@ Billy, I think that came from Cicale, not Vitale.


@ Furio

A lot of people feel the Sixth Family was too sensationalized, like it made the Rizzutos seem invincible. I argued with Alfa on this very point, and the fuckin AUTHOR OF THE BOOK came on here!! Lol ( Billy, I'm sure you remember...)

They probably have a point, there. But it happens with every book, these people have a " perspective issue", you always see your world as the center of everything.


Billy, I know people think Montagna had a lot of power, and maybe he did.

Honestly, all I see is the Gambinos and the Siderno group high command giving him the go ahead to make moves up there. Then hanging him out to dry. Cause understand, the Gambinos were partners with Nick Rizzuto since the 70s.

Here this as my source........
The most intriguing of the dozens [BadWord]-Caruana enterprises was a cattle-breeding company on an extended ranch in the state of Barinas, close to the Colombian border. It had its own private airstrip. A special task-force of the Venezuelan intelligence-service DISIP looked at this farm called Ganaderia Rio Zapa, established in 1971. (49) The shareholders of the firm represented the creme-de-la-creme of Mafia heroin-movers in those days:

* Salvatore 'Cicchiteddu' Greco, the former head of the overall Commission of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, and one of the pioneers in the international heroin trade (50);
* Nick Rizzuto, a lieutenant in the Montreal-based Cotroni Family, but highly independent and in fact subordinate to the Sicilian Mafia (i.e. [BadWord]-Caruana);
* Antonio Napoli, a high-ranking made member of the New York Gambino Family and 'the biggest mover of junk to the United States' (51);
* John Gambino, a relative of Carlo Gambino and boss of the Sicilian faction of the New York Gambino Family (52);
* Brothers Angelo and Francesco Mongiovì, figure-heads of the [BadWord] in Caracas and Italy's financial centre Milan. According to a DEA report, Angelo's son Nino Mongiovì married Paolo [BadWord]'s daughter and was the 'super manager for drugs of all kinds passing through Miami'. (53)


(NOTE HERE, VERY IMPORTANT, THIS IS THE HIGH COMMAND FOR THE OPERATION, NO BONNANOS TO BE SEEN, they matter, WHEN THE DOPE GETS TO NY, and then it's like they get first buy, maybe even they get it on consignment....)




The DEA spotted them investigating the Napoli brothers of the Gambino Family in New York. Antonio Napoli had moved to Venezuela and was a partner in a [BadWord] business. At the time DEA headquarters figured the trail irrelevant; nevertheless, special agent Tom Tripodi was sent to Caracas. DEA-analyst Mona Ewell told reporter Claire Sterling that Tripodi "came back with the whole thing." (54)


Also notice, Napoli is a Gambino soldier, ( not Bonnano) I read on another forum, one of his relatives I think was Inzerillos underboss in Sicily? Don't quote me on that one I forget.

(See the whole issue is DID RIZZUTO ANSWER TO THE SICILIAN MAFIA OR THE AMERICAN MAFIA?)



Now, understand. This is one of the heads of the Cupola, Rizzuto, Gambino, AND the Caruana clan, all partners here. ALL HEAVYWEIGHTS.

Essentially, I believe John and Frank Gambino were basically kind of predecessors of Rizzutos in the international ITALIAN drug trade. But with the Cherry Hill bust, Iron Tower, Riina in Sicily, the Gambinos operation was in disarray for awhile, and the Rizzutos filled the void.

I think since, about 99-2000 or whatever, the Gambinos, and SICILY in general were trying to rebuild that structural tie.

So a move on the Rizzutos, I believe ultimately benefitted the " New " controllers of the drug trade, the Sicilian families allied with the Gambino's and Bonnanos ( always for distribution in NYC with the Bonnanos...) the Calabrian clans, and so forth. But it's really a return of the status quo. In fact, maybe you could say it's just a rotation of leaders.

