Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[Moscone65]

I bet even if the FBI came out and said, the Buffalo family seems to have regained a foothold in upper new York State and the Niagara region, these guys would be saying "ah the FBI gets stuff wrong all the time, keep living in your fantasy world".

[B.]

Just to break it down, here is the straight unbiased information we have, from a member in the Buffalo-Ontario Family:

- The family has a boss, Joseph Todaro Jr.
- They appointed an underboss, Domenico Violi.
- They have at approximately 30 members in addition to Todaro and Violi.
- Buffalo member Domenico Violi was invited to attend a Bonanno induction ceremony in Ontario.
- The Buffalo family has maintained official contact with current NYC leaders in the Genovese, Bonanno, and Colombo families.

The last point implies that a member, or members, in Buffalo had been formally introduced to leaders, or representatives of leaders, in those three NYC families prior to Violi's elevation. Given the changes in leadership and membership in both NYC and Buffalo over the years, this suggests that contact has been maintained between these groups to some degree.

Someone also had to introduce Violi as a Buffalo-Ontario member to the Bonanno group (Zummo, etc.) that inducted Morena prior to the ceremony. So there is someone else in the Buffalo-Ontario family who made that introduction sometime prior to the ceremony.

[Moscone65]

Pogo, have you seen the FBI's website section on organized crime, alot of the shit in the Italian section would be in conflict with alot of the stuff you are saying. Who knows what to believe any more. https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/organized-crime

[Pogo The Clown]

Pogo, have you seen the FBI's website section on organized crime, alot of the shit in the Italian section would be in conflict with alot of the stuff you are saying. Who knows what to believe any more. https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/organized-crime

What is in conflict with what I am saying? And to be clear it is not what I'm saying. It is what the FBI is saying.

The LCN is most active in the New York metropolitan area, parts of New Jersey, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, and New England. The major LCN families include the five New York-based families—Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Luchese; the Newark-based DeCavalcante family; the New England LCN; the Philadelphia LCN; and the Chicago Outfit. They have members in other major cities and are involved in international crimes. Although the LCN has its roots in Italian organized crime, it has been a separate organization for many years. Today it cooperates in various criminal activities with different criminal groups that are headquartered in Italy.

[Lupara]

Just to break it down, here is the straight unbiased information we have, from a member in the Buffalo-Ontario Family:

- The family has a boss, Joseph Todaro Jr.
- They appointed an underboss, Domenico Violi.
- They have at approximately 30 members in addition to Todaro and Violi.
- Buffalo member Domenico Violi was invited to attend a Bonanno induction ceremony in Ontario.
- The Buffalo family has maintained official contact with current NYC leaders in the Genovese, Bonanno, and Colombo families.

The last point implies that a member, or members, in Buffalo had been formally introduced to leaders, or representatives of leaders, in those three NYC families prior to Violi's elevation. Given the changes in leadership and membership in both NYC and Buffalo over the years, this suggests that contact has been maintained between these groups to some degree.

Someone also had to introduce Violi as a Buffalo-Ontario member to the Bonanno group (Zummo, etc.) that inducted Morena prior to the ceremony. So there is someone else in the Buffalo-Ontario family who made that introduction sometime prior to the ceremony.

You're speaking against a wall. There are hardliners on both sides of these discussions.

Even though the FBI is one of the most authoritative sources you can have, they have an agenda too.

The Mafia is no priority to them anymore. They've downsized their NY organized crime divisions even though the families have pretty much maintained their size and operations since at least the turn of the century. If they downsized their divisions that were keeping track of 200+ size families it isn't out of the ordinary that they discontinued their squads that were keeping track of diminished smaller families such as Buffalo.

Basically I think the FBI has better things to do than go after a crew in Buffalo who are no longer posing a threat on the US side of the border. Don't expect them to declare anytime soon that perhaps the Buffalo family has reorganized to an extend, because that would mean they have to dedicate resources to putting pizzeria owners in jail instead of using it on more important issues such as homeland security. Besides, they'd loose face if they admit that perhaps the Buffalo family hasn't been entirely crippled.

