MONTREAL CRIME FAMILY
Part 6: MONTREAL'S TOP MOBSTERS
Author: Little Joe Shots
The Montreal crime family was basically formed through an alliance between the Calabrian and Sicilian factions which ruled the Italian underworld in Quebec, the crime family itself was comprised of a mixture of mainly Calabrians and Sicilians mafiosi, possibly a Neapolitan or two, while several closely aligned French Canadian, Jewish, Hungarian, Ukrainian and Russian associates. The Calabrian faction held the some of the most powerful and influential crime family members, Paolo Violi was considered the second highest ranking Calabrian faction member behind Vic Cotroni, while Cotroni's brothers, Pep and Frank were Caporegimes, group or crew leaders, along with top lieutenant's serving under the Capos like Francesco Violi, Vincenzo "Jimmy" Soccio, Giuseppe "Big Pep" Cocolicchio, Peter Adamo, Diodato "Dulude" Mastracchio, Nicola "Cola/Little Egg" Di Iorio, Angelo Lanzo, John Lia, Frank Dasti, Nicholas Elacqua, Joseph DePaolo, Angelo Bizanti and Michael Listorti who were in actuality soldiers that held seniority over others members being that they were heavily involved in the crime family's narcotics operations, some of them were top narcotics lieutenants like, Soccio, Cocolicchio, Mastracchio, Lia, Adamo, DePaolo, Elacqua, Di Iorio and Dasti, while F. Violi and Lanzo were known enforcers and handled gambling and extortion operations. Bizanti and Listorti were drivers and bodyguards for Vic Cotroni seen frequently along side the Boss, even when he traveled to New York! Some other well known soldiers were Tino Baldelli, Vic Cotroni's son in law, brothers, Giuseppe and Rocco Violi, brothers, Jos and Dom DeFrancesco, brothers, Vincenzo "Jimmy" and Jos DiMaulo, both future lieutenants in the crime family. Jimmy Orlando, Mike Consolo, Jimmy Curio, Charles Campo, a Cotroni family cousin, Michael Di Paolo, Matteo "Matty" Scanzano, Romeo Bucci, a Frank Cotroni underling, bodyguard and future high ranking member of the crime family under Paolo Violi. Vincenzo "Jimmy Rent a Gun" DeSantis, a known enforcer who was said to dress in outlandish colors at times, up and coming members Antonio "Tony" Teoli, Peter Bianco, Tony Venelli, Moreno Gallo, Anthony "Tony" Volpato, born in Padua, Northern Italy and Leonardo "Dino la Terreur" Paccione, a Frank Cotroni underling, enforcer, extortionist, robber and all around criminal who would end up wheelchair bound in the future, while he maintained his criminal interests and terrorizing the old folks home he lived in!
The Montreal crime family did not exactly fit into the same leadership structure as the Chicago Outfit in that the group allowed other ethnic criminals to hold high ranking positions, but the Calabrian faction maintained several close working relationships with Montreal criminals of different ethnic background and Vic Cotroni himself employed people and had close business partners of different ethnic backgrounds! For instance, Montreal born Jewish businessman and Cotroni business partner, William "Willie Obie: Obront, who was called "The Meyer Lansky of Canada" became a close associate and friend of Vic Cotroni, his chief money launderer, financial adviser and loansharking operations overseer. Armand Courville was a French Canadian associate of Vic Cotroni's, they had actually met as young professional wrestlers in Montreal, Courville became a close confidant and business partner of the Cotroni Clan, investing in nightclubs, bars, apartment buildings and real estate, along with interests in gambling. Joseph "Little Joe" Horvath, a Hungarian immigrant who grew from being a petty thief into a Calabrian faction associate under Nicola Di Iorio who was involved in gambling and narcotics. Conrad Bouchard and Rene Robert were French Canadian criminals who along with Peter "The Russian" Stephanoff got their start in crime under the guidance of Calabrian faction leader, Pep Cotroni, Bouchard was an operatic nightclub singer who along with Robert became involved in armed robbery, narcotics and fencing stolen bonds, Bouchard even became close to and was considered a protege of Luigi Greco's, while Stephanoff led a group of armed robbers and safe crackers for the Cotroni Clan. Claude "Mr. Claude" Faber is another well known French Canadian criminal in the Montreal underworld, the fact that he is brother in law to Frank Cotroni has helped him immensely in his loansharking, extortion, narcotics and labor racketeering interest, was once considered a right hand man of Frank.
