Fire ruins Mountain brow home connected to Mob family
`Suspicious' fire Monday morning causes approximately $1.5 million in damage
A “suspicious” overnight fire tore through a Hamilton Mountain brow home with connections to the Mob.
Crews were called to 52 Mountain Brow Blvd. around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. Property records show the house is owned by Rocco Luppino.
The house was vacant at the time and there are no reported injuries, said a Hamilton Fire Department release.
Luppino is a member of the LuppinoVioli family — one of the three Mob families that once vied for control in Hamilton, along with the Papalias and Musitanos.
At one time, Luppino lived in the home overlooking the Kenilworth Mountain access. His son Cece, 43, lived at 56 Mountain Brow Blvd. with his wife, until he was shot and killed in the doorway on Jan. 30, 2019.
No one had been living at Luppino's home for some time, neighbour Della Reid told The Spectator.
But Luppino still comes by regularly to check on things, “and then off he goes,” added her daughter, Kelsey Oldfield.
Early Monday morning, Reid was awoken to the sound of yelling and glass breaking. She thought it was kids drinking and breaking beer bottles — until she looked out the window and saw flames coming out the window, prompting her to call 911.
Firefighters arrived at the home to find heavy smoke and visible flames at the back, the fire department said in the release.
Multiple units were dispatched to manage the “stubborn” blaze, which took around 45 minutes to control, the fire department said.
Flames extended from the kitchen into the walls and up through the second floor, attic and eventually the roof, it said.
Reid watched as crews broke windows and sawed through the roof to try to vent the house, she said.
“It's such a beautiful little house. It's got so much character with Canadiana stone,” she added.
The fire department estimated damage to be in the $1.5 million range.
The blaze is being investigated by Hamilton police.
The Office of the Fire Marshal has also been contacted as the fire was deemed “suspicious,” the release said.
As of Monday around noon, yellow tape surrounded the corner property. One police car was stationed in the driveway, and another along the side street.
Rocco is the son of Giacomo Luppino — the original Mob boss who established the family in the city. Rocco is alleged in court documents to be an official member of the mafia family.