Business or Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto's Last War

[antimafia]

The Toronto Star has published an excerpt of the book online. The book's release date is this Tuesday, February 3.

Link:

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/201 ... -dead.html

[Teflon john]

Can't wait to read this one, may be stuff i already know but im still gonna check it out. Does anybody know how updated it is? I'm hoping it is pretty up to date as far as the stuff that has went on up there.

[Lupara]

I've posted this at the particular thread in the book section:

Book will be available next week. Who else is gonna get it? Ive read the preview at Kobo. It contains a lot of chapters. It starts with Vito's incarceration and ends just after his death. One of the things I read in the preview is that according to the authors Tony Suzuki and LoPresti were Rizzuto enemies. It is clear that they had switched to Montagna, and I'm thinking that they may have betrayed Cuntrera and informed his killers about his whereabouts the day he was killed. It was Pietrantonio who apparantly was the first to arrive at the crime scene. Coincidence?

[antimafia]

Can't wait to read this one, may be stuff i already know but im still gonna check it out. Does anybody know how updated it is? I'm hoping it is pretty up to date as far as the stuff that has went on up there.

The book will be fairly up to date.

I realize the online book excerpt has a lot of very flowery language--maybe it was from the introduction or first chapter?--but the co-authors uncovered a lot of details that will help to answer some questions about which specific individuals and groups were behind or may have been behind the high-profile murders in the Montreal area during the mob war. Similarly, there will be details about the possible/probable revenge murders in the Greater Toronto Area and other cities, e.g., in Mexico City (Moreno Gallo) and the Palermo area (Juan Ramon Fernandez, aka Joe Bravo, and Fernando Pimentel).

In the course of writing the book and travelling through Italy with antimafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, co-author Antonio Nicaso had access to a lot of Italian documents that would or might have shed light on what was happening in Canada. Nicaso, who is Canadian based and is a 'ndrangheta expert in particular, is in Italy at this time; so there won't be any book-launch party in Toronto this Tuesday. As a result, I might not get a copy of the book till after February 3, which is when it comes out. However, I do know some significant details in the book that I've kept to myself for the past year or so and that I now feel comfortable sharing.

I do know that the co-authors did not explore the theories about specific New York families' trying to exert influence over, if not very well take over, the Montreal Mafia. But the co-authors were certainly aware of the theories and did not have time to investigate further, which is probably something Edwards and Nicaso regret.

I believe that one of the theses of the book, if not the main thesis, is that the Siderno Group in the Greater Toronto Area, while already having a reputable history as drug traffickers, were smaller fish in Canada than the Rizzuto organization with respect to drug trafficking and wanted to change that. Nicaso has for the most part maintained that the violence in Montreal had to do with which groups and individuals wanted to gain control of the port of Montreal because of this port's pivotal role as a gateway for drugs that make their way in the North American market. I highly respect Nicaso and consider him a friend but I do not buy into the part of the thesis about the crucial importance of the port.

I think that Vito Rizzuto's incarceration caused many groups and individuals to consider attempting things they would not otherwise have attempted had he not been imprisoned. Canadian and Italian law-enforcemnent authorities viewed him differently from American law-enforcement agencies, as did of course mafiosi in Ontario, Quebec, Sicily, Calabria, and other parts of Italy. The Italian authorities--at least based on the vast information that came out of the documents in relation to the anti-ndrangheta Operazione Il Crimine that culminated in June 2010--considered Rizzuto to have at one time been the head of a criminal organization of which the Siderno Group had been but just one component. But this different view of Rizzuto does not, in my mind, put to rest any questions about which family he and his father were made into, what ranks these two held if they were indeed Bonannos, and so on.

[antimafia]

I've posted this at the particular thread in the book section:

Book will be available next week. Who else is gonna get it? Ive read the preview at Kobo. It contains a lot of chapters. It starts with Vito's incarceration and ends just after his death. One of the things I read in the preview is that according to the authors Tony Suzuki and LoPresti were Rizzuto enemies. It is clear that they had switched to Montagna, and I'm thinking that they may have betrayed Cuntrera and informed his killers about his whereabouts the day he was killed. It was Pietrantonio who apparantly was the first to arrive at the crime scene. Coincidence?

^^^^
Thanks for this. If the book does not cover significant events that happened after Rizzuto's death in December 2013, I'll make sure not to divulge details about such events.

Lo Presti's funeral-home visitation at the Loreto still has me scratching my head all these years later. But very few things about this whole war have been clear, have they?

[Lupara]

I do know that the co-authors did not explore the theories about specific New York families' trying to exert influence over, if not very well take over, the Montreal Mafia. But the co-authors were certainly aware of the theories and did not have time to investigate further, which is probably something Edwards and Nicaso regret.

