This was before my time and I have heard conflicting accounts on this over the years, but the story I have found most credible was that Barbara had been a Buffalo associate, but was later made in to the Buffalino family in what was an amicable agreement. Buffalo and NE PA had a very close relationship in those days which was why there was a lot of overlap in territory. Needless to say that relationship changed later on with Pittston/Scranton siding with Pittsburgh and the Colombo's against Buffalo. It was just plain stupid, but nothing less then I would expect from a mutt like D'Elia. (It pains me to say that, since his daughter is a personal friend of mine, we just don't discuss it, she distanced herself from her Dad years ago)
Guarnieri had always been a Buffalino guy, and there was never a rank of "lieutenant" in either family