Daniel Renaud's 2018 book on Vito Rizzuto

[CabriniGreen]

The definitely aren't the Canadian arm of the caruana-cuntreras. I think they have their own separate thing, they just have close ties and some members that share membership. If anything, most Caruana stuff in Canada seems to be in Toronto rather than Montreal.

I think at one point, pre Riina, in the beginning they were though.....

Octopus page 134....

" In 1963, after leaving Siculiana, the Cuntreras went first to Brazil for a year or so, and then headed to Montreal whose branch of the mafia had been set up by Joe Bonnano and then led by Carmine Galante."

"The Cuntreras and Caruanas were told they would have to wait for permission to operate in Canada, as protocol demanded, but they didnt."

(I think it's important to note, that by demanding they wait, Violi was effectively telling the WHOLE Cupola to wait..... precisely at a time when they NEEDED drug trafficking...)

" The Montreal Mafia and it's new " Sicilian faction" were soon on a collision course. Sporadic killing went on for some time; the Sicilians did not take over altogether until they gunned down the Montreal boss, Paul Violi, in 1978.Though many outsiders worked with them- local mafiosi, independent hoods Corsicans, Neapolitans in the Camorra- the Cuntreras and Caruanas were unmistakably in command"...
"Sometime in that same year, the Cuntreras moved on to Venezuela, leaving some Caruanas behind to mind the store"....
or page 137....


The heroin market was growing rapidly in the US- they were helping it grow- and that was plainly the focus of their activities.


The activities of the Cuntreras shareholders made this clear. John Gambino, returning to the US, became the prime associate there of the clans dominating Palermos heroin consortium. Giuseppe Bono was sent up to NY to represent the entire Sicilian Mafia ( after leaving a notarized power of attorney with Gaspare Cuntrera to handle his holdings) Nick Rizzuto returned to Montreal to complete the Sicilians takeover there; this just after the Sicilian Cupola opened a regular heroin pipeline to NY through Montreal.

The Cuntreras were also entwined with the Sicilian Mafias other chartered branch, in Brazil.....

page 206.....
" Leggio himself, in business for years with the famed Nuvoletra brothers, had excellent access to the Middle and Far East. What he did not have was access to the market in the West. The money in procuring ingredients was nothing to the money in sales, solidly in the hands of Inzerillo and Bontade.

These two men represented the old boy network embedded in Palermo for generations and firmly entrenched in NY....."
Together, they controlled all the heroin in the Western Hemisphere....

They had the franchise deal with the American Mafia. They controlled the heroin pipeline through Canada, the Canadian Mafias Sicilian faction, Salvatore Catalanos Sicilian faction in Brooklyn, the Cuntreras and Caruanas in Venezuela, and the mafia branch in Brazil. The Cupolas marketing manager in Italy, Francesco Mafara, was theirs. The boss of Palermos crucial Punta Raisi airport, Gaetano Badalamenti, was theirs. The director coordinating Palermos refineries was theirs, as was the clan behind the enormous Alcamo refinery.

Now this was all pre Riina;
It seemed to me like the structure was Inzerillo and Bontade, Badalamenti right there with them. Salamone, Then like the Caruana Cuntreras and the Cherry Hill Gambinos. Then Bono and the Napolis, and maybe Nick Rizzuto, then Catalano. I'm leaving a lot of guys out probably but that's a basic outline I think.

Anyone can chime in here....

Also, more excerpts coming, I'm finding it hard to not post long shorts of text. You lose a lot of the context... Just figuring out what's new or old information..... I might
have to post one more long one....

Your right about the pre Riina points. However, from what I understand, when alot of the Montreal sicilians started going back to Montreal from Venezuela, that is when many caruana-cuntreras moved to Toronto instead. So either they were a crew for Montreal in Toronto, or their own family. Caruana Cuntreras have some people still interested heir hometown of Siculiana, as well as in Rome, Toronto and Venezuela of course. So like I was saying, it's possible that alot of the Canadian ones could have dual membership between the Rizzuto family and caruana-cuntrera.

I agree, good points there....

[Lupara]

Interesting stuff Cabrini.

However you're messing something up here:


"(I think it's important to note, that by demanding they wait, Violi was effectively telling the WHOLE Cupola to wait..... precisely at a time when they NEEDED drug trafficking...)"

In 1963 Violi was hardly a somebody and he was just living in Montreal and in no position to tell the Sicilian Cupola anything. He was possibly not even made yet. It wasn't for another decade that he rose into a position of power and replaced Greco as #2 in the Montreal decina. He was telling some newly arrived Sicillians around '73 that they have to be monitored for five years before being recognised as members.

[johnny_scootch]

Keep posting excerpts from the book!

[johnny_scootch]

So like I was saying, it's possible that alot of the Canadian ones could have dual membership between the Rizzuto family and caruana-cuntrera.

Membership in two Cosa Nostra families? Simultaneously?

IMO they'd be a member of either or and if needed their membership could be transferred.

[CabriniGreen]

okay, I've been trying awhile. The translation is a little mangled, but it's still salvageable.....


More from chapter 9...

