Barring a spectacular power shift, the Montreal mafia should again this year be headed by an administrative panel made up of clan chiefs, younger Sicilian mafia members, as well as some wealthy/influential allies from different origins.



According to multiple sources interviewed by LaPresse, even though some names have surfaced, nobody, as it stands, has the stature, respect or health necessary to fill the void left by the death of Vito Rizzuto, a year ago.

Most importantly, there's good chances nobody is going to try to ingratiate themselves into that position, since it could be dangerous to advertize oneself as a candidate for such a coveted position. After a stalemate of a few months now, there has been palpable tension in the underworld for a few weeks now.

Mafia clan chiefs are receiving messages or commands and must watch their backs. Criminal arsons, hallmark of the mafia, have been happening in the city, two of them in the restaurant La Cantina, formerly a symbol of the domination of the Sicilians.

These tensions don't bode well for 2015.



Fragile Leadership



While Vito Rizzuto was able to rally his troops after years of intra-family warfare, his departure suddenly leaves cracks in the organized crime structure in Montreal, "The situation is yet again unstable because of the leadership's instability, the current board of directors does not have control", reveals a source, who quoted Tonino Callocchia's example, this mafia lieutenant who was presumably victim of an internal purge on the 1st of December.

According to our sources, Callocchia was literally the Godfather's right-hand man after his return to Montreal, in autumn of 2012. With Rizzuto gone, Callocchia. With the mob boss gone, Callocchia allegedly started doing things on his own, without reporting to the current board of directors. This kind of disrespect towards the new bosses testifies to the fact that they don't have absolute authority.

The new "organized criminals" from the current generation don't share the same values as their elders. The time has not yet come where one of them will raise his hand to try and impose himself at the head of the mob. It took some years for police to confidently determine that Nicolo Rizzuto(Vito's father) was the new head of the Italian mafia in the early 80's , followed by his son, at the end of the 90's.

More than ever, the different law enforcement agencies, stuck with considerable budget cuts, must rely on their specialized units(UMECO, ERM, Crimes against persons SQ, Organized crime division, Major crimes Division, Narcotics division SPVM etc.) Also gathering critical intelligence on the ground are squads like Eclipse(SPVM) and BIM(SPAL).

As the traditional italian OC's power begins to wane, other organized crime groups are starting to get stronger. It's possible that the once solid alliance which linked the organized crime syndicates may rupture one day.

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My best shot at a translation that really gets across the points which the reporter is trying to make, which I must admit, are remarkably vague... such is the nature of things when you have a big void like that. Enjoy!