Yeah this isn't 30 years ago, these days everyone and their mother buys from Mexicans. It would be more impressive if they bought directly from South America and brought it in themselves, like the RIzzuto's used to do, or like the Ndrangheta or the Kinahans do today(they were also mentioned in that article). Much more profitable that way.
I wonder why the Hells Angels don't try to do that, if they're as big as it's claimed. I know crime writers in Canada made a big deal about the Mexicans "pushing" the Mafia and the bikers out of importing, supposedly that's why they're fighting over gambling, because the Mexicans took over importing. But at the end of the day the Mexicans can't force anyone to buy from them, and the HA control street sales and mid level wholesale AND the ports, so if they brought their loads in from Colombia or Venezuela, how could the Mexicans stop them? I'm assuming just like Mexicans sell to everybody, the South American cartels sell to everybody as well.
This is all interesting stuff, too bad Canada doesn't have many rats so we could get to the bottom of this
This is a point I've made that's not usually considered by the Mob Watchers.Whenever people list the crime factions up there, they never consider the Mexicans and how that affects the balance of power in the streets.
Also, I've also tried pointing out, the South American contacts are the big money. The Mexicans work well with large distributors, big gangs and the like. But it takes a huge corporate structure that's essentially successful already to continuously send huge loads like that. Gangs don't have that. The Mexicans don't even need importers really. THEY ARE THE IMPORTERS.They need distributors. They will use a high level broker like a Pietrantonio or perhaps this Roberto Scoppa or the Indian businessman because it makes it easier, bit I'm not sure they even need them.
The Hells did try to import from Colombia direct, at least Martin Robert did. The Mexicans would never need to force anyone to buy from them. That's just hyperbole. Fact is no one can source as much coke and ship it like them. They don't need guns, just better prices to win the market. Look at what the Albanians did in the UK. Also, no one can actually eat losses like the Mexicans. The same seizures that would cripple a mid-level operation the Mexicans will just write off like a cost of doing business.
I've come to believe the Rizzutos never really controlled drugs. I think this was the Caruana- Cuntrera. I think the Rizzutos held a direct, physical presence in Montreal that both clans benefitted from. I used to see them as one thing, now I think they were.....not exactly in lockstep? I dunno....
Right up until that 5400 kilo bust they lost in like 94-95, the Cuntreras were tops in coke amongst the mafia. Then the six Ndrangheta distributors, clans like Morabito and Alvaro it seems took the South American contacts. In the 90s to mid 2000's, there were powerful Naples clans just as active in importation as the Calabrians. By 98, in the Sixth Family they have the Rizzutos trying to buy coke from a Florida wholesaler. Local shit. Something critical happened.....
Because at around the same time frame, early 2000's, Gianni Nichi went through one of Frank Calis Inzerillo contacts (Florida people), and they were getting 500 kilo loads from South America at 5k apiece. The Inzerillos were partners with Nick Rizzuto.
An enduring question I have no answer to is why ( or rather how) did the Inzerillos, after all that happened to them manage to hold onto those contacts and deploy them as a resource, when the Rizzutos seem to have lost them? I think the Calabrians assumed the Sicilians ( Caruana) debts.
But I think the Inzerillos maintained their standing in South America.
