With everything going on in Canada, and the confusion over the status of Buffalo, I felt I'd ask a few questions.....


1. What do we know about the Vioili brothers?


2. Were they in fact made into the Buffalo family, or initiated into Ndrangheta?


3. Are they Bonnano family members, or affiliates who do business with them?


4. Who do they answer to? The American LCN, or the Ndrangheta ruling council in Canada? ( Their grandfather, is it? Luppino had a big hand in setting it up..)


5. I noticed there have been disagreements on whether Buffalo still has a formal functioning family. I'd ask a different question.....

First, ( of course, it's kinda my style, lol) an excerpt illustrating exactly WHY I think Buffalo is valuable as a territory......


“When Charles Luciano and his cohorts formalized the hegemony of the modern mob in 1931, the Mafia’s first ruling Commission seated seven bosses. These included representatives from New York and Chicago, which could only be expected, but also the boss of another, smaller city, one which you might not necessarily suspect would warrant the honor. Steven Magaddino of Buffalo.
Magaddino’s name stands out on that debut Mafia Commission among such worthies as Al Capone, Charlie Luciano, Joe Bonanno, and Joe Profaci. What was a humble lakeside cousin doing in this august company? But Magaddino of Buffalo controlled the smuggling routes from Canada, and that lent him enormous weight. Within the organization schema of organized crime, the Queen City, the City of Good Neighbors, the City of Light—all chamber of commerce nicknames for Buffalo—possessed a surprising primacy.
In this sense, strictly in terms of the 1950s mob geography, the choice of Apalachin had a logic all its own. Dope was becoming more and more the new reality of the mob, and Apalachin fell squarely within the territory of Magaddino, one of the country’s leading dope smugglers. Concealed in trucks and cars rattling down from Buffalo, headed to New York..



Now the question I would pose.... Instead of asking if Buffalo still has a LCN family, is it possible that the territory of Buffalo, has been absorbed into Ndrangheta territory? Instead of Ontario answering to Buffalo, could it be that this situation has been reversed?

( there was also a Sinaloa controlled drug market in Buffalo that was busted up last year or two years ago , and then we see the Vioilis indicted on Fentanyl trafficking.)



To my eyes, the border between Buffalo and Canada is valuable for the same reasons the Mexican border is valuable. Or places like Tampa, where it's more about smuggling routes and contraband. Because of this, could the WAY mobsters use the territory be more consistent with drug smuggling and trafficking instead of racketeering and taxing everything in Buffalo?

IDK about the brothers, but back in their hometown Sinopoli the Violi family is part of the Alvaro-Violi-Macrì clan.

VERY interesting.... Thank for that bit of info Hollander. I didn't know the Vioilis were tied into the Macri clan, the boss was arrested in Brazil right?

There are at least two Macrì families the well known family from Siderno. The patriach Antonio Macrì founded the Canadian structure.
The one arrested in Brazil belongs to them and you have this family from Sinopoli.

I like your presumption about Buffalo, I would argue that instead of either answering to the other it is a more horizontal structure with a 4 member ruling panel.

The Hamilton/Toronto Ndrangheta clans in Ontario have relatives in Calabria and most likely in the USA as well. According to the following articles, the Ndrangheta are expansionist, they seem to be planting flags in many countries and it weren't surprise me that they would already have blood relatives present in several states across america plant new flags.
One example in the article below to take note of their expansionist ideology, is Raffaele Valente from (Brooklyn) assembling a group of well armed men. This is proof that they want a foothold in USA and won't limit themselves with just New York.
Given this information, and the fact that the Violi/Luppino have had a long standing relation with the Buffalo LCN for decades; it would be a logical assumption that they would have a strong presence in Buffalo.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/...about-the-calabrian-mafia/article/516307

March 2,2018

-1) From Calabria, but global :
Prosecutors say it has developed offshoots in 30 countries around the world, including the Americas, Australia, Asia and northern and eastern Europe.
-2) More corruption, less killing :
The 'Ndrangheta employs threats of violence but, like other Italian mafias, now puts more emphasis on corruption than killing, according to experts.

- 3)Phenomenal wealth :
A study by the Demoskopika research institute in 2014 estimated the 'Ndrangheta's turnover at 53 billion euros ($65 billion) a year -- more than Deutsche Bank and McDonald's put together at the time.
-4) Tough to crack :
The 'Ndrangheta has proven a particularly difficult group to infiltrate because of its reliance on close families.

