After the Persico faction denounced Orena, JoJo Russo was promoted to acting underboss.

- Sal Miciotta was a soldier in JoJo Russo's crew and following the failed attempt to murder Orena in 1991, Miciotta and other members of Russo's crew including Joseph Monteleone were called to a meting and told to prepare for war. Monteleone told Miciotta that this was an opportunity to elevate their stature in the family.

- After the truce was broken when the Orena faction tried to kill Scarpa in November 1991, Scarpa met with his capo Chucky Russo who then contacted Carmine Sessa and JoJo Russo to let them know the war had started.

- A meeting was held at JoJo Russo's grandmother's house with the Persico captains where it was decided they would retaliate. Associate "Joey Brains" Ambrosino (who later flipped) was told by Chucky Russo that they were ready to attack Orena members. After this meeting, Ambrosino was also told by JoJo Russo and Teddy Persico that they had attempted to kill Orena capo Benny Aloi but had missed. Mazza and Sessa later testified that Joe Monteleone attempted to kill Louis Malpeso around this time but missed as well.

- During the war, the Persico leaders continued to meet and Sessa and Scarpa complained that they wer the only ones actually killing anyone for the Persico side. The Russos stressed that they had hit teams on the street and they were looking for former Persico loyalists who had switched side, like John Minerva. In March 1992 John Minerva was killed on Long Island along with Michael Imbergamo who had been acting as Minerva's bodyguard. Joe Monteleone had been seen in an agitated state at a bar only a short distance from the Minerva murder just before it happened.

- Scarpa associate Larry Mazza testified that following the Minerva murder, the Persico faction held a meeting in Manhattan where the Russos boasted that they had killed Minerva. They were particularly happy as Minerva had been a close associate of JoJo's father Andy Russo for many years before turning on the Persico faction in favor of Orena.

- Sessa testified that either capo Joe Tomasello or Tddy Persico had told him that the Minerva murder was done by Joe Monteleone, Tommy Gioeli, and another member of Teddy Persico's crew.

- Larry Mazza testified that JoJo Russo gave him the address of Sal Miciotta (which was found to be incorrect) and that a source the Persico faction had within the Orena side gave him another address for Miciotta.

- Sessa testified that the New York Post article that outed Greg Scarpa as an informant was actually referring to Greg Scarpa Jr. However, Sessa did not believe Scarpa Jr. was an informant. After consulting with others, he learned it was referring to Scarpa Sr. and the consensus was that it was true he was informing.