[3] The Papalias had strong connections with the Buffalo crime family of Buffalo, New York under long-reigning boss Johnny Papalia, who was often called "Pops" or "The Enforcer". Just Paw-fect - new police puppies put through their . Papalia also operated various gambling bars and vending machine businesses. [56], The illegal gambling business in Toronto was very lucrative, dominated by Maxie Bluestein who kept the Mafia out of his pocket. [24], By the late 1950s, Johnny Papalia was a made man in the Buffalo family, and boss of the Papalia family Ontario faction. [110] In 1974, Montreal mobsters Vincenzo Cotroni and Paolo Violi were overheard on a police wiretap threatening to kill Papalia and demanding $150,000 after he used their names in the $300,000 extortion of Toronto business man Stanley Bader without notifying or cutting them in on the score. "[57] At the trial, which started on June 27, 1961, the witnesses were visibly terrified of Papalia, and several times, the presiding judge, Joseph Addison, accused several of the witnesses of perjury, saying he did not find their testimony about not being able to remember who had beaten Bluestein very credible. Calls came in reporting a shooting Read More Canadian Mafia Is the Musitano family era at an end in Hamilton? [120] Papalia refused to be interviewed, exploding in rage and swearing at a CBC television crew that tried to interview him on the streets, believing that this would render the footage un-airable. For a guy who been doing so much in this country, the police haven't been able to come up with anything on me. [117], In 1979, Monarch Vending was sold to Allind Distributors of Toronto while a non-competition agreement was signed with Frank Papalia and Monaco, stating the two were not to compete with Monarch Vending in the greater Toronto area for the next five years. [92] Only members and their guests who knew the password were allowed entry. He owned an entire city block among his vast real estate holdings. [104] Despite their efforts, Domenic Racco was convicted of three counts of attempted murder. "[131] In the same interview with Peter Moon of The Globe & Mail, Papalia listed his hobbies as watching boxing, baseball, American football and old films as he could not stand "this porno stuff" as he labelled modern films. [21] The Papalia family were still angry with Perri for his refusal to support the Italiano family and made an alliance with Stefano Magaddino against him. "[81] Another Hamilton policeman told the same reporter, "A real deadly man who would crush you without thinking. When the police arrested Kenneth Murdock in 1999, he decided to become a government witness. He was killed. [50], In 1955, with assistance from Sylvestro, Papalia started opening charter gambling clubs in Hamilton and Toronto. [167] On 22-23 October 1997, Rizzuto met twice in a Hamilton restaurant with his Toronto agent Gaetano "Guy" Panepinto and Pasquale "Fat Pat" Musitano. [137] Sandelli stated, "You can't infiltrate Johnny Papalia. [20] The authorities imposed conditions upon his release such as he stay out of Hamilton and regularly check in with the police. [91] At a meeting with Luppino in November 1968, Papalia expressed some uncertainty as to whom the Cotroni family of Montreal answered to, saying it was either the Magaddino family or the Bonanno family, leading to Luppino to answer "We are still under the Commission. He would looked like a complete fool. And he as always very self-conscious about it. "[127] Simard phoned Cotroni in Montreal and then handed the phone over to Papalia, who was told that Simard was his representative and he was to work with him. [10] He was arrested again in 1949 and sentenced to two years in prison at the Guelph Reformatory for possession of narcotics, down from conspiracy to distribute narcotics. [26] By that time, he was considered to be the "most organized crime figure" in Ontario. [122], Papalia came to play a "Godfather" role in the Italian Canadian community, serving as a community mediator as Papalia's biographer Adrien Humphreys noted, "There are hundreds of people throughout Hamilton who will attest to Johnny's helping hand. The elite Nomad chapter of the Hells Angels based in Montreal purchased their cocaine from the Rizzuto family, and in return sold the cocaine to the other Hells Angels chapters. [7] Murdock went to Galaxy Vending to meet with Papalia, whom he had met several times before, to speak in the parking lot of Galaxy Vending under the false pretense of seeking his help to get money back from the Musitanos. "[115] The fact that Cotroni had threatened to kill Papalia if he went to prison caused him much alarm, and it came as a considerable relief to him in May 1977 when Violi and Cotroni were acquitted on most of the charges on an appeal. You know you didn't have to give them anything back. Papalia was born on March 