N'drangheta Pushing Rizzuto Crime Family Out

by Jeff Canarsie

Many people may not be watching Montreal, or Canada for mob news, but it looks like a throwback to the 1970's Philadelphia style, the subtle difference being, the Sicilians are taking over and pushing the Rizzuto family out.

Montreal has long been filled with the Mafia, and decades ago Joe Bonanno had a strangle hold on Montreal and Toronto.  Since Bonanno's retirement and eventual death, Canada has been controlled by the Rizzuto clan, while being oversaw by the five families of New York.Montreal has always been a powder keg in the making, and now, well we have it.

Vito Rizzuto

In just the last few months, there have been some major murders in Montreal including Rocco Sollecito, Lorenzo Giordano, and Vincenzo Spagnolo, who were all high ranking members of the Rizzuto Crime Family who had just recently been released from prison. The Ontario backed N'dr
angheta faction has been making a push to control all of Canada with high profile murders and arson attacks, and it appears that the Rizzuto's tenure has ended.

As well two Calabrian factions, the Violi and Cotroni crime families are also making a bid to take over Montreal.  A part of the reason as to why both families are going at the Rizzuto's is because back the 1970's the Cotroni Crime Family was in charge of Canada, and a Bonanno backed power struggle pushed the Cotroni's out in favor of Vito Rizzuto.  Since then the Cotroni family has yearned for retribution and with the Bonanno's having internal strife, and made it easier for the Cotroni to make a power play.  To be more exact:

"The Calabrian-based Cotroni crime family controlled much of southern Quebec and Ontario with the backing of the Bonanno crime family of the New York mafia for years. An internal war broke out between the Calabrian and Sicilian factions of the Cotroni family in the 70’s which led to the murder of Paolo then an acting capo for leader Vic Cotroni among others. The Sicilian faction led by Nicolo Rizzuto would break away from the Cotroni family forming the Rizzuto crime family that eventually took control of organized crime in Montreal."

There is no doubt that the Canadian Mob War isn't going to end very soon, but you can bet come hell or high water the Cotroni aren't going to sit back and wait for whatever is left of the Rizzuto's to step out of the shadows.