The Arm Splits
By the mid 1960s many of the Buffalo crime family's top members began to believe that Boss, Stefano Magaddino had become a paranoid and notoriously greedy leader with old age who was losing the respect of his underlings. This was reinforced in 1968 when Magaddino informed his top crime family members that their share of profits from the crime family's operations would be reduced and they would not receive their yearly bonus due to a decrease in the crime family's illegal earnings. The November 26, 1968 arrest of Stefano Magaddino and his son and crime family capo, Peter Magaddino on charges of interstate bookmaking allowed the arresting F.B.I agents, including former agent and author, Joseph Griffin to conduct a search of the Magaddino homes where approximately $473,134 was found hidden in Peter's luxurious home. After learning of the cash the Magaddino's possessed it was reported that the top Buffalo crime family members wished to kill Boss, Stefano Magaddino, but were in fear of the Mafia Commission in New York and their punishment for an unauthorized killing of a crime family Boss, the crime family's top members opted to revolt in late 1968 and vote Stefano Magaddino out as Boss.
Joseph Todaro Sr. was one of the alleged Buffalo crime family members who traveled from Buffalo to the Rochester farmhouse of Capo, Frank Valenti in December 1968 to discuss the present situation in Buffalo which was brought to bear on the decision to vote Magaddino out as boss. At this meeting it was decided that the top crime family members would revolt against Magaddino and his supporters, at this time the crime family was split into 4 factions. Stefano Magaddino led a faction of Buffalo crime family members still loyal to him, while capos, Sam Pieri and Joe Fino led the two most powerful factions of dissident crime family members, leaving capo, Frank Valenti announcing that the Rochester faction will split completely from Buffalo and become an autonomous crime family. The Buffalo crime family was now made up of two dissident factions, the Pieri-Frangiamore Faction was led by Capos, Sam Pieri and his right hand man, Sam Frangiamore, while capo Joseph Todaro Sr. supports the Fino-Sansanese Faction led by Joe Fino and his right hand man, Capo Danny Sansanese. Soon after the split, F.B.I. surveillance places several top Buffalo crime family members in New York meeting with Genovese crime family leaders in April 1969, allegedly to advise the New York leaders that the dissident Buffalo factions no longer recognize Stefano Magaddino as Boss. The Genovese crime family represents Buffalo on the Commission and their leadership recognizes the new Buffalo regime, but Magaddino officially retains the title of Boss as the Commission does not sanction the new regime in Buffalo. According to "Organized Crime:25 Years After Valachi, Senate hearings and the Chronological History of La Cosa Nostra in the U.S. 1920–87" the top Buffalo crime family members, including Joseph Todaro Sr. meet on July 9, 1969 to elect a new leadership, crime family capos, Sam Pieri, Joe Fino and Joe DiCarlo are elected Acting boss, Underboss and Acting Consigliere by the dissident crime family factions.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Todaro, Sr.
Famous quotes containing the words arm and/or splits:
“It all ended with the circuslike whump of a monstrous box on the ear with which I knocked down the traitress who rolled up in a ball where she had collapsed, her eyes glistening at me through her spread fingers—all in all quite flattered, I think. Automatically, I searched for something to throw at her, saw the china sugar bowl I had given her for Easter, took the thing under my arm and went out, slamming the door.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“Family quarrels are bitter things. They don’t go according to any rules. They’re not like aches or wounds; they’re more like splits in the skin that won’t heal because there’s not enough material.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)