18, 1924, in Hamilton. Another branch of the family is based in Griffith in the Australian state of New South Wales. [75] It was around this time that Papalia started to be known in the underworld as "the Enforcer. [25] It is believed Antonio and Johnny Papalia, along with Stefano Magaddino of the Buffalo crime family, played a role in Perri's disappearance in 1944 after Perri left members of his Mafia crew "slighted", though the case remains unsolved. "[146] The police suspect that Barillaro was involved in Iannuzzelli's presumed murder. But that doesn't mean I was involved; I wasn't, because I wouldn't have anything to do with Greeks I don't like them, I don't like their restaurants, I don't like their food. Papalia was born in Hamilton, to Italian immigrants who also had a history in organized crime. [77] Papalia came to be fascinated with chess and therefore often likened himself to a chess master who always carefully pondered his every move. After the Rizzuto crime family were not repaid, in September 1996, Mora was shot in the head four times at a Vaughan farm; Giacinto Arcuri was arrested and charged with Mora's murder, but was acquitted for lack of evidence. I'm your new partner. "[10][11], Papalia's mother, Maria Rosa Italiano, also came from a Mafia family, the Italiano clan, who also participated in Perri's gang. "[121] The Gold Key Club became Papalia's principal base for entertaining visitors as the large, illuminated neon yellow key on the front of the club became a symbol of his power in Hamilton. [96], In August 1970, Papalia attended a crime summit in Acapulco representing the Magaddino family to meet with gangsters from Canada, the United States, France, and Mexico to discuss plans to take over the soon to be legalized casino industry in Quebec. The crime family was founded in the early 1940s by Anthony Musitano, who fled to Canada after murdering his sister in an honour killing when she became pregnant out of wedlock. [50], Another branch of the 'ndrina moved to Griffith, New South Wales. It's widely believed by Mafia insiders that Magaddino and Papalia wanted to move in on Perri's territory in Ontario. [27] In 1972, Ryce became the mistress of Frank Papalia, who also used her, having her "entertain" other mafiosi via dinners, drinks and sex, through she was informed she that she must never engage in oral sex, which was forbidden to mafiosi. [151], In the 1990s, Mora borrowed $7.2 million from Montreal mob boss Vito Rizzuto and gave the bulk of the money to Papalia to open an upscale restaurant and nightclub in Toronto. "[2] Antonio Papalia was released in 1941 after he convinced the authorities that he was not a Fascist. [116] After his release from prison, Papalia went to his cottage at Lake Temagami in northern Ontario. [37] However, at the trial, the defence questioned the validity of the wiretap evidence. It wasn't for a lack of trying, he was just too smart. [76] The "French Connection" case was described by Robert F. Kennedy, the attorney-general of the United States, as "the deepest penetration ever made in the illegal international trafficking of drugs. [92] Using the phone records, the police discovered that Vincenzo was Vincenzo Sicari, the owner of a pizzeria in Montreal who often visited Toronto. They got it for you. When I saw Bluestein, some 10 days after the affair, he looked like a piece of meat. [122] In the 1980s, Papalia tried to seize control of the illegal gambling houses in Toronto's Greektown on the Danforth, sending his right-hand man Carmen Barillaro to lead a crew to beat up patrons and rob the gambling houses that refused to pay the extortion. The Papalia crime family ( Italian: [papalia]) also known as Papalia 'ndrina, is a 'Ndrangheta organized crime family [2] based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, as well as Plat in Southern Italy and Buccinasco in Northern Italy. Papalia, even though he was 73 when he died, he wouldn't have put up with that."[172]. [47] The Hamilton police chief, Leonard Lawrence, stated in a press conference that Papalia was the leading suspect in a number of beatings of businessmen, saying, "We have heard rumors that gangland beatings have taken place here recently, but when we question people who are said to be involved, nobody-including the victims-shows much interest in talking to us. [106], In 1971, Stanley Bader, a disreputable Toronto stockbroker with a talent for swindling his investors went into business with Sheldon "Sonny" Swartz, who was the son of a Papalia family associate. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "[140] Papalia greatly resented the police surveillance, and was once overheard by a police bug complaining about the "lady Mountie" who had been assigned to follow him, saying, "What's the world coming to? [129] During a visit to Montreal, Cotroni asked Simard if Papalia was being polite. