What I find interesting is the constant movement between Montreal and South America. It's a great way to build rapport with cocaine producers while hiding from any potential danger back home.

kind of reminds me of Rizzuto in the 70's when he fled to Venezuela.....

I knew the Scoppas would be revealed to be some big players within the Montreal Milieu, at least as far as drugs may go, and of course if you have a constant link to South America, and a steady flow of drugs coming in, your power starts to grow in other areas. I agree his movements is definitely reminiscent of Nick Sr and his relations with South American cartels after he joined the Caruana-C-u-n-trera's in Venezuela. But it seems this raid had to do with a murder, anyone know who he's suspected of having murdered and if it has anything to do with the current going on's in Montreal? Whats also interesting is that the authorities don't see this as a mob war, but an internal conflict, like many of us were theorizing earlier before changing our opinions based on what was occurring. If it really is Arcadi & his group against the new consortium of leaders, or "roundtable", then wow, is all I can say.


And speaking on that recorded meeting with Vito & Robatile or however you spell his name, it's interesting that Vito brought Mucci along to that meeting. As I guess at that time with Vito around, Mucci's loyalty wasn't in question.

I remember hearing their name for the first time over ten years ago, more specifically Andrew. At the time, they had serious clout within Montreal and very few messed with them, including bikers or rival mobsters.

I would imagine that their influence over the last decade has grown due to all the arrests, murders and take-overs by rivals.

It would be interesting to see who they're allies are within Montreal and outside of Montreal

It's clearly an internal thing, but it was also very internal during 09-2013 as well ,with multiple groups vying for power.

I agree, many of them end up going on so called "vacations trips" to Mexico, Dominican republic,Colombia not to mention a few others. I guess like in any business you have to have close contacts with your suppliers and all. With a price on his head it makes it much harder for his enemies to track him down.As long as he doesn't make the same mistake like Gallo by staying at one place.
They mention the purpose of the raid may be for a murder case. I would imagine it must be for a recent murder. Wonder who?

Yes he was in the news years ago,he made his mark when stepping over HA turf. HA complained and Gallo was send there to smooth things down with HA. That's when boundaries were determined.

Andrew seems to have more clout and respect within the milieu.

Could the murder be about Campellone?

Reading this thread back, from page 2 and 3 onwards, it's funny how much of this was called, and how early theories, are now resurfacing as supposed fact. Specifically this whole situation being internal.

I have a feeling that it is more likely related to this case than Campellone's.

https://gangstersout.blogspot.ca/2013/06/another-mafia-murder-in-montreal.html?m=1

I believe the Scoppas get their coke from the Sinaloa cartel, at least Andrew's associate Jimmy Cournoyer did.

I agree.

Seems like it yes. It could be totally unrelated to the current mayhem even though the timing is interesting.

@Eurodave


Great observation on South America. I don't know if it's possible, (Because of the consequences of a Globalized drug market..) to fully understand the power structure in Ontario without knowing WHO is connected in South America...

@Sonny


I thought the Hells had their own direct connections to Colombian Cartels?

I could have sworn I've seen others post on it, is this wrong guys?

Your right Cabrini they did,in 1997 Montreal HA president Mom Boucher had an emissary Guy Lepage that did business with the Mejia Twins drug cartel in Colombia.

Makes sense, although they are influential there were never signs they were involved in the major hits last year.

Franco Roberti is mentioned in the Italian-language article to which I've linked below. The article was published online today.

Il Canada è diventato il paradiso dei mafiosi
http://espresso.repubblica.it/inchieste/...3319?refresh_ce

Like many Italian-language articles written about the Montreal mob war, this article is essentially presented as a Sicilians-versus-Calabrians battle for control of the Montreal underworld, using the murders of Rocco Sollecito and Carmine Verduci as a framework, and concluding that the 'ndrangheta will not be stopped in its attempt to take over. The reporter has at least made the effort to present competing theories about certain events. This part of the article is what I found most intriguing:

Dissidi, forse alla base dell’agguato a Verduci, scoppiati dalla scoperta di un inatteso legame tra Ciccio Formaggio e uomini dell’odiato clan Rizzuto. Su questa ipotesi stanno lavorando anche i nostri specialisti antimafia. Che, ora, metteranno alla prova la controparte canadese dopo la firma delle linee guida volute da Franco Roberti. “The Animal”, colpito dal fuoco di due padrini emergenti che mirano a prendersi anche il Québec, cioè Montréal, la città dove Cosa nostra è più forte e il tessuto economico più florido.

