Montreal Mafia boss’s son shot to death
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/12/2009 (5789 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
MONTREAL — The life of Nicolo (Nick) Rizzuto Jr. was nowhere near as notorious or scrutinized as that of his father, Vito Rizzuto — a man described as the reputed head of the Mafia in Montreal. But the younger Rizzuto’s sudden death Monday has sparked a very public flurry of speculation over who would commit the murder and who might profit from it.
"He didn’t have the respect his father had, but he did have respect. He operated while using the family name. There was no doubt about that," said one police source who speculated reprisals are likely to follow.
"The (Rizzuto) family has gone down (in terms of power). It’s clear now."
Police sources said Nick Rizzuto, 42, was believed to be handling the financial aspects of his father’s business while Vito Rizzuto was in a U.S. prison, where he continues to serve a 10-year sentence for a racketeering conviction involving the 1981 killings of three Mafia captains.
The family’s influence appears to have been significantly weakened by the absence of Vito Rizzuto, who is behind bars in a federal correctional complex in Colorado.
His extradition to the United States was soon followed by arrests in 2006 in Project Colisee — an investigation into the Montreal Mafia.
The police perimeter erected around the spot where Nick Rizzuto fell, shot anywhere from four to six times in the upper body, has blossomed out for two blocks.
According to witnesses, Rizzuto was attacked by a single male assailant who, after he finished shooting, fled on foot.
In a building just a few metres away from where Rizzuto was found sprawled beside a black Mercedes sports car, police could be seen walking through the second floor offices of FTM Construction, owned by Antonio Magi, who, in an interview this month with The Gazette, acknowledged his business relationship with the victim.
"We had bought a piece of land together, which we are developing," Magi said of Nick Rizzuto. "He’s studied law and he’s a smart kid. He’s smart in real estate.
"The poor guy. He tries to do something in his life and, because of his family’s past history, every time he turns around he gets hit with something."
— Canwest News Service