I'm talking about today's mafia. There's no way an American is going into Canada today and successfully taking over in the long term. And in their minds, Montagna was an American. And now he's dead.
I agree with you that Montagna probably tried to take over, he just wasn't very successful in the long term. But in the short term he did make some noise.
With the right support anything is possible. Montagna tried too much too quick. He acted like an agressor, and with doing so you make enemies.
Forming alliegiances with Ontario families doesn't make you a boss in Montreal. But obviously there wasn't much resistance to taking out the Rizzuto leadership.
I think Montagna and the Violi brothers organized the Rizzuto killings while Montreal mafiosi stayed on the sideline. After the killings Montagna tried to establish a new leadership. He probably felt secure enough to go to a meeting unarmed and without a bodyguard.
"It was between the brothers Kay -- I had nothing to do with it."
