Stanfa was extremely close to the sicilian faction of the Gambino's. He was very close to the Gambino brothers and they're the ones that hid him out in Maryland where he was working at one of their pizza parlors in Landover. In the photo of the Gambino's meeting and having dinner with Angelo Bruno you see Stanfa sitting right at the table across from John Gambino. And according to Leonetti's book it was that sicilian faction of the Gambino's that persuaded Gotti to back Stanfa as the boss in philly. Gotti backed Stanfa as a favor to them.

The car Bruno was killed in according to one article was registered to the construction company owned by Emanuel Gambino and the pizza parlor in Maryland where Stanfa was working at when he was on the run was also owned by Emanuel Gambino who is John Gambino's brother in law.

Stanfa had several relatives that were high ranking mafioso's back in sicily. They were the ones who originally asked Carlo Gambino to look after Stanfa when he first came to the USA. It was Carlo Gambino who asked Angelo Bruno to make Stanfa.

It was Paul Castellano who arranged for Stanfa to get a pass on any POSSIBLE involvement in the murder of Bruno and according to Leonetti it was John Gotti who asked Nicky Scarfo for permission to let Stanfa return to philly. Scarfo supposedly gave his ok as long as Stanfa didn't cause any problems.

In the late 1970's Stanfa constantly hung out at Rosario and Joe Gambino's restaurant/club in Cherry Hill.....called Valentino's. Everybody assumed he was part of the Gambino brothers crew. It wasn't until after Bruno got hit that people found out he was actually a made guy in philly.