBlackstein]

That Manning has a few LE sources who gave him a heads on the two associates clipped, no doubt.

What this says about Buffalo though, doesn’t lend me to believe anything different.

[SonnyBlackstein]

And again, this comes to my central point, I’m not saying the guy is lying or doesn’t have credibility, I’m simply saying he is misinformed, ignorant or guessing when it comes to the conclusion there is a family in buffalo calling the shots in southern Ontario.

He can be correct in his call on the associates being clipped, and completely wrong on Buffalo.

The associates getting clipped sadly does nothing to reinforce his credibility on Buffalo.

The two issues are simply mutually exclusive.

[Laurentian]

"New details about the man arrested in connection with the murder of mobster Angelo Musitano"

https://www.chch.com/new-details-man-ar ... ialnetwork

[antimafia]

"Man who blew up illegal gambling den Caffe Corretto jailed without admitting motive"

https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/8 ... yA.twitter

"Guilty plea in Woodbridge cafe bombing"

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/1 ... mbing.html

[antimafia]

Membership in Mafia 'better than gold,' landmark trial of two mobsters hears

https://nationalpost.com/news/membershi ... ers-hears/

[antimafia]

^^^^
GTA cocaine conspiracy was tied to ’Ndrangheta crime network, Crown says at sentencing of alleged mob boss

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/1 ... -boss.html

[johnny_scootch]

I'm reading ICED: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada By Stephen Schneider as it was mentioned by a poster in one of the threads about Canada.
I found this very interesting passage in the chapter about Stefano Magaddino titled 'The Undertaker, The Three Dons, The Enforcer and Other Tales of The Mafiosi in Ontario'

During the mid 1950's, John Papalia would be joined in Hamilton by another powerful mafioso and future Magaddino family member named Giacomo Luppino. Born in 1900 in the village of Oppido in Calabria, Luppino came to Canada in 1955, already a member of an 'Ndrangheta clan in Italy. Settling in Hamilton, he would go on to be Magaddino's most trusted and reliable Ontario lieutenant and one of the most respected mafia dons in Canada. While little is known about Luppino's initial years in Canada, it was around the late 1950's or early 1960's that he and Santo Scibetta were chosen by Magaddino to oversee his Ontario interests. Influenced by his Calabrian roots, the organization Luppino set up in Ontario reflected the structure, rules and codes of the 'Ndrangheta. He was the capo decina of the Hamilton wing of the Magaddino Family, but was also in charge of decinas in other regions of Ontario. In keeping with 'Ndrangheta organizational tradition, different areas of the province were broken into aubbocatos, distinct territories that separated families or wings of a family. Luppino became the boss over all of Magaddino's branches in Ontario, putting him in charge of decinas operating in such aubbocatos as Hamilton, Guelph, Oakville and Toronto. In one revealing police recording, Luppino used a business analogy to describe the organization of the 'Ndrangheta in Ontario and the different branches he oversaw in the province, "It is the same as saying there is a company at Hamilton, at Toronto and there is a head of each. Toronto represents the centre and Hamilton represents the commanding point. In Oakville, there are two, but all these aubbocatos are represented by one. In other words we have to play the way I say."

Following the lead of the mafia's ruling commission in the U.S., Luppino also established La Camera Di Controllo. Made up of the heads of the various decinas in Ontario, the goal of this 'board of control' was to ensure co-operation, to avoid territorial infringement, and to resolve any problems that may arise. The board which answered to Magaddino, was reflective of Luppino's great reverence towards his boss, his respect for the American mafia Commission (which he once called "eight of the best") and his adherence to the traditional role of the mafioso as a mediator and arbitrator. Luppino has been described as "a master strategist" who built bridges and brokered deals between different mafia leaders. He was frequently consulted by mafia figures from throughout North America and intervened to settled numerous disputes that arose over the years. By setting up the Camera, he forged strong relationships with other 'Ndrangheta leaders in Ontario and also maintained ties with the Montreal mafia through a cordial relationship with Vic Cotroni and later with his future son in law, Paolo Violi.