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . [170] Langton noted Papalia had a marked distaste for outlaw bikers and, in a sign of his power, Walter Stadnick, the former president of Hells Angels Canada, had trouble establishing the Angels in Ontario while Papalia was alive. [16] Tony Papalia attracted much media attention when he was named as the prime suspect in the murder of Starkman on August 13, 1930, through he was never charged. They're setting people up to be compromised. The Papalia crime family ( Italian: [papalia]) also known as Papalia 'ndrina, is a 'Ndrangheta organized crime family [2] based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, as well as Plat in Southern Italy and Buccinasco in Northern Italy. Another branch of the family is based in Griffith in the Australian state of New South Wales. [10], In 1940, Papalia's father was arrested and sent to internment at Camp Petawawa as part of the Italian Canadian internment, as potentially dangerous enemy aliens with alleged connections to Benito Mussolini's fascist regime, causing his son to have a grudge against the Canadian government. [101] In August 1971, at a meeting in Toronto, Luppino shifted control of the construction unions in Toronto from Papalia to Volpe, which was a major blow to Papalia's ego. Half. "[113], Bader testified against them, and the three were convicted of extortion in 1975 and sentenced to six years in prison. [75] Much to Papalia's annoyance, some of his interests in Toronto were handed over by the Magaddinos to Volpe. [22] 1955, with assistance from Sylvestro, Papalia started opening charter gambling clubs in Hamilton and Toronto. [66] Through the company records listed Johnny only as an employee of his brother Frank, he was considered by almost everyone to be the real boss of Monarch Vending. [41][42][43][44][40] The Musitano's pleaded guilty to conspiracy of Barillaro's death, but not Papalia's, receiving a 10-year sentence in February 2000, but were released in October 2006. [41] Galante had forged an alliance with the Cotroni family, placing Quebec in the sphere of influence of the Bonanno family, and Magaddino, who wanted to keep southern Ontario in his sphere of influence, chose Papalia as one of his instruments for doing so. [13] Between May and June 1929, an undercover Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Frank Zaneth, was able to penetrate into the Perri-Starkman group by posing as a drug dealer from Montreal. [27], While Johnny was in jail for an extortion conviction, police focused their attention on his brother Frank, the underboss of the family. People who use our name pay. They were able to take control of the local mafia in the 1990s with the backing of Montreal's powerful Rizzuto crime family. [23] One who knew the gang stated, "They were a very tough bunch. They spent money like water". Mafia Criminal organization Social issue Activism . If a guy needed a few bucks, John would give him a job taking the garbage out, or painting something, or whatever needed to be done. [13] The refusal of Perri and Starkman to financially support the Italiano family despite the way he observed Omert caused much resentment and Antonio was described at the time as being angry with Starkman, whom he felt was greedy. "[37] However, Synowich focused on Papalia's sex addiction, calling him "a compulsive womanizer. They do it for the future. [149] The Quebec biker war confirmed his prejudices as he found the Angels to be too violent and too vulgar for his liking. [153][169], Crime expert Jerry Langton called Papalia the most important Ontario Mafioso of his generation. He would look after them. [97] French gangsters of Le Milieu attended the summit as it was planned to use the casinos to launder the profits from the French Connection smuggling network. After the Mafia imploded in less than a year, there was no one to oppose the bikers and they came rushing in. [168] Rizzuto appointed Musitano as one of his Ontario lieutenants to work under the authority of Panepinto. [81] One Hamilton policeman told a reporter from The Toronto Star, "In the 15 years I've known him, I've never known him to engage in a legal activity. "[131]In 1994, Papalia began suffering from health problems, and spent most of his time either at his penthouse apartment on Market Street or his office at the Galexy Vending company across the street. [17], Papalia attended St. Augustine Catholic School on Mulberry Street, dropping out in grade 8 after he suffered from a case of tuberculosis that put him in a sanitorium for several months. Listen, I'm lucky to have a couple of good brothers who look after me. [34] The fact that Bynoe had paid Papalia $100 in exchange for being allowed to have sex with Ryce left him open to the charge of soliciting prostitution, which had had been very embarrassing for him, especially if he was holding