The first sentence above indicates that one possible reason for the murder of Verduci was an unexpected link he had with men from the Rizzuto clan. The fourth sentence indicates that Verduci ("The Animal)" was shot as a result of two emerging godfathers (candidates?) who also have their sights set on taking over Montreal.

Last year, on another forum, either eurodave, Hollander, or I posted a link to an Italian-language article that indicated Rocco Sollecito had tight links to 'ndrangheta clans whose origins are in the Locride (an area in the province of Reggio Calabria)--here's the link to that article:

http://www.rivieraweb.it/la-‘ndrangheta-vuole-tutto-dopo-toronto-montréal

I am of the belief that Verduci had tight links to Agostino Cun-trera but I have never been able to confirm this. As an aside, I did read in the Operazione Il Crimine arrest warrants that Giuseppe Coluccio first sought refuge in Quebec in 2005 before making his way to Ontario, where he lived till his arrest in 2008. The ties that Sollecito is reported to have with the Commisso clan in Italy were also confirmed in the same warrants, as were the ties that Vito Rizzuto, Nick Rizzuto Sr., Paolo Renda, Francesco Arcadi, Sicilian traffickers in Ontario, and the Caruan-Cun-trera group had to the same clan.

The two emerging godfathers ("due padrini emergenti") could be a reference to the Figliomeni brothers who are thought to have ordered Verduci's murder, but I am also wondering whether this could be a reference to Francesco Arcadi and Francesco Del Balso.

The reporter may also be insinuating that Verduci and Sollecito had tight links.

For what it's worth, there are also one or more articles published at the time of Verduci's death stating that he had ties with or had sided with Salvatore Montagna.

With all these theories and sometimes contradicting statements it's hard to believe what is true and what isn't.

Did the articles state who were Verduci and Montagna's enemies? Or only that those two had been working together before Verduci's death?

Thanks for that great article..what I got from it is that Verducis behaviour and connections to the Rizzuto clan were bothering local ndrangheta bosses, potentially the figliomenis

That's the trouble I have with this Montreal war. I'm reading Business or Blood at the moment and it's all hypothesis and assumptions. As long as no major guys on both sides flip, we will never know the real story..

Here's at least one article that states:

During the fight to steal turf from Rizzuto, police say Verduci was part of a group that became involved with Sal Montagna, head of the Bonanno crime family of New York City.

https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2014/04/25/suspected_mob_hitman_gunned_down_in_woodbridge.html

As of now, the theory that Verduci was killed as part of a fued between the Figliomeni and Coluccio clans still seems the most viable to me.

If it was in any way linked to Rizzuto in Montreal, perhaps that than also means that Coluccio had good ties with the Rizzutos. It would make sense given the fact that Coluccio is the son-in-law of Bruzzese and was supposedly close with Joe [BadWord]. Something to think about.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2012/...limbo_here.html


I also am in agreement that Verduci was killed because of an existing feud between Figliomeni and Colluccio. The Italian article,although I find it to be well written & interesting, for the most part is basically a summary of what was said in other news sources or by book authors. Verduci association with Rizzuto would not be surprising considering the fact that Bruzzese had good relations with the Rizzuto's as did the Coluccio's with the Cun trera's. Their relations may have deteriorated while Vito was imprisoned for they saw an opportunity to expand.

In the article above Bruzzese is quoted as saying in 2009:

"Bruzzese can be heard exchanging gossip and complaints about upcoming weddings and telling Commisso about “disagreements” and messy infighting within various clans."

The infighting existed well before Verduci got killed.

This my take on it but I don't dispute that some of theories expressed by some of you to be also possible.

For what it's worth the Figliomenis are problaby related to former Siderno mayor Alessandro Figliomeni. Carmine Verduci was from another town Oppido Mamertina.

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/unsett...perts-1.8336459

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justic...ontrealaise.php

Unsettled Montreal Mob leadership means arson and reprisals to continue: experts -

I'd say a rather good but vague summary of current events.

There's a desire to get rid of the old regime and make a democratic pluralistic mafia within montrea, maybe similar to what they have in Toronto or New York where multiple families and leaders operate.

If so that will be the end of Cosa Nostra.

Hard to get behind the stuff written here, with so many of the topic titles and photos to accompany them seem kind of tongue in cheek humor. IE. The "Cosmo The Clown" article.

Not saying this is the case, just what it looks like to me.

The police raid on Salvatore Scoppa could be linked to a double homicide. More details to come....

Felix Seguin TVA news

https://news.vice.com/fr/article/une-petite-histoire-de-la-mafia-de-montreal

A small history on the Montreal mafia.

Could be linked to the two brothers who disappeared last year?