The Canadian mafia started as a branch of the Bonanno family mafia of New York. In Montreal, the criminal gang acted as the subsidiary of the Bonanno mafia gang. The Canadian based criminal gang organization engaged in drug trafficking, smuggling, gambling and political corruption. The Montreal based organization kept most of its activities underground and as a result grew in wealth and power (Cherry 1). Due to its growing wealth and power, the organization managed to establish its power base and operations in Montreal as well as other urban centers within the eastern province of Canada. Its drug deals and trade were found in major centers such as Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton. The activities, operations and administrative structure of the Montreal mafia criminal gang reflected its counterparts in America.
The strength and power of the Montreal mafia started to subside when the two families that were in control started to quarrel over its ownership. The fighting between Calabrian and Silician families began in 1770s and culminated with the death of its bosses Paolo Violi and Vincent Cotroni (Cherry 1). The death of Vincent Cotroni led to the criminal gang taken over by the Silician headed by Vito Rizzuto. This capture brought to an end the control of the criminal gang by the Bonanno family.
The relationship between the Montreal mafia and the Bonanno mafia family could be traced back to the 1930s. This relationship began with the appointment of Carmine Galante a junior of Joseph Bonanno, who by then the boss of his family gang ring. Carmine Galante was Canadian ambassador of the Bonanno mafia family, and his main duty was to develop a working relationship with organized criminal organizations. During this period, the Bonanno family was still in full control of the criminal gang. They controlled its activities as well as its operations, including the underworld trade activities.
The Canadian criminal gang also grew in strength subsequent to the Second World War when the Montreal port provided an easy access of hard drugs into the American market. The 1956 Canadian crackdown on the criminal gang led to the change of tactics by this gang. The Bonanno family through Galante ensured that they remain in control of the business by appointing two men to oversee its operations. The two men came from the two rival families. Their appointments made it easier for the gang to operate with relative peace for almost two decades. The Luis Greco a Sicilian and Vic Cotroni of Calabrian became the Bonanno family point men in Canada during this time.
These Bonanno point men were equally powerful. However, the Bonanno leader preferred Cotroni over Greco (Cherry 3). One of the gang members who became prominent and appreciative of the opportunities that the Bonanno family created was Nicolo Rizzuto. Rizzuto was under Greco and paid him a lot of respect. Rizzuto was described as an honorable Sicilian, who had just joined the American well organized criminal gang. The burning of Greco in 1972 and his subsequent death led to the accession of Nick Rizzuto into the city’s underworld leadership.
After his ascent to the top leadership of the Montreal criminal gang, Rizzuto became famous within the ranks and among his peers within the Canadian mafia. Rizzuto became powerful and well connected. Majorities of the criminal members were considering Rizzuto as the possible successor of both Greco and Cotroni. With controversies and perpetual rivalries still intact, Cotroni did not bother mentoring nick and instead chose Paolo Violi as his successor and gave him control over the Greco responsibilities. These included the control over the solders as well as the outstanding debts that were accrued. In fact, the decision by Cotroni to choose Violin was not approved by most of the Sicilians, including Nick.
Nick was portrayed as Sicilian descent that were among the small part of the Cotroni criminal gang family. He was also portrayed as a thorn in the flesh of the city’s criminal gang leaders, particularly, Cotroni and Violi. Nick constantly criticized the two leaders and refused to recognize the status of Violi within the organization (Cherry 1). The conflict between Nick and Violi led to the assassination of Violi. Many of his criminal associates were arrested and charged in connection with Violi assassination. Rizzuto fled to Venezuela where he further engaged in criminal activities, including smuggling of the drugs. Nick’s wealth grew commensurate with his family. Vito Rizzuto, the only male figure in the Nicks family took control over his father’s wealth and social networks. Most importantly, Vito inherited his father’s operations in gambling, money laundering, drug smuggling and loan sharking.
Various investigations led to the arrest of the city mafia boss Philip Rastelli in 1980. This arrest led to the power struggle within the criminal family of Bonanno, particularly, among the powerful members of the family. Joseph Massino who was to succeed Rastelli quelled the uprising by assassinating his rivals. The Vito’s still control the Montreal underworld through alliances with other senior gang families in Canada, Italian mafia families and the South America drug cartels. The Bonanno point man was finally arrested and charged and is currently serving his jail term in Colorado. He pleaded guilty of racketeering and murdering the former captains.
While the control of these criminal gangs went undisputed apart from drug trafficking, the highly assumed activities were finally investigated (Cherry 9). The four-year law enforcement investigations unveiled the underground activities of the criminal gangs. The investigations resulted from the arrest of senior leaders of the Montreal mafia. These leaders included Paolo Renda, Nicolo Rizzuto and others. Apart from arrests of the senior leaders of the criminal gang, other mobsters were also arrested leading to a near-collapse of the organization. Details of how the organization operates were also revealed.
The investigations exposed how the organization used forceful methods while dealing with difficult issues, particularly, those who cannot corporate or give in to their demands. Amazingly, the Montreal mafia group had dealings with legitimate business people as well as large corporations around Canada and the United States. Following the arrest of its leaders, the Bonanno family underworld activities were grounded. The group they led in New York either collapsed or reinvented itself into a new organization.
Montreal’s mafia is currently undergoing difficult times. As investigations continue more arrests are being made from all the jurisdictions (Cherry 5). Its senior leaders, though facing minimum jail terms, are also wanted by their authorities to face more charges. The current investigations reveal how the authorities are committed to stopping the activities of the criminal gangs such as the Montreal mafia. The arrests, unexpected murders and mysterious disappearances have resulted in a final blow to the Montreal criminal gang. The gang has lost most of its leaders leaving the organization in shambles, and its remaining members have nowhere to go to.
As much as the arrests are seen to be changing the attitudes of many who have been involved, it must be understood that putting a stop to such criminal gangs are not easy. The gangs have the capability of transforming themselves into similar groups, form an alliance with other criminal gangs, go underground or absorbed into new groups that are still operating.
The reason is well organized criminal groups similar to the Montreal mafia continue to blossom even if their leaders are in prison (Cherry 4). Their leaders have the capability of directing its operations from the prison while some members are capable of regrouping after being dismantled. Therefore, it is essential for those involved in the crimes to be constantly monitored. There should also be a coordinated effort by the law enforcement officers, the justice systems and the political will to collectively determine the future of such criminal gangs.
Criminal gangs normally become well-established similar to criminal activities within the criminal world. The criminal gang organizations are capable of generating ties, which are illegal, revolutionizing their illegal innovations whereas keeping their operating bases in areas, which are highly populated. For instance, Montreal’s mafia has managed to maintain their operating bases in highly crowded Italian neighborhoods. To the law or criminology researchers, the rich criminal history of the Montreal mafia, their traditional participation in well thought-out criminal activities makes it critical, if not necessary, to remember their input to organized crime (Cherry 11).
Works Cited
Cherry, Paul. “Police theorize about a Rizzuto family feud.” The Gazette 25.8 (2009): 1-7. Print.
Cherry, Paul. “Rizzuto loses U.S. appeal.” The Gazette 39.12 (2010): 7-11. Print.