- 5)Collateral damage?:
While its murder rate has been lower in recent years, the 'Ndrangheta still resorts to killing when it deems death necessary, and that includes abroad.

https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/n...ted-in-coordinated-u.s.-italian-takedown

" As set forth in court documents, Lupoi also worked closely with U.S. defendant and ‘Ndrangheta member Raffaele Valente, who sold an illegal silencer and sawed-off shotgun to the FBI undercover agent at the Royal Crown Bakery in Brooklyn. In conversations intercepted on Italian wiretaps, Valente revealed that he had assembled a group of well-armed men in New York and that their base of operations was as secure as Fort Knox.

raffaele valente is a member of cosa nostra, not ndrangheta, he is not even calabrian he is from benevento (near naples), he was close to castellammare del golfo (trapani) crime family in italy

You may be right but I went according to the FBI article that I attached. They have him down as a Ndrangheta member.

Unless you have more info. on him, the fact that he comes from Benevento doesn't mean he is not Calabrian, they are all over Italy.

But if you have more information on him please share....thanks .

Anyway whether he was or not he was working at the behest of the Ndrangheta.

according to italian police raffaele valente is a member of american cosa nostra (gambino family) but also close to trapani families
in the operation 'underboss' in 2014 he was arrested in italy along with ciccio palmeri (gambino family), salvatore farina (son of the boss ambrogio from castellamare del golfo) and others
he had links with ndrangheta for drug trafficking, but not a member, he was closer to sicilians

https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/20...ncesco-palmeri-boss-dei-gambino/1264425/

I consider Valente a 'ndranghetista because on wiretaps he discussed his devotion to St. Michael the Archangel as the purported “patron saint” of the ' Ndrangheta.

according to another article salvatore farina was close to bonanno famiy, ti is a bit confused situation, probably connections between sicilian mafia/bonanno/gambino/ndrangheta

So we are in agreement that Buffalo/Canada ties still exist?

@m2w

Your saying Valente is an American made zip? Close to Trapani? I thought it was Palermo/Gambino and Trapani/Bonnano.

Like it threw me when you said he was a Gambino, from Trapani? I thought it was all Palermo relatives with the Gambinos.

You are sure he's a Gambino, not a Bonnano? And from Naples too? I'm all confused, we need a thread on this guy, lol...

And why would the FEDs have him down as Ndrangheta? And his statements also are more in tune with a drug lord than a mafia soldier...that he had a group of armed men, and a base of operations more secure than Fort Knox? Sounds like a straight up narcotics trafficker, he sound more consistent with Ndrangheta, but you are sure he's Gambino?

You seem to have the info, WHO did Valente come up under? Or is he just close to John Gambino, Cali, those guys?

Is it a situation where, he close to the narcotics guys, and that was his in? Sorry for all the questions at once..... I keep trying to wrap my head around all of this, but it just gets more dizzying ...

Honestly, that seems to be an anomaly..... A Naples guy going abroad, doing business in NYC? Even the Husband and wife team in Queens were from Calabria....

Why would there be NO ties between Buffalo and Canada? I missed that point..... They were traditionally linked just like NYC and Montreal....

That has to be an interesting story, a guy from Naples, close to the Sicilians, working for the Calabrians,but made with the Gambinos? Someone help me out here, lol

To be more specific he worked for the Ursino clan, who were with the Gambinos in the 'advanced stages' of a billion dollar cocaine deal.

Just trying to get a consensus, there is posters on this forum that believe the connection is dead. And subsequently that would mean there is a hierarchy and that they are in fact active.

Nicky your thoughts?

i don't know, in italy he was closer to sicilians than calabrians
salvatore farina was very close to cesare bonventre (bonanno family) according to italian police, maybe he is a bonanno members?
maybe valente has a double affiliation (ndrangheta/gambino)? ndrangheta made him in italy and the gambins in new york?

Ahhh, okay thnx @Hollander and m2w....

Interesting to say the least..... It seems the lines are becoming more and more blurred....

Wait fuck me, lol I read wrong. Hollander, you saying he worked for the Ursinos, I forgot, that's a Calabrian clan.

Now I'm all the way confused, so he DEFINITLY was connected to Trapani though?

(Side question, IS IT Palermo/ Gambino, Trapani/Bonnano, or,is that like totally wrong? lol..)

I getting off topic, but I ask because of Catalano, I could never figure out, like he seemed to be an agent of the Trapani families, operating in Brooklyn, whereas the Gambinos had their own thing with the Cherry Hill guys. But then you had Cheech Gambino in Brooklyn too. But then Catalano was paying up to Castellano. Honestly the structure looks like it might be exactly the same as it was back in the late 70s - early 80s. Like they just revamped the old networks, but with new players like the Calabrians.