Translate from: Corsican

Then, the quartet enters the heart of the subject.

The investigators point out to the sponsor that his upcoming release is already making headlines in Montreal and that they are dreading a media circus. They suggest that he return to Canada by Toronto.


If Vito Rizzuto's intention was to land in Montreal, they may have managed to change his mind. The mafia boss says he will land in Toronto and will live for a while with his cousin Frank Campoli or an uncle.

About the attacks on his clan, Rizzuto says he thinks they come from New York. He confirms that after the murder in 1999 of Gerlando Sciascia - who should never have died, he believes - he was very angry and that, subsequently, the Rizzuto clan notified the officials of the new Mafia. he cut ties with her.

( Here, the translation falters...I think it's supposed to say after Sciascias murder, he informed NY he was independent, or cut ties. Something to that effect, we might need antimafia here...)



He thinks the American mafiosi took revenge by attacking his clan through Salvatore Montagna, former interim leader of the Bonanno clan.


But police say that Montreal criminals are likely to be involved in the attacks on his family.

Vito Rizzuto does not believe that the offensive against his family originated in Ontario.

He does not have the impression that the murders of his father and his son have the same motive or were commanded by the same individuals.


( I've actually always thought this too, that the hits on his son, and the ones against his dad and Renda seemed like different teams entirely.. Interesting..)




- I can not believe that so-and-so could have murdered my son, but here, there is nothing to surprise me, said Rizzuto.
.

[CabriniGreen]

okay, I've been trying awhile. The translation is a little mangled, but it's still salvageable.....

Still Chapter 9.....

I personally, found all this a little contradictory and confusing.....


Regarding the murder of his friend Del Peschio, Vito Rizzuto claims that it was known that there was a conflict between him and an entrepreneur. He adds that Del Peschio had tried to settle situations involving investors who would have been cheated.

With regard to the kidnapping of his brother-in-law Paolo Renda and the murder of Agostino Cuntrera, he does not believe that these attacks were sponsored by the families of New York.

( Right? okay...)


- There is no connection between them and Montreal,
he says
He maintains that the only connection he had was with his friend Gerlando Sciascia, killed in 1999. He confirmed that he had met Salvatore Vitale and that he had offered him the post of captain for the Bonanno, but that he had refused to do so. dealing with fool. He adds that every time he met a member of the Bonanno clan, he felt sick.

- It's a gang of imbeciles, he hammers in front of the investigators.

He adds that since the adoption of the RICO law in the United States, families in New York have become small cells.

Vito Rizzuto also finds it hard to believe that Calabrians are trying to regain control in Montreal. He says if they want to regain control, they just have to do it, "the city does not belong to anyone".

When investigators mention the possibility that attacks on his clan may come from Toronto, Rizzuto tells them that it is possible, for revenge. But, on a number of occasions, the godfather says that his people are not in conflict with anyone, that he does not understand and that he knows nothing, he who is 3,000 kilometers from Montreal. If, for a certain time, he received newspapers from Montreal with a lot of delay, he does not receive them anymore. He adds that his calls are listened to and his mail read by the prison and police authorities.






More from chapter 9...

Translate from: Corsican

Then, the quartet enters the heart of the subject.

The investigators point out to the sponsor that his upcoming release is already making headlines in Montreal and that they are dreading a media circus. They suggest that he return to Canada by Toronto.


If Vito Rizzuto's intention was to land in Montreal, they may have managed to change his mind. The mafia boss says he will land in Toronto and will live for a while with his cousin Frank Campoli or an uncle.

( See the contradiction here?) This is why I kinda want to put the whole text up, I was kinda lost here...


About the attacks on his clan, Rizzuto says he thinks they come from New York. He confirms that after the murder in 1999 of Gerlando Sciascia - who should never have died, he believes - he was very angry and that, subsequently, the Rizzuto clan notified the officials of the new Mafia. he cut ties with her.

( Here, the translation falters...I think it's supposed to say after Sciascias murder, he informed NY he was independent, or cut ties. Something to that effect, we might need antimafia here...)



He thinks the American mafiosi took revenge by attacking his clan through Salvatore Montagna, former interim leader of the Bonanno clan.


But police say that Montreal criminals are likely to be involved in the attacks on his family.

Vito Rizzuto does not believe that the offensive against his family originated in Ontario.

He does not have the impression that the murders of his father and his son have the same motive or were commanded by the same individuals.


( I've actually always thought this too, that the hits on his son, and the ones against his dad and Renda seemed like different teams entirely.. Interesting..)




- I can not believe that so-and-so could have murdered my son, but here, there is nothing to surprise me, said Rizzuto.
.

[CabriniGreen]

Translation falters again right around where Vito refers to Vitale as a fool....

[CabriniGreen]

Sorry about the double post guys..

[CabriniGreen]

Interesting stuff Cabrini.

However you're messing something up here:


"(I think it's important to note, that by demanding they wait, Violi was effectively telling the WHOLE Cupola to wait..... precisely at a time when they NEEDED drug trafficking...)"

