I have a question for our Canada specialists?

I figure we have a lot of fellas on this forum who like to talk about Canada. So it was only natural to post these questions to you. So, here goes:

I know there are lots of players, from a variety of clans, but who are the absolute standout bosses in Canada today? I'm not talking about motorcycles gangs, black street gangs, drug gangs and all that. I am talking strictly about "Italian organized crime."

Is there any one person, whether he be Sicilian (Cosa Nostra,) Calabrian (N'drangheta) or what have you, in the Montreal and Toronto areas or elsewhere who stands a notch above all the rest and clearly is viewed as the "overall" boss by everyone else.

I know Toronto and Montreal are two completely separate cities, so name me 2 guys from each area (a total of 4 individuals.)

I dunno... Toronto.. The Figliomenis...


Montreal? Miriarchi? He's the only Italian currently I would describe as "powerful" based off the limited intel we have access to.....

This Pietro D'damo is a mystery to me.....

CG, How many Cosa Nostra families (if any) would you say operate in Toronto, Montreal or other Canadian cities as of today?

For that matter, how many "separate" Calabrian N'drangheta families operate in those very same areas?

The one's that controls the drug market will be the victors.

Toronto : Commisso, Figliomeni (Keep in mind there are other Italian mafia clans in Ontario).

Montreal : Rizzuto, Mirarchi In Montreal there is no overall boss at the moment. All there is, are shot gun marriages between different clans. Mirarchi name was purely based on his connections to the Ndrangheta and HA.

In my opinion, the days of a supreme boss are over. Today there are too many criminal organizations. Media sources have reported the Ndrangheta being most powerful at the moment. The reason for this success is their "Modus Operandi"; which is to reach other criminal organizations worldwide in order to form new alliances. In some cases or areas they do "colonize" the markets.
The word colonize is used by Italian prosecutors to explain how they managed to control criminal activities in certain parts of Italy or other countries. They initially do not walk in a certain territory and say their now in charge and start warring. They will work with whomever is in charge and not seek total control but they will defend themselves once they are established. This has made them wealthy and powerful.

Thank you Ciment.

Between Commisso and Figliomeni, who would you say is stronger and more powerful?

good question ny mafia i'll take a stab at it.

montreal
1. leonardo rizzuto/ stefano sollecito (rizzuto-sollecito clan)
- these 2 remain co-leaders of the most powerful clan in montreal and possibly all of canada.

2. vittorio mirarchi (mirarchi clan)
- a close second behind the 2 above in my opinion and considered by some to be a possible candidate to one day unite all of mtl under one leader.

-as far as montreal goes there is no one else with more power and influence than these 3. any other mafia members of any significance work under them...ex being marco pizzi, davide barberio, pietro d'adamo.

hamilton ( buffalo crime family)
1. domenico violi
- still considered the UB of the buffalo crime family as far as i know. currently released from short prison sentence and back on the street, only canadian to hold an admin position in an american based crime family.

2. rocco luppino
- although he has stayed below the radar for decades it is believed he may have held down the street for domenico during his imprisonment along with his remaining brothers; natale, john, antonio. all 4 are also uncles to domenico.

3. antonio iavarone
- considered for years now a top player in hamilton/ontario with links into ny.

toronto
1. cosimo commisso (siderno group)
- long considered the most powerful and respected 'ndrangheta leader in toronto. has recently beat legal cases in past few years.

2. angelo figliomeni Figliomeni 'ndrine?)
- was leader of large sports gambling and money laundering network busted in 2019. as has become common in canada that case fell apart because of opp and rcmp incompetence. operates separate of the siderno group.

3. vincenzo tavernese (aquino-coluccio/marina di gioisa ionica 'ndrine)
- related to both aquino and coluccio families, currently still in toronto and possible there rep in canada.