The Sicilian faction carried a great deal of influence in Montreal since the 1930's, they may have been smaller in numbers, but their leader, Luigi Greco was a powerful and respected mafia Boss and with the addition of the Rizzuto crew in the 1950's, the power and the influence of the Sicilians began to rival that of the Calabrians by the 1960's. The Sicilian faction included members like Frank Petrula, a Ukrainian immigrant considered one of Greco's right hand men in narcotics and politics, Pietro Sciara, a Sicilian, but a close associate of the Cotroni faction and considered Paolo Violi's adviser, Michel Pozza, born in Trento, Northern Italy had intelligence and ambition that was noticed by Greco who made Pozza his protege in the 1960's. Pozza began as chief money launderer and financial adviser for the Sicilians, but his talents were eventually sought by various Montreal crime Bosses, including the Cotronis, he would be considered an associate of both the Cotroni and Rizzuto factions. The Sicilian faction would grow into a mafia powerhouse in Montreal and it's crimina' business and political expansion would be led by a mafiosi with traditional values and beliefs.
Nick Rizzuto became Greco's top Lt. and second in command, and if Rizzuto did not officially hold the tile of defacto Underboss to Greco, Nick's power, influence and connections inevitably made him the 2nd strongest Sicilian mafiosi in Montreal by the 1960's! Nick and his son, Vito were members of the Rizzuto-Manno-Cammalleri Clan, Nick's father in law, Antonio Manno was the recognized mafia Boss of Cattolica Eraclea in Agrigento, Sicily, the Rizzuto's hometown. Domenico Manno, Nick's brother in law and mentor to son Vito would play an important role in the elevation of Nick Rizzuto to power, along with Agostino Cuntrera and Giovanni DiMora. Cuntrera and DiMora, members of the Cuntrera-Caruana Clan of Siculiana and close associates and allies of the Rizzutos, Agostino would become the most powerful and influential Siculiana Clan member in Montreal. Guiseppe Cuffaro was born in Montallegro, a town in Agrigento that fell under the influence of mafia Boss, Antonio Manno and was a close associate of the Rizzuto-Manno-Cammalleri and Cuntrera-Caruana Clans. Cuffaro had emigrated to Montreal, Canada 6 months before the Rizzutos in 1953 and he would go on to become a top Rizzuto and Cuntrera-Caruana business partner and money launderer.
There were several Sicilian mafiosi and associates in Montreal destined to play a major part in the the Rizzuto crime family's future. Only certain related and long associated Sicilian mafiosi would be allowed into the Rizzutos close knit circle. All the top Sicilian mafiosi in Montreal, actually throughout Canada for that matter, would eventually align themselves over the years with the Rizzuto crime family making them a formidable underworld power throughout Canada. The Sicilian mafiosi who had been along side Nick and Vito Rizzuto in Montreal since the late 1950's such as blood relatives from the Manno and Cammalleri Clans, along with the several top members of the Cuntrera-Caruana Clan would always play important or vital roles in the Rizzuto crime family's leadership and operations in Montreal and around the world, while other closely associated Sicilian mafiosi would also maintain high level positions within the Rizzuto crime family. Emmanuel Ragusa, related to the Rizzutos by marriage would become a top Rizzuto lieutenant also demonstrate his loyalty to the Rizzutos in the future. Domenico Arcuri, from the Rizzuto's hometown and related to Arcuri Clan members in New York and Toronto, Gerlando "George" Sciascia, also from the Rizzuto's hometown and related to them, a future top Rizzuto lieutenant who would play an important role in the rise of the Sicilian faction and their international narcotics and Santo Giordano, a close associate and ally of the Rizzutos, he would also play a role in the Rizzutos rise to power and their international narcotics ring, both Sciascia and Giordano would hold important positions as Montreal crime family representatives in New York, liaisons with the Bonanno crime family and other American mafiosi, both would end up dead, one by accident, the other, murdered! Then there were brothers, Vincenzo and Guseppe Randisi, Sicilian faction members close to the Rizzutos who would help plot the downfall of Calabrian faction leader Paolo Violi.