In 1963 Violi was hardly a somebody and he was just living in Montreal and in no position to tell the Sicilian Cupola anything. He was possibly not even made yet. It wasn't for another decade that he rose into a position of power and replaced Greco as #2 in the Montreal decina. He was telling some newly arrived Sicillians around '73 that they have to be monitored for five years before being recognised as members.

That was a loaded paragraph. They didnt mean ALL this went down in 63, that was just the year they left Siculiana.

[Moscone65]

So like I was saying, it's possible that alot of the Canadian ones could have dual membership between the Rizzuto family and caruana-cuntrera.

Membership in two Cosa Nostra families? Simultaneously?

IMO they'd be a member of either or and if needed their membership could be transferred.

The Rizzuto's were interesting because they were their own brand of cosa nostra. They weren't exactly LCN per say, but they weren't pure sicilian cosa nostra. (They didn't answer to the cupola and they Inducted members of non sicilian ancestry, like the LCN.)

So it could have been in the case like Frank Cali where he is thought that he is a member of both the Inzerillo's in Sicily, and the Gambinos of course. (And both are strongly connected together like the Rizzuto's/caruana-cuntreras, albeit still two distinct entities.) But perhaps your right, and it's more of a fluid thing.

[SonnyBlackstein]

About the attacks on his clan, Rizzuto says he thinks they come from New York. He confirms that after the murder in 1999 of Gerlando Sciascia - who should never have died, he believes - he was very angry and that, subsequently, the Rizzuto clan notified the officials of the new Mafia. he cut ties with her.
...
He thinks the American mafiosi took revenge by attacking his clan through Salvatore Montagna, former interim leader of the Bonanno clan.
...
Vito Rizzuto does not believe that the offensive against his family originated in Ontario.
...
He does not have the impression that the murders of his father and his son have the same motive or were commanded by the same individuals.

Firstly, great work Cabrini. Very interesting. My thanks.

I am, however, extremely skeptical of the above passages. I do not believe the translation is the issue.
Where is this sourced from that VR spoke openly (and honestly?) about the war on ‘his’ family?
This would be HUGE news if he had.
I cannot imagine a circumstance, outside of flipping, where VR would tell authorities that ‘his’ family broke with NY, that that’s the origin, source and basis for the conflict, that he doesn’t believe Ontario is a source, that Montreal is open etc etc etc.

The above is astounding information and requires likewise verification. IMO.

[antimafia]

Translation falters again right around where Vito refers to Vitale as a fool....

CabriniGreen,

Thanks for getting the French copy translated online and then copying and pasting.

The part about Vitale is in chapter 8 (p. 172 of the hard copy). You just recently posted, mostly, translated portions of chapter 9--this is where you might have had some trouble.

[antimafia]

About the attacks on his clan, Rizzuto says he thinks they come from New York. He confirms that after the murder in 1999 of Gerlando Sciascia - who should never have died, he believes - he was very angry and that, subsequently, the Rizzuto clan notified the officials of the new Mafia. he cut ties with her.
...
He thinks the American mafiosi took revenge by attacking his clan through Salvatore Montagna, former interim leader of the Bonanno clan.
...
Vito Rizzuto does not believe that the offensive against his family originated in Ontario.
...
He does not have the impression that the murders of his father and his son have the same motive or were commanded by the same individuals.

Firstly, great work Cabrini. Very interesting. My thanks.

I am, however, extremely skeptical of the above passages. I do not believe the translation is the issue.
Where is this sourced from that VR spoke openly (and honestly?) about the war on ‘his’ family?
This would be HUGE news if he had.
I cannot imagine a circumstance, outside of flipping, where VR would tell authorities that ‘his’ family broke with NY, that that’s the origin, source and basis for the conflict, that he doesn’t believe Ontario is a source, that Montreal is open etc etc etc.

The above is astounding information and requires likewise verification. IMO.

Thanks again to CabriniGreen for his posts regarding translated portions of the book.

Most of what he copied and pasted is from the October 1, 2012 meeting that RCMP Sergeant Michel Fortin and RCMP Staff Sergeant Christian Knight had with Rizzuto at FCI Florence, just four days before Rizzuto was released. This was not the first meeting Rizzuto had with law-enforcement personnel, i.e., investigators. Sometimes, American law-enforcement personnel were present.

Elsewhere in the book, you will read that Rizzuto didn't always answer questions from investigators or didn't always respond to the theories they presented to him. Either CabriniGreen or I can post how Rizzuto responded to the theory that investigators posed to him about the murder of Giuseppe Lo Presti -- if the theory is correct, Sal Vitale lied about Gerlando Sciascia's having killed Lo Presti and then retroactively seeking authorization for the murder.

[SonnyBlackstein]

VR stating to authorities that it’s the NY Bonannos who are making war on ‘his’ family, and that he broke his family off post George’s murder, is not tantamount to ratting, it, is, ratting.

And I cannot imagine a circumstance VR would rat. Especially four days before release.

If VR was on wiretaps, recorded phone calls etc stating the above to a family member, I can accept this, but I cannot believe he would state things of the above nature to authorities, within days of his release as well.

I have to find these statements, suspicious at best.

[Frank]

Wasn't there evidence that said they were still a Bonanno decina in that time period.