4. vincenzo demaria (siderno group?)
- the enigma???, is he the most powerful boss in ontario? is he the leader of his own 'ndrine or the siderno group or just a member? i have no idea to be honest and have never been able to get clarification on his status. i find it hard to believe that for someone who is being watched as much, imprisoned as much and in front of the courts as much as demaria that he would even have the time to be running a large sophisticated 'ndine/ crime family. i know there is a thread on demaria but even the most recent articles do no shed light on him. lastly if he was such a high level boss how is it then that the canadian gov't cannot prove as such to have him deported? then again we are talking canada here soooooo...???

there is my best attempt to show overall power in ontario and quebec. to my knowledge there is no other known mafia operations of any kind going on currently anywhere outside of these 2 provinces. everything appears to operate in the ontario to quebec corridor with some overlap into upstate new york both from the niagara falls border area and those municipalities in eastern quebec to the almost non existent "border" at cornwall,ontario/ akwesasne reserve.

Bravo Vito!...Bravo!

That was excellent. Thank you.

I have some peripheral knowledge for theses particular men and clans.

For instance, for years, dating back to the 1970s, I've been familiar with the name Cosimo Commisso and the Commisso Clan. And I know he is among the most prominent.

Likewise, I am somewhat familiar with Giacomo Luppino and his sons, the Violis and Papalia. I actually researched and wrote about them and their operations.

But that was about their power years ago, with the death of Vito Rizzuto and the weakening of his crew, as well as the "new" emerging players over recents decades, I haven't kept up.

So, once again, I say thank you for that good info and your viewpoints.

The first, but you have to understand the Ndrangheta clans are formed through intermarriages with each of other. Which means they are related with each other through one or more marriages. It's the title appointments that may sometimes make one more powerful than the other.

Commisso is one of the most notoriously powerful Ndrangheta clans in general. I'm willing to bet they have a lot of pull in the GTA underworld.

I understand. The intermarriages help form power, retain and expand power, stop in-fighting and wars, etc. Very useful (when used properly.)

I've seen that you enjoy following and posting lots of international type OC, Canada and elsewhere. But personally, do you have one particular segment or country that you enjoy following the most? Or that you're most familiar with?

Another thing to note, is that the Violi's are related to the Luppino's and also two Luppino daughters married Commisso's.

I enjoy mostly Montreal and Toronto. I may be bias because I have lived in both provinces .

Fair enough. And I can't say that I blame you. Canada provides a lot of interesting reading. That country has been rocking "mob wise" for decades already.

Besides VitoCahill, Ciment, CabriniGreen and TKJ, are there any other of our forum members who also follow, specialize and have a deep knowledge of Canada?

Ciment how long is a drive between both cities?

more or less 5 hour drive . That is accounting for ,speed limits,traffic, which part of the city you live and snack in between.

Thanks not bad seems a fun road trip !

Thats what Giacomo Luppino once said! lol

It’s fun but don’t stop for Cannol’s on the way. ????

Or stop to take a piss in the marshlands....with a box of Cannoli on the front seat. lol

lol

Mirachi is in Toronto and has been for awhile now.

The Commisos are leading the Siderno group since the 70s both in Calabria and Canada.

Rocco Remo Commisso is a legend lol,,

to the comment by scalish about mirarchi being in toronto. is it any coincidence that the number of toronto to montreal cocaine busts has increased significantly since the mention of this being the case roughly since late 2021 early 2022? or just a coincidence being that now the major route for cocaine into canada appears to be by transport truck moving across one of a handful of ontario/ny border points: windsor, sarnia, niagara falls, akwesasne etc.

Cosimo Commisso and Vittorio Mirarchi

I ain't saying no more Vito but bingo. I love when Scott Burnstein who should stick to Detroit knows nothing about our crime here says the bikers Mr. Martin is taking over Canadian organized crime what a joke. The day the bikers take full.control of our crime in Canada is the day hell freezes over. Right now and will be for along time Mirarxhi is the main man and will be for a very long time. Then the Violis and that's that.

Yes you are correct, there was a Journal de Montreal article in December 2023 mentioning that he has been spending most of his time in Toronto and little in Montreal. He has also been known to frequent Ottawa as well. They seem to have a hard time tracking him down at times. That is why they call him the "Ghost". As for Toronto he may be playing a bigger role or he weighed his risks . There is a greater chance of getting shot in Montreal (the wild west) than in Toronto . LOL

Interesting info guys. Keep it coming

I would a acually suspect the Mexicans if it's coming in over land from the South... but who knows?

qest è bella, grazie mille!
tutti sono i nemici di martin robert e i suoi amici nell'ontario? forse qualche sono di loro che i suoi amici invece, chi? gli italini sanno che dopo rizzuto e quebec che l'ontario è prossimo? comè possible senza aiuta dei qualhci italiani
joe violi era sentito dicendo che lui e i bikers erano prendendo la citta hamilton, antonio iavarone era al martimonio di martin robert anche i fratelli violi hanno fatto un polizitto. probablemente walter stadnik?

how the bikers kill and take the italian business the bikers are the dons? too difficlè to understand lol

Antimafia has a lot of knowledge as well.

Thanks Mike

Antimafia has known specifically about Canada?

Yes, I think he lives up there.

Concerning the 'Ndrangheta. In Canada , today, there are at least 9 clubs settled in Ontario, which belong to six areas into which the territory has been divided and which are subject to the "Crime" of Toronto.
By mid-2019, Police in Italy and in Canada were convinced that "the 'Ndrangheta's Canadian presence has become so powerful and influential that the board north of Toronto has the authority to make decisions, not only in relation to Canada's underworld, but also abroad, even back in Siderno".

AntiMafia, they tell me you're one of our resident "Canada" experts here on GBB.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and insight.

You guys think the Caruana Cuntrera Familys are still Strong in Canada?

i do not. aside from liborio cuntrera, son of agostino in montreal allegedly still being an active member of the rizzuto-sollecito clan. however the c-c family in no way exist like they once did in canada in the 1990's. but that should make sense. parts of this family were importing serious amounts of cocaine and heroin raking in large sums of money. so would it not make sense that some of that ill gotten money was laundered properly and used to enter legit business? the c-c were also known for there ability to launder vast sums of drug money through a network of legit/front companies and shell corporations. perhaps this continues at some level, would be very hard to find info on this and none has come out in the 25 years plus since proj omerta took down there main canadian import operations.

there was a giuseppe 'big joe' cuntrera in toronto whose home was both shot at and firebombed in 2017 as part of a conflict unrelated to montreal milieu. i cannot for the life of me remember who 'big joe' is related to. articles at the time had cuntrera allied with the musitanos in sports gambling in conflict with an as yet un named toronto 'ndrangheta group...possible the figliomeni or commisso as it was allegedly related to sports gambling and there was several arsons, shootings etc. in toronto area during that time.

there is no shortage of both caruanas and cuntreras in canada but how or if they are criminally active has in no way been proven or for that matter even alleged aside from the 2 mentioned above.

Big Joe is a son of Pasquale Cuntrera, born in 1956. He had been helping the Calabrian Giuseppe Coluccio who was arrested in Toronto in August 2008.

Aquino-Coluccio, Commisso, Crupi and Figliomeni are the most important families.

9 August 2019, several former Greater Toronto Area residents were arrested in Calabria, including Giuseppe (Joe) DeMaria, Francesco Commisso, Rocco Remo Commisso, Antonio Figliomeni and Cosimo Figliomeni.

Any idea if they were convicted?

Thats more good info

I’m thinking after Mirarchi got out of jail and “made peace for his guys and himself” with the Rizzuto’s (if Scoppa is to be believed) I think that is why and how he ended up in Toronto. I think he was asked to get gone or be gone so he did just that.

Great post by Vito on who the players are.

Marina di Gioisa Ionica , Gioisa Ionica. The Collucio and Ursino clans. I'm not sure if they are still part of the Toronto Crimine. I've read some stuff that said they were expelled. That Toronto is now nearly exclusively Sidernese.

Now, there is the question of the status of the Bonvonta clan. Did the Sant'Onofrio clan replace one of the others?

Is there a Gambino presence there? There is the question of the " Riberesi" that Accursio Diminio referred to having a presence there. Who exactly are these Ribera people?

Carmine Guido worked as a paid agent for the RCMP between 2013 and 2015, earning some $2.4-million !