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Homicide at day's end with accompanying details

Authorities dismantled Montreal's Sicilian mafia leadership on Thursday, apprehending key figures such as Leonardo Rizzuto, the child of a prior boss. This extensive operation, reminiscent of a significant scale, was initiated around three years after the initial confessions of hitman Frédéric...

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In a significant development on Thursday, law enforcement officials dismantled the Sicilian...
In a significant development on Thursday, law enforcement officials dismantled the Sicilian underworld's leadership in Montreal, with key figures like Leonardo Rizzuto, son of a prior godfather, among those arrested. This extensive operation, which marks a substantial stride against organized crime, unfolded three years after the initial revelations by hitman Fredrick Silva. Reported by Daniel Renaud.

Homicide at day's end with accompanying details

November 1, 2011. Relaxing on his condo balcony in Saint-Laurent's towering skyscraper, Lorenzo Lopresti takes a drag from his cigarette.

The Daniel Renaud Investigation Team, along with an associate close to Stefano Sollecito, move in on their prey. A heated encounter ensues, with shots ringing out. Silva's firearm jams temporarily, but the other assailant keeps firing. Lopresti is gravely wounded and receives a final, fatal shot to the head, leaving his partner in a state of sheer terror.

This was the inaugural murder carried out by Frédéric Silva, working for the Sicilians. The SPVM implicated Leonardo Rizzuto in the crime, arresting him early Thursday morning at his Laval residence.

After initial negotiation, Rizzuto surrendered without resistance, and was led away in handcuffs. Unfazed, he rode in the passenger seat of a convoy to the SPVM's East Operational Center, offering a calm demeanor as photographers documented his arrival.

Ten other suspected murderers, including Stefano Sollecito and his brother Mario, Vito Salvaggio, and Sasha Krolik, were also arrested and transported to Quebec's General Headquarters on rue Parthenais, or elsewhere, pending their court appearances.

At the time of writing, authorities still consider three individuals, including three believed to be overseas, as wanted fugitives.

Crimes and Conspiracies

The charges leveled against Rizzuto, Sollecito, and others hint at the Sicilian clan being on the brink of collapse, struggling against enemies or disloyal members during Vito Rizzuto's imprisonment in the United States. These leaders were allegedly driven to commit violence in order to regain control.

The slaying of Lorenzo Lopresti is one of several charges including first-degree murder against both the clan's leaders and Michel Cliche. They are also accused of conspiring to kill Giuseppe Renda, Moreno Gallo, Antonio Vanelli, Raynald Desjardins, Giuseppe Di Maulo, Salvatore Montagna, and Antonio Pietrantonio[1].

Additionally, in 2012, two men who frequented the bar Domenica In were brutally murdered in what appears to be retaliation by the Rizzuto clan. Gianpietro Tiberio, Jean-Ismaël Zephir, and Patrick Gilbert are the main suspects in this case.

Another Hells Angel, Jean-Richard Larivière, is accused of the first-degree murders of Sébastien Beauchamp, Vincent Lamer, and Gaétan Séigny, as well as conspiring to murder Jean-Guy Bourgouin[3]. The victims had previously belonged to the Rockers, a former Hells Angels club that played a significant role during the biker war.

Flash forward to 2021, and Pietro D'Adamo, Davide Barberio, Daniele Guarna, Darius Perry, and Pierry Philogène are charged with the first-degree murder of Charles-Olivier Bouchard-Savard. There are strong indications that he was close to a powerful gang leader known as Tupac[4]. It seems that the mafia still holds a list of enemies as we approach the 2020s.

A Message to the Families

"Regardless of the crime, whether it was committed in 2011 or 2021, there will always be consequences," said Francis Renaud, head of the Organized Crime Division, at a press conference[2]. It was the combined efforts of his investigators, along with Major Crimes of the SPVM and the Quebec Provincial Police's Crimes against the Person unit, that led to these arrests.

"This is a message to the families that we are determined to ensure justice is served," added Renaud. Benoit Dubé, Deputy Director of the Quebec Provincial Police, focused on the victims, expressing a desire "to restore the truth and justice for those who have lost a loved one."

Though this may be one of the hardest blows dealt to the Sicilian mafia, it remains uncertain if they can recover from it. The clan has a history of resilience, reemerging stronger after each setback. Only time will tell if this will be the end of the powerful criminal group.

Sources:

  1. https://www.lapresse.ca/ciarc/policiere/201110/27/01-4822508-luzi-des-mafieux-entre-les-mains-de-la-police.php
  2. https://www.lapresse.ca/ciarc/201110/27/leonardo-rizzuto-arrete-par-la-fveq/
  3. https://www.lapresse.ca/24heures/montreal/201312/30/meurtre-du-juge-claude-cammilleri-jean-richard-lariviere-condamne-pour-quadruple-homicide-de-benoit-campeau-763988
  4. https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/arrests-vancouver-gang-leaders-st-laurent-indictments-7390404-lp18854/
  5. The events surrounding the murder of Lorenzo Lopresti in 2011, as well as the recent first-degree murder charges against Pierre Philogène and others in 2021, highlight the persisting link between politics, general news, and crime-and-justice, as various criminal groups strive to maintain their power.
  6. Despite the arrests and convictions of several criminal leaders over the years, the mafia's disregard for justice and continued existence serves as a somber reminder of the ongoing struggle for control in the world of organized crime, affecting families and communities alike.

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