On Buffalo, I guess we don't know shit at the moment, but I kinda lean towards Buffalo being a narcotics transit point, and possibly being an extension of the Ontario/Calabrian influence.

Do you guys think it's likely there is an LCN family, or an Ndrangheta ndrine? Both? I lean toward, maybe an ndrine. The thing is, ndrine from what I understand to be recognized by the " Mother" has to have 49 members.

Do you guys think Valente has, or had such a regime in NYC?

I agree it is confusing the same with lupoi who was with the gambinos but also a cousin of francesco ursino.

Buffalo is needed for a variety of reasons. The American airport, the waterways, the train lines, access to the midwest, the book in western ny is huge and there is a lot of cross border bookies in Fort Erie, Welland, Niagara Falls, and St. Catharines that rely on the Bills and the Sabres for their customer/fan base, the book there has always been a joint effort and always will be. In the 90s there was 10 guys, including Carmen Barillaro* that got busted running boats with drugs on them across the Niagara River and that was under Todaro and Falzones watch, big money.

i keep reading that guy who recorded his induction into the bonannos acutually recorded it in hamilton not montreal which really confuses shit cause why are 5 members of that family meeting in hamilton which is wicked far from motreal. they dont leak all there cases to the press before trial like in nyc.

Im wondering, if in fact, members native to Buffalo did get charged those records are sealed or if the press here is on a gag order. If it was in Hamilton, I think that would even further the relevance of Buffalo.

Side notes - The Anchor Bar, which is believed to be the birthplace of the Buffalo wing has been a staple in Hamilton now for years, and they just opened up in Oakville and Burlington
A few of ex Bills players are in involved with the Hamilton Tiger Cats

Not trying to bring a mob angle, but the overlapping of cultures and identities of both cities is pretty amazing. Hamilton is more like a US city than a Canadian

I'll try to give my take when answering the original poster's questions later, but please don't expect me to post answers soon.

We are missing the forest for the trees.

For example, we don't see the collaboration between the 'ndrangheta, Camorra, American LCN, and Sicilian CN in Operation New Bridge.

We may be confused but we have information at our disposal that isn't difficult to access.

On the Italian end of Operation New Bridge, law enforcement arrested people in the following provincie (regions in parentheses): Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro (Calabria); Benevento, Naples, Caserta (Campania); and Turin (Piedmont). Italian law enforcement also made arrests in New York City.

Raffaele Valente, who was arrested in New York, is from Benevento. More specifically, he was born in Montefalcone di Val Fortore, which is a comune in Benevento. There was a motley crew of criminals who were living and/or operating in or near Montefalcone di Val Fortore: Carlo Brillante, born in and living in Montefalcone di Val Fortore; Daniele Cavoto, born in Benevento (comune that is capital of the provincia) and living in Montefalcone di Val Fortore; Eugenio Ignelzi, born in Montreal and living in Ginestra degli Schiavoni (another comune of Benevento); Andrea Memmolo, born in Benevento and living in Montefalcone di Val Fortore; Antonino Francesco Tamburello, born in Partanna (Trapani, Sicily), whose residence is in Castelfranco in Miscano (another comune of Benevento) but was operating in Montefalcone di Val Fortore; and Francesco Vonella, born in Catanzaro, whose residence is in Girifalco (Catanzaro) but was operating in Montefalcone di Val Fortore.

Actually my bad... I think a locale is 49 members. A ndrine is smaller I think...

@pmac

That's a good catch. That is strange actually...it's one of the reasons I asked are the Violis Bonnanos.

Another question....any idea WHO the Violis supplied?

Americans? Canadians? Other Calabrian zips? Sicilians in Canada? I guess all of the above could be true...

Oh, and take your time Anti... I always wait on you and Hollanders post...Ciment too...

@m2w


Considering anti-mafias post, and his point on the joint collaboration between the syndicates, I can kinda see WHY you see this as all one organization.

I think they cooperate extensively but there is still separation..

the thing is not clear at all... we have two criminal groups one led by raffaele valente (from benevento) in new york and the other led by antonino tamburello (sicilian from trapani) in the province of benevento... also valente was arrested in ny along with ciccio palmeri (gambino family) and salvatore farina (sono of the sicilian mafia boss ambrogio, close to bonanno family)
it seems valente had strong links with both sicilian mafia, ndrangheta and american lcn