That's a missed opportunity. However the book does cover Montagna's role and his conflict with Desjardins. I believe they devote at least one chapter to him, and so in effect they do explore the role New York had as Montagna represented the Bonanno family's interests.

The book also covers the months after Rizzuto's death. In the book's chronology the murder of Verduci is included. The authors also write about a newcomer without a criminal record who they believe was being groomed as Vito's successor.


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[dixiemafia]

I think that Vito Rizzuto's incarceration caused many groups and individuals to consider attempting things they would not otherwise have attempted had he not been imprisoned.

Without a doubt it wouldn't have been attempted. Lets say Montagna gets into the GTA talking the way he did with Vito out of prison, I seriously doubt he lives a week and Nick Jr. would be the boss now if Vito still dies of cancer (not a given either, as East Bronx always says federal inmate care is horrible). Lots of things would have been very different today had Massino and Vitale never mentioned Vito's name.

I look forward to hearing y'alls thoughts on the book as I will wait to buy, but if y'all recommend it I will definitely be buying it. It is probably worth it to get the info on the Montagana deal alone.

[Lupara]

The ebook is now downloadable on Amazon's Kindle app, I'm reading it now. I've bought it for 12,69 euro, pretty good deal.

[johnny_scootch]

Got this book the other day and I'm up to page 94 as of now, so far it's a good read but the mistakes stick out the most to me.......it says George Sciascia was murdered by the Gambino family also that Vinny Basciano cut and teased hair for a living before becoming a mobster and that the Bonanno family is the oldest in NYC. Made it one more page before they state that Joe Profaci and Carmine Galante were born in castellamare del golfo.

[Lupara]

I've now read most of the chapters (actually done so in the first two days) and here are some of the most interesting details:

* Francesco Arcadi had met with Paoli Violi's sons (referred to as Violi's relatives) in Ontario in 2005 and had not informed the Rizzutos about the meeting.

* In 2006 Arcadi, along with Francesco Del Balso, Lorenzo Giordano and Giuseppe Fetta, also had a meeting with Antonio Coluccio in Montreal. The subject of that meeting was an outstanding debt of 200,000 Salvatore Calautti owed to Del Balso. The debt was assumed by a 'Ndrangheta boss and in return Calautti owed him his 'services'.

* After the murder of Giovanni Bertolo in 2005 a representative of the Bonanno family was seen in Montreal meeting with local mafiosi.

* By 2008 Mario Marabella had moved away from Agostino Cuntrera and became close to Raynald Desjardins and Giuseppe Colapelle before he disappeared and was never seen again.

* In October 2009 there was a meeting of the Camera di Controllo in Ontario that was hosted by Carmine Verducci, who represented the Coluccio brothers. The authors seem to suggest that the Coluccio brothers were the main instigators of the 'Ndrangheta's involvement against the Rizzuto family.

* Agostino Cuntrera was shot up close in the head with a shotgun and his body lay in a closed casket at his funeral. There's a striking resemblance with Paolo Violi's murder and I've always thought that it might have been Cuntrera who had pulled the trigger on him.

* Salvatore Montagna met with members of the 'Ndrangheta in Ontario (among them Paolo Violi's relatives) shortly after arriving in Canada. Montagna had relatives in both Montreal and Toronto and first settled in the house of a cousin in a city north of Montreal. He was planning to move to Toronto.

* In January 2011 members of the 'Ndrangheta believed to be rivals of the Rizzutos attended a 50th wedding anniversary of a member of the Cuntrera-Caruana family. One of the notable guests was Salvatore Calautti. It seems that the Cuntrera-Caruanas had abandoned the Rizzutos and were now in business with the 'Ndrangheta.

* The failed attempt on Desjardins was carried out by black assassins. Members of street gangs were also hired by Montagna's group to collect money on his behalf. Montagna was now demanding twice the amount of 'pizzo' local businesses previously payed to the Rizzutos. After the failed attempt on Desjardins Montagna was notably nervous and met with Giuseppe Bertolo of the Desjardins group to explain that he was not behind the attempt and claimed that it was the Rizzuto family that according to him was now led by Libertina Rizzuto, Nick's late widow.

* Lorenzo LoPresti was apparantly not killed by Desjardins' group as they were wondering themselves who killed him. This makes a lot of sense as that would've set off alarm bells in Montagna's group just when Desjardins and his people wanted to lure him into a trap. Montagna, who was becoming extremely paranoid, forbid any of his people to attend LoPresti's visitation as it was held in the Loreto funeral home. Before LoPresti's murder there were rumors that Montagna was planning to make him a full member of the Bonanno family.

* Moreno Gallo was in Montagna's camp. He had met with Montagna and members of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto and turned over the Montreal sportbooks to them. After Montagna's murder Gallo left Canada because he feared for his life.