There were younger up and coming members such as Paolo "Gervias" Gervasi, Valnetino "Val" Morielli, Giuseppe "Joe" Morello, the three mafiosi would become future Rizzuto lieutenants and Nicholas Morello, a soldier under his elder brother, along with Sabatino "Sam" Nicolucci, a soldier, narcotics trafficker and money launderer for the Rizzutos who would one day be kidnapped by Colombian drug lords and held until debts were paid. Giuseppe "Big Joe" LoPresti was another mafiosi from the Rizzuto's hometown who would play a vital role in the Rizzuto controlled narcotics network between Montreal and New York! The Rizzuto family's close affiliations with mafiosi from their area of Agrigento, Sicily allowed them to build tight and long lasting family and criminal bonds that would effect the future of the Rizzuto crime family immensely. Nick Rizzuto's traditional and religious like mafia beliefs and mindset, along with the powerful and influential criminal associations he carried with him from Sicily would benefit and strengthen the Rizzuto crime family and allow then to create a big advantage over their rivals in Montreal while cementing personal, business and criminal relationships and alliances with top Italian mafia members in Canada, America and around the world, while those mafia associates closest to them would benefit from the rising strength and influence of the Rizzuto crime family and share in their successes.
The Montreal crime family did not exactly fit into the same leadership structure as the Chicago Outfit in that the group allowed other ethnic criminals to hold high ranking positions, but the Calabrian faction maintained several close working relationships with Montreal criminals of different ethnic background and Vic Cotroni himself employed people and had close business partners of different ethnic backgrounds! For instance, Montreal born Jewish businessman and Cotroni business partner, William "Willie Obie: Obront, who was called "The Meyer Lansky of Canada" became a close associate and friend of Vic Cotroni, his chief money launderer, financial adviser and loansharking operations overseer. Armand Courville was a French Canadian associate of Vic Cotroni's, they had actually met as young professional wrestlers in Montreal, Courville became a close confidant and business partner of the Cotroni Clan, investing in nightclubs, bars, apartment buildings and real estate, along with interests in gambling. Joseph "Little Joe" Horvath, a Hungarian immigrant who grew from being a petty thief into a Calabrian faction associate under Nicola Di Iorio who was involved in gambling and narcotics. Conrad Bouchard and Rene Robert were French Canadian criminals who along with Peter "The Russian" Stephanoff got their start in crime under the guidance of Calabrian faction leader, Pep Cotroni, Bouchard was an operatic nightclub singer who along with Robert became involved in armed robbery, narcotics and fencing stolen bonds, Bouchard even became close to and was considered a protege of Luigi Greco's, while Stephanoff led a group of armed robbers and safe crackers for the Cotroni Clan. Claude "Mr. Claude" Faber is another well known French Canadian criminal in the Montreal underworld, the fact that he is brother in law to Frank Cotroni has helped him immensely in his loansharking, extortion, narcotics and labor racketeering interest, was once considered a right hand man of Frank.
The Sicilian faction carried a great deal of influence in Montreal since the 1930's, they may have been smaller in numbers, but their leader, Luigi Greco was a powerful and respected mafia Boss and with the addition of the Rizzuto crew in the 1950's, the power and the influence of the Sicilians began to rival that of the Calabrians by the 1960's. The Sicilian faction included members like Frank Petrula, a Ukrainian immigrant considered one of Greco's right hand men in narcotics and politics, Pietro Sciara, a Sicilian, but a close associate of the Cotroni faction and considered Paolo Violi's adviser, Michel Pozza, born in Trento, Northern Italy had intelligence and ambition that was noticed by Greco who made Pozza his protege in the 1960's. Pozza began as chief money launderer and financial adviser for the Sicilians, but his talents were eventually sought by various Montreal crime Bosses, including the Cotronis, he would be considered an associate of both the Cotroni and Rizzuto factions. The Sicilian faction would grow into a mafia powerhouse in Montreal and it's crimina' business and political expansion would be led by a mafiosi with traditional values and beliefs.
