Why was Tony Caponigro made Consiglieri?
Historically, there was something of a divide in the family between the Sicilians and the Calabrians. When Joe Rugnetta was consigliere he didn't just function as a mediator but as the head of the Calabrians in the family (in the late 1960s, Rugnetta and other figures refused to go to New Jersey for a making ceremony because none of the proposed members were Calabrians).
Caponigro was the choice of the Calabrian faction to replace Rugnetta, hence why he got the position
So were does Natz Denaro fall into the equation? what was his relationship with Bruno? and what caused the transition from Denaro to Testa?
Denaro was Sicilian (like Bruno and Testa) and he was a captain under Joe Ida. It was Denaro who warned Bruno about Pollina, which factored into him becoming underboss in the new regime. After Bruno became boss Denaro had a problem with him at one point and tried to go behind his back to New York. Bruno found out about this and admonished him for it, so it seems the relationship deteriorated pretty soon into Bruno's reign, coinciding with Testa's rise to the de facto no. 2 position. There was also talk at one point about a contract being put on Denaro over concerns that he wouldn't be able to do time behind bars, but that obviously never panned out.
Another thing that could factor into Bruno and Testa's relationship was the fact that they had been involved in a hit together in 1950. Joseph Sadia was killed for spreading rumours that Salvatore Sabella (the former boss) had been sleeping with Frank Nicoletti's wife. Nicoletti was the driver in the hit, while Bruno and Testa were the shooters.
When Harry Riccobene was a confidential informant for the FBI, he told them that Nicoletti had possibly been a soldier in Denaro's crew by 1952.
Bruno was also caught on a bug once saying he had suggested to Pollina that he make Testa a captain, which Pollina did (Pollina promoted Testa, John Cappello and John Simone to capos during his brief run as head of the family).
