THE MONTREAL CRIME FAMILY
Part 4: ENTER THE AMERICAN MAFIA (LCN)
Author: Little Joe Shots
The biggest break for the Montreal mobsters came in the early 1950's in the way of a 5'3" American mafia powerhouse from New York's Bonanno crime family! Carmine "Lilo" Galante was a rising Capo in the Bonanno crime family when he came to Montreal in 1953 with a suitcase full of money, ambitions and intentions of placing the Montreal underworld under the influence of the American mafia and at the same time making the port city of Montreal one of the largest narcotics shipping points in North America! The 1950 and 1951 American Senate Hearings on organized crime centered on gambling and came up with the marvelous notion that illegal gambling existed in all the major American cities and that it was controlled by a criminal organization known as "The Mafia." The amount of law enforcement and media scrutiny generated in the United States by the Senate Hearings did not effect the Mob's activities outside of gambling, but one of the effects of the hearings was to send many bookmakers and gamblers across the border into Canada, mainly Montreal, it's European flavor and nightlife was known to favor gambling. "Lilo", which means "Little Cigar" in Italian was sent into Montreal by his Boss, Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno with the intent that the American mafia would not lose their bookmaking revenues and Bonanno wanted to bring the Montreal crime family under the Bonanno crime family flag! Galante who spoke Italian, Spanish, French and was feared for his violent reputation and no nonsense way of operating was the right man for the job
With it's American mafia affiliation and the strength of the Bonanno crime family which operated directly from the American mafia's powebase in New York, the Montreal crime family and it's leaders continued to build a criminal organization that would become one of the most powerful and influential in the North American underworld and carry influence and connections not only in Italy, but around the globe! In 1955, Lilo Galante was deported from Canada for failing to present a sufficient means of legal income even though Galante owned an electronics firm and had interests in nightclubs and restaurants in Montreal, he was actually deported as an undesirable! Galante dispatched his brother in law, Bonanno crime family soldier, Antonio "Tony" Marullo to Montreal as the Bonanno family representative and overseer of the Montreal operations in his place, but in his place, but Marullo was soon deported in mid 1956, the Canadian immigration service saw fit to list him as an undesirable and to remove him from Canada as Canadian authorities realized the American mafia was in Montreal, the arrival of Galante and then Marullo into the Montreal underworld was no coincidence and certainly not events that would not be taken lightly by Canadian law enforcement.
Members of the Montreal mafia had been involved in the heroin trade since the 1930's, the Cotroni's and Luigi Greco had strong, valuable and longtime connections with the French-Corsican Mob and in 1953 Luigi Greco and his right hand man Frank Petrula traveled to Italy and met with deported American mafia Boss, Charlie "Lucky" Luciano and offered their services and the ports of Montreal in an effort to expand the Montreal crime family's heroin operations! As fate would have it, by the end of 1957, Sal Giglio's responsibilities as the Bonanno crime family representative would increase for a short period of time, while at the same time Vic Cotroni and Luigi Greco would be given an opportunity for increased respect, power and authority in the mafia, their crime family's underworld influence would rise immensely and all due to an important event in mafia history!
In October of 1957, top ranking members of the American and Sicilian mafia's met in Palermo, Sicily at the Grand Hotel des Palmes in what has been called the first American-Sicilian Cosa Nostra (mafia) summit! The meeting was hosted by American mafia Bosses, Joe Bonanno and Charlie "Lucky" Luciano who had been deported to Italy in 1946 and now lived in Naples! Representatives from the American Cosa Nostra crime families of New York (Bonanno), Detroit (Zerilli-The Partnership) and Buffalo (Magaddino), along with various top Sicilian Bosses from around Sicily met to allegedly discuss the international heroin trade and the American market! The American government had recently instituted new laws that would greatly lengthen prison sentences for narcotics offenders and the American Bosses feared that this may cause underlings involved in narcotics operations to break their vow of silence, "Omerta". The American and Sicilians decided they would create a joint heroin network, the Sicilians would be responsible for procuring the heroin and it's importation into North America, while the Americans would assist various Sicilian satellite groups set up around the United States, the American Bosses and their crime families would now be protected to some extent from direct involvement with importation and distribution of narcotics! This important event in the history of the Italian mafia and the international heroin trade marked the beginning of the famous "Pizza Connection" narcotics network and the Montreal crime family would play a direct and vital role in this gigantic trans-Atlantic narcotics empire! Approximately a month later in November of 1957, Italian mafia leaders from America, Canada and Italy met at another historical mafia summit in Apalachin, New York at the ranch style home of Eastern Pennsylvania mafia Boss, Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara to discuss the matters surrounding the Palermo Summit and recent events occurring within the New York mafia, but the summit was interrupted by law enforcement and turned into a fiasco that would bring the Italian mafia to the attention of the American public! Montreal mafiosi Luigi Greco and Pep Cotroni were allegedly present at Apalachin and were among the dozens of mafia Bosses who escaped by fleeing into the woods or hiding, Greco and Cotroni would have been the obvious choices to represent Montreal at the mafia summit as they were the two men responsible for overseeing Montreal's heroin operations which were directly tied to the American mafia's heroin network and soon Montreal would play a vital role in the trans-Atlantic heroin network formed by the American and Sicilian mafia.
