Rizzuto crime family the dominate force of the Montreal mafia over several years now was once considered a branch of the powerful Bonanno crime family of the New York Mafia.
The Rizzuto family paid tribute to the Bonanno family in New York for years until the killing of Montreal mobster Gerlando Sciascia in New York ordered by then boss Joseph Massino in 1999. Sciascia held the rank of capo in the Bonanno family and was killed because of internal beef with Massino who felt he was challenging his authority and overly supporting Montreal boss Vito Rizzuto. The Rizzuto family viewed the killing of one of their own as betrayal and it’s believed they broke away from any major connections to the New York mob refusing to pay any more tribute after the incident.
“Salvatore Montagna“
Salvatore “Sal the Ironworker” Montagna the former acting boss of the Bonanno family returned to Montreal from New York back in 2009 on an extradition order. Upon his return he tried to use his standing as an acting boss of a New York mafia family as weight attempting for form an alliance to take over control of the Montreal mafia. But his attempt and murder now shines as an example of how not to do things in Canada and how the mob there now does their own business. Its reported that his stature in NY held no sway with mobsters there and he was isolated for most part through out his stay and often mocked and laughed at behind his back.
Montagna seems to have tried to form an alliance with anti-Rizzuto factions and Ndrangheta clans of the Calabrian Mafia in an attempt to over throw the Sicilian backed Rizzuto’s. But his lack of respect and pull lead to him being murdered on orders of former Rizzuto mobster and partner Raynald Desjardens after he attempted to double cross Desjardens in a failed hit. Sal the Ironworker was born in Montreal but left as a kid for Sicily and then New York and never really had any roots there so was looked at as an outsider from America when he returned. It was also reported that his funeral was attended by family and friends but had no significant mafia presence a direct showing of disrespect in mob circles.
Many still debate as to the influence the Bonanno family still has over the Rizzuto family and the connections of the mafia in New York to the Canadian mob families. The Montagna murder along with other events would seem to strengthen reports that the Rizzuto family no longer has dominate ties to the Bonanno’s and the mafia in New York. The Gambino crime family reportedly has ties to mobsters in Toronto and possibly Montreal currently but also does not play a dominate role in the region.
Even after the death of long time powerful mob leader Vito Rizzuto the Rizzuto family remains the power in the Montreal underworld with new leaders now in place.
I agree with this but i disagree with this article as well
Sal did believe that being the former leader of the Bonnanoes made him entiled to some support of power but to say he was not influential I would disagree he was one of the big players who went against Rizzutoes also sal was never highly respected when in New York he was 35when he was made boss he was basicily a proxy for Vinne Bascanio.
There is everdience that Vitio still kicked money back to New York after 1999 he still according to Domini Circale who says he still sent a bit down in the “christamss payments” but no wear near the money he was making he alledgly kept sending money down every christmas through Massimo and Bascanio leadership are they still kicking money down well the situation in the mafia up there i dont think so i belivied it died when Vitio plead guilty for the three capos hit in 2006
I would agree that the New York familys influence in Canda is not as strong as it was in the past but i would believe all five New York familys still have influence as the Gambinio and Bonnano familys have always had conncetion to the sicilian mafia as the canada mafia is very highl connected
I think there may still be ties to Montreal in some fashion now but very very loosely and while i don’t dispute Cicale fully i believe very little of most of what the rat has to say honestly. Not because he is a rat but because he says what seems to make “headlines” in an attempt to become some sort of mob link and gain some publicity with it in hopes of making a buck, those guys well not the strongest sources of info and will say what ever they need to in order to grab attention. Now i don’t doubt Montreal sent down a little cash to the Bonanno family post 1999 but i don’t think it was tribute at all likely for some sort of business transactions they were still both involved in, i think by 1999 the days of just sending tribute because it was the mighty Bonnano family was long gone.
I think NY is still involved in some business dealings in Canada esp the drug business but they no longer dictate the decision making process nor carry any real influence there now a days.
There was still evidence that the Canadian mob was paying Christmas tribute in 2004 wen sal vitals and Anthony rabito asked vito to be the bonnano captain in Montreal , they have increasingly become independent of the bonnanos but they r still bonnano members , the gerlando scasscia murder did a lot to ruin relations
I am just not sure anyone in the Rizzuto family considers themselves to be Bonanno family members any longer or beholding to them and i don’t think they have for quite some time. The Bonanno family has enough trouble keeping their own family stable much less being strong enough these days to dictate any thing happening in Montreal. As per the payments again i don’t doubt they are still in business in some form or fashion esp when comes to drug trade but i just don’t think its a tribute situation in quite a long time now.
Hard to know for sure either way and it makes for an interesting debate for sure.
I think the gambinos r the family that hold more sway with the Montreal mob these days
i agree with that the gambinioes are very close with the siggs back in Sicily and in Montreal the Bonnanoes not so much anymore
Right , would def make most sense it seems. Considering the little information we know.
Agreed seems the Gambino family has the stronger links now a days. I would imagine its links are likely based to the drug trade.