The recent investigations by both U.S. and Canadian law enforcement officials that led to the arrest of multiple alleged members and associates of organized crime have once again sparked a debate over the current status of the Buffalo Mafia.
These investigations into the drug trade targeted members of the Bonanno crime family and Gambino crime family of the New York Mafia and the Calabrian mafia in Canada. The mafia families in New York and Canada have been partners in the drug trade for several years according to various reports. During the joint U.S. Canada operation, law enforcement was able to get both audio and video of a mafia induction ceremony carried out by members of the Bonanno crime family in Canada which investigators have called an extraordinary achievement. Investigators also believe they discovered that the traditional cross-border rectangle of Mafia organizations from 60 years ago remains intact: Hamilton-Buffalo-Montreal-New York.
An FBI press release in regards to the investigation noted that “Canadian law enforcement authorities today arrested nine organized crime members and associates in Canada, including members of the Todaro organized crime family” which many believed to be nearly extinct. The Todaro crime family is the latest designation for the mafia in Buffalo which was formerly known as the Magaddino crime family. The once powerful Cosa Nostra family has operated throughout Western New York, Pennsylvania, Canada and elsewhere over the years. Joseph Todaro Sr. took control of the family in the mid-1980s and began to pull the somewhat weakened family together including strengthening its Canadian ties to longtime crime family crew in Hamiton, Ontario also known as the Papalia crime family. The families operations in the U.S. and Canada remained stable until the mid-90s when the aging organization’s power seemingly began to diminish.
The deaths of multiple long-standing members and the semi-retirement of Todaro Sr. who passed along control of the families day to day operations to Joseph Todaro, Jr. left many wondering if the Buffalo mafia was on the way out during the 1990s. The family had lost its long-held grip on the Unions in Western New York a major part of its income and its Canadian based operations were being chipped away at by Toronto based Calabrian clans, Montreal’s Sicilian mafia, and emerging Outlaw biker gangs seemingly without resistance. Then in 1997 Johnny “Pops” Papalia the Buffalo families Ontario based capo along with his top lieutenant were assassinated by the rival Hamilton-based Musitano crime family in an effort to take control of the local Buffalo family operations in Ontario and Niagra Falls. The Musitano’s move against the Buffalo mobsters was apparently backed by high ranking members of the powerful Rizzuto crime family in Montreal. Their plans to take over would be cut short as the brothers who led the Musitano family were both sent to prison.
It was believed by some that what remained of the Todaro crime family continued to hold a small but active presence in Hamilton which this new FBI report could possibly corroborate. But the Buffalo mob had lost a majority of its illegal revenue sources during the 1990s in both the U.S. and Canada coupled with the growth of the Todaro family’s legitimate Pizzeria business lead many to theorize that the mafia in Western New York was all but dead. Law enforcement sources believe that Tordado Jr. retired from organized crime sometime around 2006 ending most of the families involved in mob activities followed by the death or Todaro Sr. in 2012. Which brings forth the question that if the Buffalo mafia was still active and operational in the U.S. and or Canada then who had taken the reigns?
Many speculated that if most of the Todaro’s had stepped away from organized crime but the Buffalo mob was still operational then it was likely that former consigliere Leonard Falzone had taken over as boss. When Falzone passed away in 2016 several names surfaced as possible replacements including Robert “Bobby” Panaro, Anthony Lupiania Todaro, Russ Carcone, Victor Sansanese, and Frank BiFulco although whether or not there was anything left worth being the boss of was a fair question. By this time there were basically no indications from law enforcement or sources on the streets that the mafia in Buffalo was anything more than a fading memory. But if the family was still somewhat intact even on a small scale it seemed like either Panaro or Anthony Todaro were the most likely candidates to step up and become the new boss. But after these recent reports from the joint investigation new theories as to the current status of the Buffalo mob and who is in control have surfaced.
