Canadian Mafia Primer: Ndrangheta v Cosa Nostra

Joe Bonanno inducted a Canadian
member of the Ndrangheta into his
family.
I seek to present here factual information that supports my writing with regard to the Mafia in Canada. I also seek to address comments challenging me factually on my reporting of the dynamics of Mafia power at work in the Canadian provinces.

Key takeaway: Just because the Sicilian Cosa Nostra borgatas of Joseph Bonanno (one of New York's Five Families) and the more isolated Buffalo, NY-based chieftain Stefano Magaddino inducted Canadians, it does not preclude them from belonging to the Calabrian Ndrangheta as opposed to the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.

Information provided here is authoritative, as will be shown, which means if you are going to challenge me on Canada anymore, you better be able to address this first; otherwise, comments will no longer be posted.

That the city of Hamilton is the key to Ontario can be inferred.



I am working on a story that spotlights some key goings-on in Ontario circa 1930, and includes some speculation regarding how Stefano Magaddino maintained control over Ontario by using more than one boss, as will become apparent. It seems while he did favor the Papalias--his first potentate in Ontario was a Papalia--but Magaddino had to be a bit flexible. When Johnny "Pops" began running the show as boss he seems to have spent so many years in prison, Magaddino turned to Don Luppino, who was more reliable, to run the region for the bulk of his life.

Stefano Magaddino also was
flexible, designating at least two
Calabrians to be in charge of his
Canadian fiefdom, which is alleged
to be where the Mafia invests its
ill-gotten gains.
The source who identified the two Canadian mobsters inducted into the Bonanno family (I refer specifically to an anonymous commenter who keeps harping on this) was Joe Valachi.

Structure of the Mafia in Canada: "In Toronto until recently at least 4 major Mafia-style criminal organizations were run by Canadians of Sicilian or Calabrian origin, 2 of which were named as members of the Mafia during the Valachi hearings. Since the murder of Paul Volpe (November 1983), his old organization has lost its control. There are 3 Calabrian organized crime groups operating in Hamilton. The Hamilton organized-crime family, connected with the Magaddino family of Buffalo, NY, has tried to move into the vacuum caused by the deaths, murders and imprisonments of leading members of the other organizations...

"Since the mid-1980s, Montréal has had 2 dominant mafia groups: the Sicilians, led by the Vito Rizzuto organization, and Calabrians, led by the Frank Cotroni family. The Sicilians are the most influential criminal organization in Canada. The Québec crime probe exposed the membership and activities of this highly structured group in a number of its reports. Established in the 1940s by Vic Cotroni, the family evolved in the 1950s into an important branch of the powerful New York City Mafia family of Joe Bonanno. It has extensive ties with Mafia families in Italy and throughout the US, as well as with the Toronto, Hamilton and Vancouver organizations.

"Serious internal problems between Sicilians and Calabrians in the Montréal organization led to the violent deaths of Paolo Violi (the chief lieutenant of Vic Cotroni) and his brothers in the late 1970s. The Cotroni family has primarily been involved in illegal gambling, loansharking, drug importation (utilizing the famous French Connection) extortion, and the murder and corruption of public officials. After Vic Cotroni's death, the Sicilians, led by the Rizzutos, took over." [Emphasis--bolding and underlining--added.]

This is taken from The Canadian Encyclopediareleased in enhanced digital interactive form in October 2013, [it] represents the latest incarnation of a project with a unique history. Since the first edition arrived in 1985, Canadians have held a claim few others can make: we have our own national encyclopedia. The idea of covering all branches of knowledge or aspects of a subject in one body of work dates back to 1728 in England. However, a bilingual national edition produced by, for and about the people of a single country, charting its events, culture, history and landscape, remains rare.

The Canadian Encyclopedia plays an essential role in providing Canadians and others with accurate, updated information about our people and country. 


Suggested Reading
J.P. Charbonneau, The Canadian Connection (1976)
Pierre de Champlain, Le Crime Organisé à Montréal (1986)
James R. Dubro, Mob Rule (1985) and King of the Mob (1987)
C. Kirby and T. Renner, Mafia Assassin (1986)
W. Rowland, Making Connections (1979)

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