So in today's Montreal Mafia, what is this entity now? Is it a wing of the Bonanno family? If Vito made people, were they members of American Cosa Nostra or the Sicilian Mafia?B. wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:24 pmGreat analysis as always, Antimafia.antimafia wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 1:11 pm ^^^^
Sorry. When I wrote the following,
By Violi's offering to introduce Morena to those three individuals, Violi could very well have meant that, in his capacity as a made member of the Buffalo Family, he could introduce Morena--likely a Bonanno associate--to three individuals who were probable or likely Bonanno members. As for Violi's saying that the old obstacles were gone, he might have meant that Lorenzo Giordano and Rocco Sollecito were out of the way, maybe even hinting at a future murder of another obstacle (i.e., Vincenzo Spagnolo).
Morena was not a Bonanno associate, having been inducted into the Bonanno Family in November 2015. As I have previously pointed out, it is perhaps a little strange that Morena would have to be introduced to Arcadi, Mucci, and Cotroni Jr. by Domenico Violi. But maybe not if Violi was the only made member, albeit from a different family, who could introduce Morena to made Bonannos in Montreal.
Introductions
- It would make sense Violi was talking about making a formal "amico nostra" introduction given Morena was now a member and Violi would be arranging a meeting solely for the purpose of an introduction. It seems less likely he would arrange a meeting between members (assuming the Montreal trio were in fact made) just to say hello without some greater networking value -- an official introduction is strong currency in this network, as evidenced by the NYC Bonanno group making formal contact with Violi and inviting him to the induction.
- If that was the scenario, someone had already introduced Violi to specific Montreal members after his own induction and before he made his offer to Morena. Not difficult to imagine existing Buffalo-Ontario members making an introduction to members in Montreal. The main point of interest is who might have made the introduction and what the situation was at the time Violi was introduced. Was Violi's introduction to those men the reason he felt the old barriers were gone? Did he ever have a reason to believe there were barriers between his Ontario circle and Arcadi, Mucci, and Cotroni Jr., or was he referring to other barriers within Montreal or between Ontario/Montreal?
- I wouldn't assume the NYC members who inducted Morena had no formal contacts in Montreal, but may not have planned on staying in Canada long enough to facilitate a Montreal introduction given they were already going out of their way to meet with Violi and induct Morena. They could easily not have known anyone in Montreal, too.
Montagna's NYC and Montreal Ties
- Montagna used Canadian resources in Montreal and collaborated with some of the local crew, though it is difficult to believe that New York Bonanno members wouldn't have visited him there and he may have been able to arrange formal introductions between NYC and Montreal members (at least the ones allied with Montagna) before his death. Bonanno members were willing to travel to Canada for the Morena induction, so Bonanno members may have similarly been willing to travel to Canada in the preceding years when Montagna was there given his stature in NYC.
- Damiano Zummo, who handled Morena's induction, like Morena came from the Ridgewood / Middle Village area where Montagna had hung out and Zummo's father was a Sicilian heroin trafficker who appears to be from Trapani province, like Montagna's father. Zummo's father was surveilled in the 1980s at a Ridgewood caffe where Paul Ragusa's father Filippo also frequented. We aren't sure when Zummo became a Bonanno member -- if he was made between 2006-2009, his induction would have been overseen by Montagna.
- I don't believe Montagna would have attempted his takeover of the Montreal crew without trying to strengthen its formal ties to New York given his role there prior to deportation. The past decade has revealed many new Bonanno members, some of them younger and without federal restrictions that would prevent travel. Bonanno members have also traveled to Sicily in recent years to strengthen ties to the mafia in Castellammare Del Golfo.
- The extent of Montagna's contact with the Montreal crew during the 1990s and early 2000s isn't presently known. He was said by Bonanno CW Cicale to have been the liaison between NYC and Montreal during the 2000s. Montagna was close to Bonanno member Baldo Amato, who traveled to Montreal on at least one occasion and reportedly had a friendship with the Sicilian members of the Bonanno Montreal crew.
Montagna's Sicilian and Historical Ties
- Montagna may also be directly or indirectly responsible for the current ties between the Bonanno family and the mafia leadership in Castellammare Del Golfo and Sciacca. Given Montagna lived in CDG and his brother Franco Montagna was seen traveling to Sicily in 2007 with one of the men arrested in the recent Sicilian case that mentioned Bonanno ties, it points to Montagna helping facilitate the NYC->Sicily connections.
- The boss of Castellammare Del Golfo who has been in contact with Bonanno members is Francesco Domingo and the Montagnas have strong ties to Domingos from Castellammare living in NYC. Sicilian expert Felice revealed that Francesco Domingo's aunt may have been married to Salvatore Maranzano's brother Mariano. Yes, capo dei capi Salvatore Maranzano who owned property in Hamilton, Ontario, and sent his family to hide in Montreal in the early 1930s. It may be no coincidence that Salvatore Maranzano utilized Sebastiano Domingo as a hitman during the the war.
- Felice also revealed that Salvatore Montagna's father Antonino is a man of honor in the Sicilian mafia and sponsored Francesco Domingo for membership. This is huge news that shouldn't be overlooked given Antonino Montagna lived in Montreal previously which means Antonino Montagna was likely a Sicilian mafia member living in Montreal in the 1970s/1980s prior to moving to NYC and his son becoming a Bonanno member. Given Gerlando Sciascia appears to have been a Sicilian mafia member who transferred to the Bonanno family and brought Salvatore Montagna into the Bonanno family, we can assume Antonino Montagna was no stranger to Sciascia.
As outsiders we are babes in the woods when it comes to the depth and history of these connections.
He seems like a breakaway from NYC and if so, how would Inducting members there be recognized by NYC?