to the la presse story on nicola spagnolo, what else would we expect him to say in order to gain parole? blame booze, upbringing etc.
but perhaps there is also some truth in what he is saying about his level of involvement in the milieu. he certainly has a longer rap sheet than his father...who had none. none of nicolas arrests though show any direct high level mafia activity or leadership role. he was long mentioned as a member of 'the table', a leadership group who is alleged to have taken over after VITOS death in 2013. but in order to be a member of any admin he would have to have some kind of defined role/territory and position. all these years later despite my best efforts i can find none.

however nicola must have assumed some level of authority in order to make it on the hit list menu of the scoppa bros circa 2016. it was his placement on this 'menu' that caused the accidental murder of his father vincenzo in oct 2016.

so did nicola become a point of contact or acting leader of somekind with arrests of leonardo rizzuto and stefano sollecito in 2015 and murder of rocco sollecito in may 2016?
by point of contact i mean did nicola take charge of insuring money owed continued to be collected and delivered to L. rizzuto. spagnolo really only fits into what i have referred to as the rizzuto cell along with charlie renda, someone who also showed up on scoppa hit list.

between time of rocco sollecitos murder and vincenzo spagnolos (may 2016-oct 2016) who else could we say that was looking after interests of the extended rizzuto family?

L. rizzuto was imprisoned after M-M bust nov 2015.
s. sollecito was also imprisoned nov 2015 but was granted bail in june 2016, and likely under heavy surveillance if not house arrest plus sick with cancer.
r. sollecito, murdered may 2016.
liborio cuntrera and marco pizzi both arrested may 2016.

so who else would rizzuto cell turn to in this time that could be trusted 100% but the son of someone that both nick sr. and VITO trusted the same.

the only other names are charlie renda and liborio cuntrera. renda again is related to rizzuto family, was also on hitlist and could be trusted. cuntrera although with charges he was facing related to cocaine importation (albeit from a short period of time in 2011) fits into this role as well being the son of long time rizzuto allie agostino, was on scoppa hitlist and trusted. cuntrera however was likely also under heavy surveillance or house arrest after may 2016 indictment and arrest not being free of charges until march 2017. making him, much like sollecito a harder target to take out putting responsibility on both renda and spagnolo.

so im thinking nicola likely held some importance during rizzutos imprisonment 2015-2018 in order to maintain steady flow of money. the question then is did this role continue with release of rizzuto and charges being dropped against him and stefano.