Notwithstanding the respect and influence Luppino garnered from other mafia leaders, there was no doubt that the source of his power emanated from his close association with Magaddino. He was extremely deferential to his don and also delighted in any opportunity he had to meet with him. Police once recorded a fawning Luppino gush about the highlight of a Buffalo wedding he attended - that Magaddino had talked to him at the reception for a while twenty minutes! Magaddino also respected and often heeded Luppino's advice, which was most apparent in 1966 after Luppino talked him out of any reprisals against Vic Cotroni, who had met with the son of rival Joseph Bonanno.


Make of it what you will but I thought it was very interesting in many ways so I wanted to share.

[Lupara]

I have the book but it's been years since I read it.

This corrrelates with information coming from the recent indictment in the Niagara Falls region. ALong with info provided from transcripts of MF it seems the Luppinos were indeed members of the Buffalo family which makes sense. It did not make sense that Luppino as a non-member of Buffalo would represent Magaddino while he already had his own guys (Papalia and Volpe) in Ontario to do so.

[NickleCity]

I'm reading ICED: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada By Stephen Schneider as it was mentioned by a poster in one of the threads about Canada.
I found this very interesting passage in the chapter about Stefano Magaddino titled 'The Undertaker, The Three Dons, The Enforcer and Other Tales of The Mafiosi in Ontario'

During the mid 1950's, John Papalia would be joined in Hamilton by another powerful mafioso and future Magaddino family member named Giacomo Luppino. Born in 1900 in the village of Oppido in Calabria, Luppino came to Canada in 1955, already a member of an 'Ndrangheta clan in Italy. Settling in Hamilton, he would go on to be Magaddino's most trusted and reliable Ontario lieutenant and one of the most respected mafia dons in Canada. While little is known about Luppino's initial years in Canada, it was around the late 1950's or early 1960's that he and Santo Scibetta were chosen by Magaddino to oversee his Ontario interests. Influenced by his Calabrian roots, the organization Luppino set up in Ontario reflected the structure, rules and codes of the 'Ndrangheta. He was the capo decina of the Hamilton wing of the Magaddino Family, but was also in charge of decinas in other regions of Ontario. In keeping with 'Ndrangheta organizational tradition, different areas of the province were broken into aubbocatos, distinct territories that separated families or wings of a family. Luppino became the boss over all of Magaddino's branches in Ontario, putting him in charge of decinas operating in such aubbocatos as Hamilton, Guelph, Oakville and Toronto. In one revealing police recording, Luppino used a business analogy to describe the organization of the 'Ndrangheta in Ontario and the different branches he oversaw in the province, "It is the same as saying there is a company at Hamilton, at Toronto and there is a head of each. Toronto represents the centre and Hamilton represents the commanding point. In Oakville, there are two, but all these aubbocatos are represented by one. In other words we have to play the way I say."

Following the lead of the mafia's ruling commission in the U.S., Luppino also established La Camera Di Controllo. Made up of the heads of the various decinas in Ontario, the goal of this 'board of control' was to ensure co-operation, to avoid territorial infringement, and to resolve any problems that may arise. The board which answered to Magaddino, was reflective of Luppino's great reverence towards his boss, his respect for the American mafia Commission (which he once called "eight of the best") and his adherence to the traditional role of the mafioso as a mediator and arbitrator. Luppino has been described as "a master strategist" who built bridges and brokered deals between different mafia leaders. He was frequently consulted by mafia figures from throughout North America and intervened to settled numerous disputes that arose over the years. By setting up the Camera, he forged strong relationships with other 'Ndrangheta leaders in Ontario and also maintained ties with the Montreal mafia through a cordial relationship with Vic Cotroni and later with his future son in law, Paolo Violi.