Nick Rizzuto became Greco's top Lt. and second in command, and if Rizzuto did not officially hold the tile of defacto Underboss to Greco, Nick's power, influence and connections inevitably made him the 2nd strongest Sicilian mafiosi in Montreal by the 1960's! Nick and his son, Vito were members of the Rizzuto-Manno-Cammalleri Clan, Nick's father in law, Antonio Manno was the recognized mafia Boss of Cattolica Eraclea in Agrigento, Sicily, the Rizzuto's hometown. Domenico Manno, Nick's brother in law and mentor to son Vito would play an important role in the elevation of Nick Rizzuto to power, along with Agostino Cuntrera and Giovanni DiMora. Cuntrera and DiMora, members of the Cuntrera-Caruana Clan of Siculiana and close associates and allies of the Rizzutos, Agostino would become the most powerful and influential Siculiana Clan member in Montreal. Guiseppe Cuffaro was born in Montallegro, a town in Agrigento that fell under the influence of mafia Boss, Antonio Manno and was a close associate of the Rizzuto-Manno-Cammalleri and Cuntrera-Caruana Clans. Cuffaro had emigrated to Montreal, Canada 6 months before the Rizzutos in 1953 and he would go on to become a top Rizzuto and Cuntrera-Caruana business partner and money launderer.
There were several Sicilian mafiosi and associates in Montreal destined to play a major part in the the Rizzuto crime family's future. Only certain related and long associated Sicilian mafiosi would be allowed into the Rizzutos close knit circle. All the top Sicilian mafiosi in Montreal, actually throughout Canada for that matter, would eventually align themselves over the years with the Rizzuto crime family making them a formidable underworld power throughout Canada. The Sicilian mafiosi who had been along side Nick and Vito Rizzuto in Montreal since the late 1950's such as blood relatives from the Manno and Cammalleri Clans, along with the several top members of the Cuntrera-Caruana Clan would always play important or vital roles in the Rizzuto crime family's leadership and operations in Montreal and around the world, while other closely associated Sicilian mafiosi would also maintain high level positions within the Rizzuto crime family. Emmanuel Ragusa, related to the Rizzutos by marriage would become a top Rizzuto lieutenant also demonstrate his loyalty to the Rizzutos in the future. Domenico Arcuri, from the Rizzuto's hometown and related to Arcuri Clan members in New York and Toronto, Gerlando "George" Sciascia, also from the Rizzuto's hometown and related to them, a future top Rizzuto lieutenant who would play an important role in the rise of the Sicilian faction and their international narcotics and Santo Giordano, a close associate and ally of the Rizzutos, he would also play a role in the Rizzutos rise to power and their international narcotics ring, both Sciascia and Giordano would hold important positions as Montreal crime family representatives in New York, liaisons with the Bonanno crime family and other American mafiosi, both would end up dead, one by accident, the other, murdered! Then there were brothers, Vincenzo and Guseppe Randisi, Sicilian faction members close to the Rizzutos who would help plot the downfall of Calabrian faction leader Paolo Violi.
There were younger up and coming members such as Paolo "Gervias" Gervasi, Valnetino "Val" Morielli, Giuseppe "Joe" Morello, the three mafiosi would become future Rizzuto lieutenants and Nicholas Morello, a soldier under his elder brother, along with Sabatino "Sam" Nicolucci, a soldier, narcotics trafficker and money launderer for the Rizzutos who would one day be kidnapped by Colombian drug lords and held until debts were paid. Giuseppe "Big Joe" LoPresti was another mafiosi from the Rizzuto's hometown who would play a vital role in the Rizzuto controlled narcotics network between Montreal and New York! The Rizzuto family's close affiliations with mafiosi from their area of Agrigento, Sicily allowed them to build tight and long lasting family and criminal bonds that would effect the future of the Rizzuto crime family immensely. Nick Rizzuto's traditional and religious like mafia beliefs and mindset, along with the powerful and influential criminal associations he carried with him from Sicily would benefit and strengthen the Rizzuto crime family and allow then to create a big advantage over their rivals in Montreal while cementing personal, business and criminal relationships and alliances with top Italian mafia members in Canada, America and around the world, while those mafia associates closest to them would benefit from the rising strength and influence of the Rizzuto crime family and share in their successes.
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