Rusty was one of the capos that sat out in the Bonanno war. After Joe Bonanno moved out of New York into Arizona, he had no choice but to accept the commission appointed boss Paul Sciacca who had been leading the revolt faction since 1966. Natale Evola was a Bonanno loyalist who was just released from prison and Paul made him Underboss to help bring the family together. Rusty was respected to where the majority of capos voted him as Consigliere. This was the setup from 1968 to 1971. 1971 comes around and Sciacca gets busted and sentenced, instead of going in with the title, he relinquish it to Evola, more than likely he was tied of the headaches that comes with it, and Colombo and Gambino making demands all the time. 1971 to 1973, Evola is Boss, makes Rusty his Underboss, and Joe DiFilippo is elected Consigliere. 1973 Evola dies suddenly. Rusty is voted boss barely by a majority of Capos, while those that voted against Rusty wanted to wait till Galante was released before a vote was called, these were Bonanno loyalist that had remained in New York after Joe Bonanno retired to Arizona. 1974 Rastelli was going in for a bid and Carmine Galante was coming out. Joe DiFilippo stepped down, and Stefano Cannone, a strong Rastelli loyalist was voted Consigliere. Rastelli named Galante acting boss, and Nicholas Marangello, a former bodyguard to Joe Bonanno, I've read driver but Little Nicky served as a bodyguard, as the official Underboss due to the power the Knickerbocker Village crew had gathered after the Bonanno war. With Cannone as Consigliere and Marangello as underboss, Rastelli felt those two and a few capos could keep Galante in check.