The Montreal crime family's criminal and legitimate operations flourished and prospered immensely from the 1950's, all traditional rackets and legitimate interests were operating at levels that produced great profit and at the same time increased the Montreal crime family's respect, power and influence in the Italian underworld! Bonanno crime family representative, Sal Giglio was deported on May 8, 1958 as another undesirable from America, an undeclared suitcase of contraband cigars was enough to get him kicked out of Canada and from then on, a Montreal mafiosi would be recognized as the Bonanno family representative in Montreal and Canada! Calabrian Boss, Vic cotroni and Sicilian Boss, Luigi Greco traveled to New York a week after Giglio was deported to meet with the Bonanno crime family leadership, the choice for American mafia Boss, Joe Bonanno was fairly simple, the quiet, reserved and highly respected Vic Cotroni was the man for the top position, he was a traditional mafia Boss who commanded great power and influence, his business and political connections were far and wide so he was made the official Bonanno crime family Caporegime in Montreal. Top Montreal mobsters, Vic Cotroni and Luigi Greco would continue to be the co-leaders of the Montreal crime family, Cotrini was recognized as Boss and Greco his Underboss and second in command, they would lead the Montreal crime family in a low key manner reminiscent of the traditional Italian mafia! Cotroni and Greco were spotted in New York by American law enforcement meeting with leaders of the Bonanno crime family once again on June 27, 1959, the elevation of Vic Cotroni to Capo of the Bonanno crime family's Montreal decina or "Branch Plant" and the placement of the Montreal crime family as the Canadian arm of the new heroin pipeline obviously called for frequent meetings and continued communication between Montreal and New York!
With it's American mafia affiliation and the strength of the Bonanno crime family which operated directly from the American mafia's powebase in New York, the Montreal crime family and it's leaders continued to build a criminal organization that would become one of the most powerful and influential in the North American underworld and carry influence and connections not only in Italy, but around the globe! In 1955, Lilo Galante was deported from Canada for failing to present a sufficient means of legal income even though Galante owned an electronics firm and had interests in nightclubs and restaurants in Montreal, he was actually deported as an undesirable! Galante dispatched his brother in law, Bonanno crime family soldier, Antonio "Tony" Marullo to Montreal as the Bonanno family representative and overseer of the Montreal operations in his place, but in his place, but Marullo was soon deported in mid 1956, the Canadian immigration service saw fit to list him as an undesirable and to remove him from Canada as Canadian authorities realized the American mafia was in Montreal, the arrival of Galante and then Marullo into the Montreal underworld was no coincidence and certainly not events that would not be taken lightly by Canadian law enforcement.
Members of the Montreal mafia had been involved in the heroin trade since the 1930's, the Cotroni's and Luigi Greco had strong, valuable and longtime connections with the French-Corsican Mob and in 1953 Luigi Greco and his right hand man Frank Petrula traveled to Italy and met with deported American mafia Boss, Charlie "Lucky" Luciano and offered their services and the ports of Montreal in an effort to expand the Montreal crime family's heroin operations! As fate would have it, by the end of 1957, Sal Giglio's responsibilities as the Bonanno crime family representative would increase for a short period of time, while at the same time Vic Cotroni and Luigi Greco would be given an opportunity for increased respect, power and authority in the mafia, their crime family's underworld influence would rise immensely and all due to an important event in mafia history!