Notwithstanding the respect and influence Luppino garnered from other mafia leaders, there was no doubt that the source of his power emanated from his close association with Magaddino. He was extremely deferential to his don and also delighted in any opportunity he had to meet with him. Police once recorded a fawning Luppino gush about the highlight of a Buffalo wedding he attended - that Magaddino had talked to him at the reception for a while twenty minutes! Magaddino also respected and often heeded Luppino's advice, which was most apparent in 1966 after Luppino talked him out of any reprisals against Vic Cotroni, who had met with the son of rival Joseph Bonanno.


Make of it what you will but I thought it was very interesting in many ways so I wanted to share.

I posted about this book on GGB in a thread "Is this evidence that the Violi brothers are Buffalo Crime Family members." Here is what I posted from the book:
In his book Iced Schneider indicated the police believed the Violi brothers were being groomed for leadership positions in the local Todaro crew. He writes:

A few years later, two other mafia-wannabe brothers were having their own problems. In April 1995, twenty-eight-year-old Domenic Violi and his twenty-four-year-old brother Giuseppe were among eight people arrested in what the Hamilton-Wentworth deputy police chief called the city’s “most significant drug bust involving organized crime” in more than a quarter century. Domenic and Giuseppe were the sons of deceased Montreal mobster Paolo Violi and his widow, Grazia, herself the daughter of Giacomo Luppino, the long-time leader of the Hamilton wing of the Magaddino Family. She had moved back to her hometown following the 1978 death of her husband and raised her two boys in Hamilton, where police believe they were being groomed for leadership positions within the local Magaddino crew. The eight men were accused of conspiring to smuggle cocaine from Colombia to Ontario via the U.S. The police operation culminated with the seizure of more than 100 kilos of cocaine in Joplin, Missouri, and four kilos in Toronto. Along with four others, Giuseppe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a narcotic, although charges were withdrawn against his brother Domenic.

In addition Schneider recounts an incident where Buffalo News Mob Reporter Lee Coppola talks to the media about the Johnny Pops hit speculating the Musitano’s were acting on their own because Buffalo was too weak to sanction the hit. His statement seems to indicate the Violi’s brothers were Magaddino/Buffalo members. Coppola said:

“for all intents and purposes, the Buffalo mob —as it once was when Magaddino actually ruled that part of Toronto and the Papalias and Violis were under him —is all diminished and has been diminishing over the last couple of decades to a point now where there is no leadership, there is no structure, and there certainly is not power.”

I should note that Schneider goes on to indicate 2 more possible scenarios for the Pops hit.

1. Montreal (Rizzuto) wanted moving in on southern Ontario and had aligned themselves with the Musitanos. Police saw Pat meeting with Vito in October of ‘97 after the hit.

2. Buffalo wanted Pops out of the way because they were enraged he already giving up some gambling rackets to the Musitano’s. Or that because he was just too old. Schneider writes:

Papalia had turned over some of his gambling and protection rackets to the Musitanos (which either may have infuriated Buffalo mob bosses enough to have Papalia killed or perhaps because they pressured Papalia to relinquish control because he was getting too old). Either way, a mob hit on Papalia would first have to be cleared by Buffalo. Police intelligence collected during Project Windfall uncovered at least one meeting between the Musitanos and made members from the Magaddino Family, which supports this particular theory.

Of course we now have a copy of a conversation between Pat Musitano and Johnny Catz of Buffalo that shows the two families were still tight and working together—indicating Buffalo did order the hit on Pops.

Then I asked these questions:

Questions:
1. Does this make it more likely that the Violi brothers who were arrested in the Otremens Operation are the ones being referred to as the Todaro family members by the FBI and Canadian journalists?

2. Does the evidence that Buffalo had the power to order the Papalia hit in ‘97–when American journalists believed they were too weak, penniless, and without any leadership to do so—indicate American journalists may have it wrong now as they said "the mob is all but dead in WNY?"

3. Does this lend credibility to Edwards’ recent article suggesting Buffalo is playing a role in the mob war that has been going on in Hamilton for a while now?

4. What do you think of rumors that the Violi’s have fallen out of favor with Buffalo because of their recent arrests?