Besides the Bonannos having a crew in Tucson, did the other four of the Five Families had made guys in Arizona or was it open territory until it became Joe Bonanno's stomping grounds?

https://mafia.wikia.org/wiki/Paul_Schiro

Chicago Outfit

Paul Schiro b.1937 (Scottsdale)
Joseph (Papa Joe) Tocco (Phoenix)

There are an Arizona mafia report in 1978 but I don'f found it.

Obviously not as a “family” or sanctioned from a family but gravano certainly tried to plant his flag there.

Has anyone heard that Bonanno sent people to talk to Gravano when he got released in the '90s? I have no idea if this is true or not but a friend of mine told me this on Facebook. I know Bonanno controlled several rackets in Tucson and Phoenix until his dying day but why the fuck would he deal with a rat? I dont buy the story but I'd love it if someone could elaborate on this

How did your friend come by that information? It was Acey and another guy that is still alive. Bonanno wanted to know what Gravano was all about, and was cautious. Joe nor Salvatore ever met with Gravano as far as I know, Gravano said a meeting was not neccessary and there was no worries (meaning Sammy was not muscling or stepping on anyone's toes), and the Bonannos left it like that. Only two meetings between Gravano and the messenger. Salvatore said some sort of disparaging remark about Joe wanting to meet with Gravano which angered Joe, something about Gravano was a nobody, and Joe told his son that he was a slow learner, that Gravano turned but that he was not to be underestimated as he was also dangerous. Junior said that Salvatore looked sore about it afterwards on how Joe talked to him, and believed that Salvatore Bonanno tipped off the Gambino family somehow about Gravano location. How the events during that time frame sorta lineup, I believe Junior is right, and Salvatore got word to the Profaci's in the Colombo family.

Gravano talked about this specifically in a video on his YT channel some months ago.