The problem for the Rizzutos was that cocaine was the new thing, and the Calabrians controlled the coke, so they had the leverage. Same situation they had with Violi years prior. And WHO got the Calabrians their coke, who managed the shipments? The Caruana clan. So all these people have been partners in the same business for a long time. That 5000 plus kilo load seized from the Caruana clan was for the CALABRIANS, not the Sicilians or the Americans, and this was in like 1994.

So you got Gambinos meeting with Calabrians in Toronto, facts.

You got the Gambinos and Bonnanos splitting market share in NY, facts.

You got the Sicilian mafia running the dope trade like a joint stock venture, facts.

You got Sicilian gangsters (BOSSES) flying across the Atlantic to meet with Cali, a top Gambino, ( Not Bonnanos, that I know of or heard of, they might, have truthfully I don't know..) with family ties to the clan that previously ran the international drug trade, facts.


You got Colombia, who lost faith with the Sicilians because of a series of bungled shipments, that pushed them further into the Calabrians orbit, facts.

You got the Caruana clan, whom at first appearance look to be Bonnano agents, as they work extensively with Rizzuto, but they have been in the drug trade since the 50s or earlier and their allegiance appears to be based on that. OPINION, ( I believe it to be facts..) LOL

They managed a 5000 plus kilo load of cocaine paid for by a consortium of Calabrian families, years before Montreal war began, so they had established and significant business ties, definite business reasons to side with the Calabrese over the Rizzutos, facts.

Billy' you read Mafia Republic right? There was a part in there where Dicke says that the American LCN was pissed that the Sicilians tried to cut them out of the Coke trade, they probably felt it should have been handled the same as the heroin, along the same Routes.


See this is why it's significant that the first people Montagna met up there were the Calabrians. Not the " Canadian Bonnanos" or whatever. And WHO got him that meeting? Speculation on my part, but my money is on someone from the Gambinos.

All the people he made alliances with, had something to gain from the Rizzutos being outta there.

Then you have the Violi brothers angle, with the vendettas. I think it's a complicated situation there, MUCH bigger than Montagna.






Cicale DID say they were still sending tribute. But I feel like this is a gross misunderstanding. The tribute was said to be 25gs, then a 100 grand.
Okay, to an organization bringing in millions of dollars worth of narcotics, dude, I think Vito LOST A LOAD OF HASH, LOST, MIND YOU, worth over a couple hundred mil. Those couple few thousand were just the cost of doing business. Like a fee you pay, you could even call it an " import fee" lol.


I feel like the relationship is like a gas supplier to a gas station magnate to borrow a metaphor from Gomorrah. The Gambinos and Bonnanos are like fuckin Macy's, right? ( or Walmart) Well the Calabrians and Sicilians are like Levis or Nike. Both NEED each other, but Macy's don't run Nike and Nike don't run Macy's, but their places in the market MAY allow one to dictate terms to the other depending on how business is going.


Just anyone tell me, what was Montagnas strength up there? Was it the Bonnano Family Montreal crew? I mean Americans stationed in Montreal? Zips?
I think his strength was that everyone was Calculating a bigger slice of the Montreal rackets for themselves with Vito In jail, and the arrest on their hierarchy. And he could take advantage.


He was using the street gangs for his muscle. Made guys in NY don't send the Bloods to pick up the Union payoff or their loan action, or sports book winnings.

I dunno, I see the drug trade as a partnership between the Italian Mafias and the American families, something that spans multiple countries, nations, command structures. I mean I don't think Cali or Cefalu just " Tell" Sicily what to do. People didnt think Mancuso was really in charge, but he can tell Montreal what to do? I think it's more like, they could dictate who they could or could not sell to in NYC. ( And frankly, that may not even be true..) It's weird to me... Basciano was literally the lowest ranking man at Bonos wedding, as far as the DRUG TRADE WAS CONCERNED.

If ANYONE woulda been giving Canada orders, it seems like it woulda been him. My opinion. This whole saga is the most interesting topic in Italian OC, I MO....