* The New York families that are now the most involved in Canada, particulary Ontario, are the Gambinos and Luccheses.

The book is very refreshing and well written and offers quite some new or additional information. Unfortunately, as already been mentioned by antimafia, it only focussses on the Canadian angle. Also, it contains a strong underlying pro-Vito Rizzuto/anti-Bonanno sentiment similar to the Sixth Family. Perhaps this is some form of Canadian patriotism. For instance the authors state that in the late 1990s the Bonanno family was in no position to resist Vito Rizzuto's expansion in Ontario while in the late 90s the Bonanno family was a powerhouse under Massino, being the only New York family unaffected by government scrutiny. The book also contains numerous errors concerning the American mob that have already been pointed out by Johnny_Scootch.

[Lupara]

There are a few newbie spelling mistakes in my post above. I was typing it on my PS4 using its controller as I had sold my pc recently. I also accidentally deleted all of the text when I was about finished and had to rewrite it all, lol. Took me over an hour.

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[HairyKnuckles]

Johnny Scotch, I merged your Business or Blood thread into this one and deleted Lupara´s post with the link.

[dixiemafia]

Lupara THANKS for the info!! This does explain a lot and some seems to have been figured out by how things played out.

* In October 2009 there was a meeting of the Camera di Controllo in Ontario that was hosted by Carmine Verducci, who represented the Coluccio brothers. The authors seem to suggest that the Coluccio brothers were the main instigators of the 'Ndrangheta's involvement against the Rizzuto family.

That definitely explains why they dropped lately and who was behind it.

* Agostino Cuntrera was shot up close in the head with a shotgun and his body lay in a closed casket at his funeral. There's a striking resemblance with Paolo Violi's murder and I've always thought that it might have been Cuntrera who had pulled the trigger on him.

We are on the same page there. I think Cuntrera was the triggerman too.

It seems that the Cuntrera-Caruanas had abandoned the Rizzutos and were now in business with the 'Ndrangheta.

That is very interesting considering how far they go back together. I would love to find more info on this for sure.

* The failed attempt on Desjardins was carried out by black assassins. Members of street gangs were also hired by Montagna's group to collect money on his behalf. Montagna was now demanding twice the amount of 'pizzo' local businesses previously payed to the Rizzutos. After the failed attempt on Desjardins Montagna was notably nervous and met with Giuseppe Bertolo of the Desjardins group to explain that he was not behind the attempt and claimed that it was the Rizzuto family that according to him was now led by Libertina Rizzuto, Nick's late widow.

That shows how weak Montagna's plan was and it also showed how stupid he was. Saying Libertina was trying to call some shots? Then using the blacks on the failed hit? That told Desjardins right away it was more than likely Montagna behind the hit. Also at that time supposedly many of the Rizzuto faction still had no idea who was clipping them, if that is true why would Desjardins think the Rizzuto's were trying to kill him? Up to that point it seems there was no evidence of which side he was playing on. Of course I might be wrong on my timing there, but this makes Montagna look very very sloppy in all of this.

* Moreno Gallo was in Montagna's camp. He had met with Montagna and members of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto and turned over the Montreal sportbooks to them. After Montagna's murder Gallo left Canada because he feared for his life.

This is definitely not surprising. But I wonder why they say "he left" Canada? He was deported in 1/2012. Of course I know nothing about Canada's deportation laws and he might have gave up to go ahead and go on the run.

Also, it contains a strong underlying pro-Vito Rizzuto/anti-Bonanno sentiment similar to the Sixth Family. Perhaps this is some form of Canadian patriotism. For instance the authors state that in the late 1990s the Bonanno family was in no position to resist Vito Rizzuto's expansion in Ontario while in the late 90s the Bonanno family was a powerhouse under Massino, being the only New York family unaffected by government scrutiny.

Or it's very possible that it is true. I've always thought by the time Sciascia was clipped the Rizzuto's were already moving away from the Bonanno's and that was the final nail in the coffin for their relationship. I think Massino proved how strong Rizzuto was when he told the capos that he had no idea who clipped Sciascia and it had to be a dope deal gone bad to try and hide him being behind the killing.

Thanks again for all the info. It does sound like an interesting book, I'll have to get it.

[joeycigars]

Libertina Rizzuto Nick's late widow called some shots for the Rizzutos , This is the second time I read this about her , Very interesting angle

[dixiemafia]

Here is something I seen in the footnotes of the free preview that seem interesting:

In the days after the failed shooting of Desjardins, one of Arcuri's relatives had phoned him to taunt him. The relative said he knew Arcuri's group was behind the failed attack on Desjardins and he was going to miss him.

Wow