The Cotroni Clan seemed to be longer in Montreal and the Calabrians seemed stronger as well as longer in Montreal and yet,they joined Cosa Nostra instead of the Cosa Nostra members falling in with them.Why is it that in any city where the Camorra or 'Ndrangheta preceded and was stronger than the Cosa Nostra that they eventually join Cosa Nostra instead of the other way around or at least staying separate from Cosa Nostra
Good morning, Havana.
I have several 'theories' for this. And they are not necessarily mutually exclusive of one another...
1) The Mafia was always recognized as being the 'better' and more organized entity of the three major Italian organized crime networks — with a rigid formal "Roman legion" like structure. Whereas both Camorra and Ndrangheta are not as well hierarchically designed. So it only made sense that when they combined groups, they adapted the "better" design — the one developed by the Sicilians.
2) I suspect that the Sicilians may have already planted their flag simultaneous to coming to the "New World” — not only within the U.S., but also up in Canada. In other words — across ALL of North America. If that indeed was the case, then any other Italian organization trying to formally establish a beachhead here thereafter would have had to recognize the Sicilians as the original "resident" underworld power.
3) Lastly, Masseria, Maranzano, and finally, their successor — Lucky Luciano — were all Sicilian. So I imagine, Luciano — as the overall architect — led them the "Mafia" way.
