This.
Vito is also right - Sammy has no specific knowledge on this, the Gambino's wouldn't know anything about Canada. He's just repeating what he'd heard from friends of friends which was accurate at the time on the street circa 1992.
The Sciascia incident is what changes everything. It's the catalyst - the Rizzuto organization has grown immensely in size, power and wealth and were in a position that they had the option to break off from the Bonannos. Plus they had a border between them.
And anyone who dismisses the Rizzuto's on the basis of being "the Canadian mafia" is painfully ignorant. They may operate out of Canada but the Rizzutos are Sicilian to the core - they are a family from Cattolica Eraclea living in Montreal.
I don't think he's wrong or this is a surprise.
When Gerlando "George from Canada" Sciascia was killed in 1999 is when Canada/Rizzuto broke from the Bonanno family and by 1999 Sammy was well out of touch with everything.
Before then the Bonanno family owned the Rizzuto clan
You know in a funny way, I feel like the New Connection case, kinda proves this, although many will disagree, and that's okay.
I've always felt the proper comparison for the Rizzutos, and Caruana- Cuntreras, are the Inzerillos, not an american regime.
New Connection established that the Inzerillos are an actual Scilian mafia family now based in NY. Trying to reestablish their historic stronghold in Passo Di Rigano.
That's how i view the Caruana- Cuntreras. As the Siculiana family, but with bases in Toronto, formerly Ostia. I see the Inzerillos and Caruanas as setting the blueprint for the future structure of the Ndrangheta.
Part of the issue I think is that the Rizzutos are presented as the actual leaders, but I think they were essentially fronting for the Caruanas. And the Caruanas, certainly didnt answer to NY, but Sicily. This to me is the great disconnect.
