Joseph Todaro, Sr. - Semi-retirement

Semi-retirement

By the mid 1990s Buffalo's local law enforcement alleges that Joseph "Big Joe" Todaro Jr. was made Acting Boss and overseer of the Buffalo crime family's day to day operations with the help of Consigliere, Leonard Falzone, while Joseph Todaro Sr. relaxes in Florida and returns frequently to Buffalo to check on the crime family operations and his million dollar pizzeria and chicken wing business that is run by grandchildren, Joseph Todaro III and Carla Todaro. In recent years, federal and local law enforcement have gone back and forth on the strength and size of the Buffalo crime family, from one of the strongest crime families in the nation to generally extinct, which most believe is highly exaggerated. Many of the lontime members who were with the crime family during the magaddino era have since paased away or retired and several of the Todaro era members, including top soldiers, John "Johnny Catz" Cantanzaro and Donald "Turtle" Pinepinto have died. In 1997, long time Buffalo crime family members, Hamilton, Ontario capo, John "Johnny Pops" Papalia and his lieutenant, Carmen Barillaro were assassinated on the orders of the rival, "wannabe" Calabrian Musitano un-organized crime family of Hamilton. The present day Buffalo crime family is in decline as are many other traditional La Cosa Nostra crime families outside of New York and Chicago, the crime family is now alleged to have a membership of 40–50 made members and a number of associates who assist with the day to day criminal activities of the crime family, but law enforcement states that the Buffalo and Western New York area still has a traditional organized crime presence and that the Todaro family still lead the way.