[NickleCity]

Buffalo News Article

https://buffalonews.com/2018/12/08/is-t ... -or-alive/

Joe Todaro working at La Nova during time of alleged meeting in Florida according to his lawyer.

"His comments are a complete fairy tale, a ridiculous story," Robert L. Boreanaz, a lawyer for Todaro, said of Violi Friday.

Boreanaz said Violi is not a "friend or acquaintance" of Todaro's and noted that, during the time they were supposedly together in Florida, Todaro was in Buffalo working at the family business, La Nova Pizza.

"He was at the pizzeria, working seven days, 70 to 80 hours a week," Boreanaz said

.

[Pogo The Clown]

Reasons 5,6 and 7 of this debate. I'm telling ya it is like a script. The only thing that changes is the family in question.


Pogo

[Moscone65]

The part regarding the unions and how there are active members in cities including Buffalo. Meanwhile others are saying that the mob is completely dead in Buffalo.

[Pogo The Clown]

The part regarding the unions and how there are active members in cities including Buffalo. Meanwhile others are saying that the mob is completely dead in Buffalo.

It doesn't say anything about "active members". They are clearly talking about where labor law violations mostly occur as evidenced by them also mentioning Cleveland which is dead and Philly which never had an LCN presence in the unions. Besides Wiseguy posted the report from 2006 where the Buffalo LIUNA was declared free from LCN influence.

Labor law violations occur primarily in large cities with both a strong industrial base and strong labor unions, like New York, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. These cities also have a large presence of organized crime figures.

[B.]

He very well may have been working in Buffalo during that period, but the idea of taking an alleged mafia leader's lawyers at face value to prove a point says it all about this discussion. An alleged mafia leader trying to maintain his public image associated with a well-known restaurant would have no incentive to distance himself from a self-professed ranking mafia member and drug dealer. With that in mind, it's too bad all of these mafia members suffer from so many health ailments that prevent them from comfortably sitting in a court room or jail cell according to their lawyers; we really should cut them a break.

Looking forward to more coming out, even if it disproves Violi. Can't see why he would have drafted up the idea of meeting Todaro in Florida specifically when he could claim to have met him in Buffalo or anywhere else, but that's my take.

[Moscone65]

I dont know pogo, the way they are wording it seems like they are saying these cities have alot of organized crime figures (Italian, since this is under the LCN section) and that there are labor union violations in these cities. It is essentially inferring that these "organized crime figures" are behind these violations. If hat is not what they are trying to say, then they should reword everything since it is heavily misleading. Now this doesnt say that there is an active family in Buffalo, but is saying that there are Italian organized crime members active in the city. That, combined with new hints at structure, seem to be in favor of there being a viable family. Like many other have said, the bulk of the action could be up in Canada, with some people in Buffalo more involved in gambling, loansharking ect. Todaro could be the boss so that there are stronger links to New York, and therefore further discouraging other Italian mob groups in canada to make a move on buffalo members in canada.

[Wiseguy]

I bet even if the FBI came out and said, the Buffalo family seems to have regained a foothold in upper new York State and the Niagara region, these guys would be saying "ah the FBI gets stuff wrong all the time, keep living in your fantasy world".

Well the FBI isn't saying that, are they? Its you guys who are ignoring them, as well as the last 20 years, because of a single bust and some wiretaps.

Pogo, have you seen the FBI's website section on organized crime, alot of the shit in the Italian section would be in conflict with alot of the stuff you are saying. Who knows what to believe any more. https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/organized-crime

What is in conflict with what I am saying? And to be clear it is not what I'm saying. It is what the FBI is saying.

The LCN is most active in the New York metropolitan area, parts of New Jersey, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, and New England. The major LCN families include the five New York-based families—Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Luchese; the Newark-based DeCavalcante family; the New England LCN; the Philadelphia LCN; and the Chicago Outfit. They have members in other major cities and are involved in international crimes. Although the LCN has its roots in Italian organized crime, it has been a separate organization for many years. Today it cooperates in various criminal activities with different criminal groups that are headquartered in Italy.