In October of 1957, top ranking members of the American and Sicilian mafia's met in Palermo, Sicily at the Grand Hotel des Palmes in what has been called the first American-Sicilian Cosa Nostra (mafia) summit! The meeting was hosted by American mafia Bosses, Joe Bonanno and Charlie "Lucky" Luciano who had been deported to Italy in 1946 and now lived in Naples! Representatives from the American Cosa Nostra crime families of New York (Bonanno), Detroit (Zerilli-The Partnership) and Buffalo (Magaddino), along with various top Sicilian Bosses from around Sicily met to allegedly discuss the international heroin trade and the American market! The American government had recently instituted new laws that would greatly lengthen prison sentences for narcotics offenders and the American Bosses feared that this may cause underlings involved in narcotics operations to break their vow of silence, "Omerta". The American and Sicilians decided they would create a joint heroin network, the Sicilians would be responsible for procuring the heroin and it's importation into North America, while the Americans would assist various Sicilian satellite groups set up around the United States, the American Bosses and their crime families would now be protected to some extent from direct involvement with importation and distribution of narcotics! This important event in the history of the Italian mafia and the international heroin trade marked the beginning of the famous "Pizza Connection" narcotics network and the Montreal crime family would play a direct and vital role in this gigantic trans-Atlantic narcotics empire! Approximately a month later in November of 1957, Italian mafia leaders from America, Canada and Italy met at another historical mafia summit in Apalachin, New York at the ranch style home of Eastern Pennsylvania mafia Boss, Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara to discuss the matters surrounding the Palermo Summit and recent events occurring within the New York mafia, but the summit was interrupted by law enforcement and turned into a fiasco that would bring the Italian mafia to the attention of the American public! Montreal mafiosi Luigi Greco and Pep Cotroni were allegedly present at Apalachin and were among the dozens of mafia Bosses who escaped by fleeing into the woods or hiding, Greco and Cotroni would have been the obvious choices to represent Montreal at the mafia summit as they were the two men responsible for overseeing Montreal's heroin operations which were directly tied to the American mafia's heroin network and soon Montreal would play a vital role in the trans-Atlantic heroin network formed by the American and Sicilian mafia.
The Montreal crime family's criminal and legitimate operations flourished and prospered immensely from the 1950's, all traditional rackets and legitimate interests were operating at levels that produced great profit and at the same time increased the Montreal crime family's respect, power and influence in the Italian underworld! Bonanno crime family representative, Sal Giglio was deported on May 8, 1958 as another undesirable from America, an undeclared suitcase of contraband cigars was enough to get him kicked out of Canada and from then on, a Montreal mafiosi would be recognized as the Bonanno family representative in Montreal and Canada! Calabrian Boss, Vic cotroni and Sicilian Boss, Luigi Greco traveled to New York a week after Giglio was deported to meet with the Bonanno crime family leadership, the choice for American mafia Boss, Joe Bonanno was fairly simple, the quiet, reserved and highly respected Vic Cotroni was the man for the top position, he was a traditional mafia Boss who commanded great power and influence, his business and political connections were far and wide so he was made the official Bonanno crime family Caporegime in Montreal. Top Montreal mobsters, Vic Cotroni and Luigi Greco would continue to be the co-leaders of the Montreal crime family, Cotrini was recognized as Boss and Greco his Underboss and second in command, they would lead the Montreal crime family in a low key manner reminiscent of the traditional Italian mafia! Cotroni and Greco were spotted in New York by American law enforcement meeting with leaders of the Bonanno crime family once again on June 27, 1959, the elevation of Vic Cotroni to Capo of the Bonanno crime family's Montreal decina or "Branch Plant" and the placement of the Montreal crime family as the Canadian arm of the new heroin pipeline obviously called for frequent meetings and continued communication between Montreal and New York!
 |
 |
Carmine Galante was of Sicilian decent, his parents were originally from Joe Bonanno's hometown of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily and Galante was a staunch Bonanno loyalist who was feared throughout the American mafia, as one New York police captain put it, "He's pure steal, the rest are just copper!" Galante chose Luigi Greco as his right hand man being that Greco was of Sicilian decent, but in no way did Galante ignore the powerful and influential Vic Cotroni as his political and business connections were vital to Galante's intentions of expansion. With the reputation and influence of the powerful Boanno crime family behind them and Lilo Galante leading them, Montreal's top mafiosi, Vic Cotroni and Luigi Greco quickly brought the majority of criminal activities like gambling, loansharking, extortion, prostitution, and narcotics under the influence of the Montreal crime family.
Galante and his Montreal allies imposed a "street tax" on all underworld operations, criminals were taxed according to the type of criminal activity they ran and how much money they brought in, legitimate businesses like nightclubs, bars, restaurants and labor industry interests such as construction, trucking and the unions were extorted and placed under the influence of the Montreal crime family, not even back ally abortionists escaped paying a street tax to Galante and the Montreal Bosses.
The next Bonanno crime family representative sent to Montreal was soldier, Salvatore "Little Sal" Giglio, who arrived in Montreal in October of 1956, by the time 1957 came around, Giglio was the man solidly in charge of the Bonanno crime family interests in Montreal, while the Montreal crime family's underworld power and influence was on the rise for various reasons! The Calabrian and Sicilian factions of the Montreal crime family had been aligned and organized since the 1940's, by the time Sal Giglio arrived in Montreal, top mafiosi Vic Cotroni and Luigi Greco were the most powerful crime Bosses in Quebec.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |