It goes all the way back back to the 1960s. As my screen name implies I am an old Buffalo guy and there was a time Montreal was in dispute between Buffalo and the Boneannos. It was settles as part of the deal between Joe Bonanno and Steve Meggadino, (who were cousins)when the two families came close to all out war in 1963-64. Bonnano got Montreal, Buffalo got Toronto, Hamilton and the falls. Montreal was always a satellite used by Bonanno guys for everything from safe houses to washing money. Today the Bonnannos have been ravaged by arrests and indictments in NY, and 9-11 fucked up the easy passage from NY into Canada, but Montreal is at this point, a bigger asset to them than NY. Less heat, and they are the only game in town