Court told mobster killed in domestic dispute, not hit
The fatal shooting of reputed mobster Rocco Zito in his North York home was the result of a domestic dispute and not a mob hit, court heard Thursday.
“This case is not a whodunit,” Crown attorney Iain Sunderland said in his opening remarks to the jury at the University Ave. courthouse.
Zito’s son-in-law, Domenic Scopelliti, has been charged with murder.
Sunderland noted that Zito, 87, was suspected of longtime involvement in organized crime, but said his shooting on Jan. 29, 2016, was the result of a domestic dispute over money.
“He was supposedly involved in organized crime, specifically the Italian Mafia, for the entirety of his adult life,” Sunderland told the jury.
Sunderland said Zito was shot three times and a fourth bullet was found near his body, which lay in the front foyer of his bungalow that he shared with his wife, and Scopelliti, his wife and their children, court heard.
Court heard Zito and his wife raised five daughters and several women were in the house at the time of the shooting.
The scene was chaotic when paramedics arrived at roughly 5:10 p.m., minutes after someone in the home called for help, according to a 911 call played in court. On the call, wailing and crying can be heard in the background as a woman pleaded with the 911 operator for help in the recording played in court. “Why do you need an ambulance?” the dispatcher asked.
“There has been an accident here … my dad got shot,” the woman replied.
“Is the wound self inflicted?” the operator asked.
“I don’t know,” the woman replied. “I just got home.”
The dispatcher asked: “Where is the gun?”
“I have no idea,” the woman replied.
“Did he own a gun?” the dispatcher asked.
“He went hunting,” the woman replied. “I don’t know.”
“Did the shot come from outside?” the dispatcher asked.
“I do not know,” the woman replied. “Who shot him?” she asked. “I don’t know,” the woman replied. She paused and added: “My sister’s husband.”
“Where is the man who shot him?” the dispatcher asked.
“I don’t know,” the woman replied. “He took off.”
Paramedic Michael Cook told court that there were no police officers or firefighters on scene when he and his partner arrived at Zito’s home.
“It was a chaotic scene,” Cook said. “Lots of screaming and yelling.”
Zito lay motionless on his back in the front foyer of his home, Cook said.
“We assumed the shooter was unaccounted for,” Cook said. “It’s not a secure scene.”
Cook said that his partner said he saw someone in a room facing the foyer as they attended to Zito.
“He said, ‘Who is that?’ ” Cook said. “At that point I turned and didn’t see anyone.”
“There must have been some concern that that was the shooter,” defence lawyer Brian Ross said.
“It was a concern,” Cook replied.
The trial continues.