According to some unsubstantiated reports, former capo Frank “Butchie” BiFulco has taken over as boss of the family with Giuseppe “Joe” Violi of Hamilton serving as Underboss and leader of the families Canadian faction. Joe along with his brother Domenico Violi are the sons of former Montreal mafia leader Paolo Violi. Paolo was the boss of the Calabrian based Cotroni crime family before he was murdered in 1978 by the emerging Rizzuto crime family. Both families had strong ties to New York’s Bonanno family but a war between the two would end with the Sicilian based Rizzutos taking over.
His sons still young at the time ended up in Hamilton under the protection of the Luppino crime family of the Ndrangheta who also had strong established ties back to Buffalo. Both brothers were arrested as part of the RCMP investigation in Canada and Police there noted that they were “well-established with an international reach.” It is unclear if or when either of the brothers had become made members of the Buffalo family or the Hamilton Mafia for that matter but their close ties certainly leave open the possibility.
Previous reports had Victor Sansanese as the family consigliere which is also the case in regards to the most recent rumors which also speculate that the family may currently have up to seven active capos and more than 40 active made members. Again none of the information included in these new leadership reports has been substantiated by any credible source but it seems to make for an interesting conversation. Could the mob family in Buffalo have remained this active in the U.S. and or Canada over the last few years avoiding any major indictments by law enforcement or exposure from potential turncoats which in this day and age has become rampant?
I have no problem buying into the BiFulco being boss part of this because he has been a long time enforcer and capo for the family so he certainly has the seniority for that position. Now I am a bit skeptical as to the Violi as underboss claims although there is certainly a possibility that could be accurate. Now on the to part I am quite skeptical of is the number of capos and made guys being suggested as active. Hard to imagine this family has maintained this size without us hearing about it from the feds at least to some extent or a rat spilling about something tied to these guys from either the U.S. or Canadian side ( and I know Canada def has less of a rat problem). It just seems so unlikely but I always remind myself that we know ever only know a fraction of what is going on in the streets, but even with that being said this seems like a real far fetched reach.
Look at Detroit, they have a reported similar amount of made men and we also don’t hear much from them, but there’s no doubt that they are alive and well. Buffalo still has stuff going on, it’s a very important border city, they are just pretty low key, more similar to their Canadian neighbors than their counterparts in NYC. It seems to me that the east coast families are the loudest families recently for the most part (and with the most rats) such as the Bonnano’s, Colombos, and philly in particular.
Good point on Detroit. But as to your other point see this is kind of why I think we would have heard something had they been this active because without a doubt they would be involved with those same families in NY at least to some extent. That would make it much harder to stay low key enough to hide those kinds of numbers mentioned above. Seems like a rat in one of the five families would have had info or come across some info that eventually made its way to feds etc and then leaked. If we believe these numbers its a fair sized family still.
That’s true, but even with the violis we don’t hear much about them. This bust is the first time we heard the name Violi in a while except for some rumors of them meeting at restaurants, and that they were part of the revenge against the rizzutos but nothing solid. I think new York law enforcement is just mainly focused on eastern, metropolitan new York. Everyone is working with everyone up here in Ontario. And about your point of the rats, not necessarily because unless someone in the administration ratted about it, a soldier or even capo probably doesn’t have much Info, and certainly little credible evidence of the operations of other crews of the family. Especially in the large five families.
I think the Violi’s are a bit harder of a case to get info on as we know Canada def doesn’t have the turncoat problem NY etc has. And as per NY it seems that no one in any administration is free from informants and as we have seen in case after case nothing stays all that secret in NY these days so would think at least some kind of info on Buffalo would have leaked through somewhere along the way over the last few years. But perhaps not I mean if they stayed well insulated there is always that chance and they could very well be in a lot better shape then it seemed over the last decade or so. If so then we could see a lot more information come out as this case unfolds in both the U.S. and Canada.
I think as this point even those like me who aren’t yet convinced of this idea certainly have to open to it.