Yup. The FBI website actually confirms what we're saying.

First, Moscone has to resort to a hypothetical scenario where the feds agreed with him. Now, he's misrepresenting what the FBI website says.

Just to break it down, here is the straight unbiased information we have, from a member in the Buffalo-Ontario Family:

- The family has a boss, Joseph Todaro Jr.
- They appointed an underboss, Domenico Violi.
- They have at approximately 30 members in addition to Todaro and Violi.
- Buffalo member Domenico Violi was invited to attend a Bonanno induction ceremony in Ontario.
- The Buffalo family has maintained official contact with current NYC leaders in the Genovese, Bonanno, and Colombo families.

The last point implies that a member, or members, in Buffalo had been formally introduced to leaders, or representatives of leaders, in those three NYC families prior to Violi's elevation. Given the changes in leadership and membership in both NYC and Buffalo over the years, this suggests that contact has been maintained between these groups to some degree.

Someone also had to introduce Violi as a Buffalo-Ontario member to the Bonanno group (Zummo, etc.) that inducted Morena prior to the ceremony. So there is someone else in the Buffalo-Ontario family who made that introduction sometime prior to the ceremony.

All that (just like Detroit...cough) but don't be surprised if (more like when) we don't see another bust anytime soon. I know, I know, maybe the Buffalo family is purely a fraternal organization at this point and they're just making guys to sit around and play pinochle.

The Mafia is no priority to them anymore. They've downsized their NY organized crime divisions even though the families have pretty much maintained their size and operations since at least the turn of the century. If they downsized their divisions that were keeping track of 200+ size families it isn't out of the ordinary that they discontinued their squads that were keeping track of diminished smaller families such as Buffalo.

Basically I think the FBI has better things to do than go after a crew in Buffalo who are no longer posing a threat on the US side of the border. Don't expect them to declare anytime soon that perhaps the Buffalo family has reorganized to an extend, because that would mean they have to dedicate resources to putting pizzeria owners in jail instead of using it on more important issues such as homeland security. Besides, they'd loose face if they admit that perhaps the Buffalo family hasn't been entirely crippled.

Yes, the feds don't consider Buffalo to be a priority anymore...for good reason.

And, if you havent noticed, it doesn't just take federal agencies to go after the mob. The Massachusetts state police, for example, have been very involved in investigations against the Patriarcas.

Lastly, where is this idea coming from that the Canadian side of the family has all this activity and strength? There's been a single bust.

[scagghiuni]

Lastly, where is this idea coming from that the Canadian side of the family has all this activity and strength? There's been a single bust.

the anti-mafia laws in canada seems to be very soft compared to united states or italy, probably there is not even a law like rico nor 41-bis etc.
in fact there have been tons of unsolved mob-related murders and there is not any rat
the wiretaps show that there is still a buffalo family, although mainly active in canada and small in size, wiretaps are even more believable than informants, gotti was nabbed because of it for example
also, they probably started making new members only recently, in 2014, and the fbi in the latest years didn't investigate on todaro and his crew believing buffalo mob was dead

[Moscone65]

The part of the website you quoted, was just one section under the Italian organized crime section. What about the part regarding labor unions?

[willychichi]

Lastly, where is this idea coming from that the Canadian side of the family has all this activity and strength? There's been a single bust.

the anti-mafia laws in canada seems to be very soft compared to united states or italy, probably there is not even a law like rico nor 41-bis etc.
in fact there have been tons of unsolved mob-related murders and there is not any rat
the wiretaps show that there is still a buffalo family, although mainly active in canada and small in size, wiretaps are even more believable than informants, gotti was nabbed because of it for example
also, they probably started making new members only recently, in 2014, and the fbi in the latest years didn't investigate on todaro and his crew believing buffalo mob was dead

Good point SH