Current Status
The Buffalo crime family's base of power has been the City of Buffalo, New York for the last century, but the group has also had criminal interests and satellite groups, or "crews", in other areas, such as Rochester Massena and Utica in upstate New York; eastern Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; and the southern Ontario cities of Niagara Falls, Hamilton and Toronto. The Buffalo crime family remains active to this day, but law enforcement and the media have estimated the crime family's current underworld presence at anywhere from one of the most powerful crime families in La Cosa Nostra to being on the verge of extinction. The family also had significant power in Niagara Falls, New York and was associated with the corrupt leadership of the Laborers Local 91 laborers' union.
The Buffalo crime family has continued to be active in the Western and upstate New York areas, along with the Southern Ontario area, affiliated and active crews operate in several Buffalo areas such as the North, East and West Sides and in some suburban locations such as Niagara Falls, Cheektowaga and Amherst along with Utica, New York and Niagara Falls, Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario. No longer does it have a seat on the Mafia's National Commission as the New York Mafia and its 5 Crime Families have been in disarray for the last 10–15 years. The Buffalo crime family's membership is down with an estimated 40 made members and roughly 800-1000 associates and they no longer control extremely large criminal operations such as large scale gambling, extortion or protection, burglary rings, hijacking and narcotics.
Since the 1990s it has been predicted by local law enforcement, the media and crime writers who keep a close watch on the Western New York underworld that Joseph Todaro, Jr. was the most likely successor to his father as the next Buffalo crime family Boss being that he has been Acting Boss since roughly 1995, but as recently as late 2006 there has been a rumor circulating that the Todaros, Joseph Todaro, Sr. and Joseph Todaro Jr. have officially retired from active participation in Buffalo crime family activities and affairs and have officially elevated Consigliere, Leonard Falzone and Capo, Benjamin "Sonny" Nicolletti Jr. to the positions of Boss and Underboss. In other words, the Buffalo crime family may no longer be called the Todaro crime family as the "Todaro Era" has possibly ended, but this as of yet has not been verified by local or national law enforcement, agencies such as the Buffalo P.D., the FBI or the DEA so it cannot be considered official, but the "Falzone Era" has begun.
Read more about this topic: Buffalo Crime Family
Famous quotes containing the words current and/or status:
“A reaction: a boat which is going against the current but which does not prevent the river from flowing on.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“What is clear is that Christianity directed increased attention to childhood. For the first time in history it seemed important to decide what the moral status of children was. In the midst of this sometimes excessive concern, a new sympathy for children was promoted. Sometimes this meant criticizing adults. . . . So far as parents were put on the defensive in this way, the beginning of the Christian era marks a revolution in the child’s status.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)