a position of power. [56] Under the "French Connection", the Mafia brought heroin via France into North America. [52] Together with Alberto Agueci of the Magaddino family, Papalia contacted Antoine Cordoliani and Joseph Csari, two Corsican leaders of Le Milieu, to buy high-quality heroin. When Michelle Castillo was found hanging from a showerhead in her Ashburn, Virginia, home with an electrical cord around her neck, her family was dumbfounded. Maybe we have friends in common, like F.C. "[14] Johnny, the oldest brother to Frank, Rocco and Dominic Papalia, half-brothers Joseph and Angelo Papalia, brother-in-law Tony Pugliese, and associates, all worked in running his clubs and gambling operations. [86] Later upon his return to Canada, the Canadian authorities refused the extradition request from Italy under the grounds that Papalia was a Canadian citizen and that the offense of "Mafia associations" did not exist in the Criminal Code of Canada. [133] Despite the unflattening picture of him in Deadly Silence, Papalia never sued Edwards and Nicaso for libel. They were generous that way. [5][73] After his sentence for the Bluestein assault was commuted on March 15, 1962, he was finally extradited. [92] On July 28, 1969, Papalia again returned to Toronto to meet with Luppino, and on the same day, the bullet-ridden body of Sicari was found in Toronto. [2] Papalia's territory covered Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, St. Catharine's, Welland, Niagara Falls and much of Toronto. Rocco projected power and over the years some of it rubbed off on meYou need help? [95] The inquiry commissioner found no evidence that Papalia had corrupted Silk via Duke, but did criticize Silk for associating with Duke, whom he stated was an unsavory figure. [93] The speech caused a media storm in Ontario. [152], In April 1997, Pasquale "Fat Pat" Musitano, the boss of the Musitano family, met with Gaetano "Guy" Panepinto, the Toronto agent of Montreal's Rizzuto family, in Niagara Falls. [163][164], Papalia's brother Frank, the former underboss of the family, who would have been the heir to the operation, decided not to retaliate; instead, he retired and lived inconspicuously. Apparently it bothered him all his life and you had to very careful about calling John a 'bastard'. [99] The allegation made by the FLQ in its manifesto of October 8, 1970 that was read out on national television and radio in both French and English following the kidnapping of the British trade commissioner James Cross on October 5 that Bourassa was working for "the election riggers Simard-Cotroni" caused Bourassa to change his policies that were perceived to be friendly towards organized crime. [162] In October 2006, the Musitano brothers were both released from prison. He died of natural causes in April 2014, at the age of 83. [125] In July 1983, Ral Simard moved to Ontario from Montreal where he met with Papalia in Hamilton on behalf of Frank Cotroni. [22] Johnny Papalia did not volunteer for overseas service (until November 1944, Canada only sent volunteers overseas to fight in World War II). Related Topics . [23] After police raids, Papalia started working with James McDermott and Vincent Feeley in several clubs throughout southern Ontario. "He was very good to all the kids and very good to all the people who lived in the area. [57] Bluestein refused to "merge" his operations with Papalia's and was beaten with brass knuckles, iron bars and fists as a result. In the 1960s, he played a role in the French Connection drug smuggling operation, for which he was extradited to the United States and served five years of a 10-year prison sentence. His companies were the biggest vending-machine and liquor-dispensing equipment firms in Canada. [6][7] Tony Papalia was working as a driver for Perri's bootlegging operations at least by 1922, if not earlier. [30], In 1954, Papalia paid the tax arrears of the Porcupine Miners' Club of Timmins, a social group for the miners in northern Ontario founded in 1929 that had been out of business for some time. [56] The "French Connection" heroin was grown in the poppy fields of Turkey and further afield in the "Golden Crescent" nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran or the "Golden Triangle" nations of Burma, Thailand and Laos. The Papalia clan that operate in Italy have alliances with the Barbaro 'ndrina, while the Papalia clan in Canada is one of three centralized Mafia organizations in Hamilton the other two being the Musitano crime family and the Luppino . The killings of Johnny and his lieutenant Carmen Barillaro in 1997, ordered by the Musitanos, had effectively wiped out the family's remaining leaders in Canada. [146] Iannuzzelli, the owner of the House of Frankenstein Wax Museum, was a loanshark who was under the protection of Dominic Longo. 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