If Ron Finob was correct, the Buffalo Family was more organized than most thought. He suggested that Leonard Falzone didn’t actually take over as the boss when Joe Todaro Jr supposedly retired. Instead, he believed Falzone was acting as the Front Boss for the Todaros. If the family actually had a front boss during this time of supposed decline—they were actually larger and more organized at least in their administration than given credit. And that would have likely spilled over into the rest of the organization.
Those rumors were definitely floating around and are certainly possible and if true than the Buffalo family has had many fooled including law enforcement for some time now. Although perhaps that has come to an end now.
Since Stefano Magaddino was the most prominent and legendary Mafia boss of Buffalo, then it should be called the Magaddino crime family if there’s anything left to name. Just my opinion.
I would agree I think this new designation is a more of the feds trying to attack a more noticeable current day name to things.
Were the Violis present for the ceremony if so are they part of the bonannos the ones who gave the okay to have their father killed. Or have the remaining buffalo crime family been absorbed by the bonannos. Very confusing this whole thing.
Agreed we don’t seem to have enough info yet to have a solid grip on what is going on. Haven’t seen any info from feds or canadians that the Violi’s were present during the ceremony seems like at least from reports that have surfaced so far it was just the Bonanno guys.
It always has been confusing up here in Canada even in the old days and I think that’s how they like it. In the old days you had mike racco, giacomo luppino and 3 other bosses who on a board of controli who were all ndrangheta but yet half of them also worked for or were part the buffalo crime family.
If this information is correct we need to reavaluate the theories on the June Musitano Hit in Hamilton… If I recall correctly it was nearly 20 years to the day of the Johnny Pops hit. Papalia was a capo in the Buffalo Family.
Very good point this could def bring in some possibilities of different scenario’s surrounding the Musitano hit. If the Buffalo family is still active and at the levels some are claiming then perhaps with the Rizzuto family floundering they figured the timing was right to finally strike back.
Several are saying Angelo Musitano was killed for the Johnny Pop’s hit by the Luppinos (A Buffalo Crew in Hamilton led by the Violi’s) with backing from Buffalo—of course Joe Violi is the alleged Buffalo underboss. Bruno Monaco (A Buffalo Capo) talked with Angelo Musitano two days before Angelo was killed, Monaco was also in Buffalo having a talk with alleged boss Frank BiFulco.
I’ve run across some people who think this information on Buffalo was fairly accurate but dated… said BiFulco was, but is no longer boss. Of course they won’t give an update on current leadership.
I’ve heard BiFulco is no longer with us… but I haven’t been able to locate an obituary. Anyone?
I still think Anthony Todaro is the boss still and the fbi is confused on who it is calling the shots but i believe the national post said the todaro group was arrested i believe anthony is still running the family.
That is certainly possible although with that huge pizza business and the lack of reports of him being around or associating with any of the old guard etc of organized crime it seems like he may actually have gone legit. But again it is def possible.
I have to admit with all the books and what not I’ve read over the years, The Maggadino Family would be the one I know least about. I suppose I believed they were defunct just based on the lack of any news or incidents over the last 20 years or so. Now with all this talk I’m motivated to learn more. If there are any good books about them that you guys might recommend I’m all ears. I’m game to read up on something like this for sure. As a San Franciscan I’m not as up to date on the more obscure East Coast crews.
A good start is 1. “The Triangle Exit: The True Story of a Secret Undercover Operative for the FBI and CIA” by Ron Fino; 2. “Gangsters & Organized Crime in Buffalo” History, Hits and Headquarters by Mike Rizzo; 3. “Buffalo’s Polish Gangsters: The Story of the Korney Gang” by Mike Rizzo; 4. “DiCarlo: Buffalo’s First Family of Crime-Volumes 1 & 2” by Thomas Hunt & Michael Tona; 5. “The Real Teflon Don: How an Elite Team of New York State Troopers Helped Take Down America’s Most Powerful Mafia Family by George Karalus & Matt Gryta
Thank you, that was the exact type of list I was looking for.
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