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An expert on
organized crime said John Papalia and Carmen
Barillaro were killed as part of a takeover
bid of Ontario's mafia by outside criminal
elements. Antonio Nicaso said there
is no great mystery why Kenneth Murdock was
ordered to kill the crime boss and his
lieutenant last year. If another mob wants
to take over, it is only natural they would
eliminate the competition. Why the Ontario
mob figures were killed has been a
frequently asked question over the last
year. A plethora of possible answers were
expounded in the media as joint forces
effort Project Expiate got under way last
March. Some, such as mob watcher James Dubro,
have said Barillaro ordered the death of his
boss Papalia, possibly over debts. But when
the mob found out, Barillaro suffered in the
spirit of what comes around goes around.Nicaso,
an Italian author of 10 books on organized
crime, said the inclusion by Project Expiate
of other deaths such as the 1985 killing of
Salvatore Alaimo in Hamilton into the
mob-murder equation throws a wrench into
these theories.``It
is not really a crazy person doing this,''
explained Nicaso to journalists in
Hamilton after police announced the arrest
of Pasquale and Angelo Musitano in
connection with the murders. ``This is
really something important. Montreal and
American families are trying to exert
control over the Ontario mobs,'' he said.
Nicaso
added the death of the Ontario mobsters
comes down to power.
It is likely,
he said, they were killed by mafia elements
in Montreal or Toronto in a bid to take over
the southern Ontario families and change the
face of organized crime in the province.
``You can't just kill John Papalia,'' said
Nicaso. ``He was the boss here for 30
years. He can only be killed by orders that
came from the top.''
Nicaso said it may
also be that the more powerful Canadian mobs
sought to eliminate Papalia and his
lieutenants to remove the American
organizations they were affiliated to.
Papalia
was connected to the Magaddino crime
organization in Buffalo.
By eliminating Papalia, the Magaddinos lose
their influence on this side of the border.
``This was done as a way to take control,''
said Nicaso. ``You have to look at
the big picture.'' |
