NINE MOB SHOOTINGS IN THREE MONTHS
SINCE NOV. 4, SEVEN MURDERS and two attempted murders in the Montreal area have involved victims who reportedly had ties to the Mafia. But experts and police sources cautioned that not all appear to be directly related to Vito Rizzuto’s return to Montreal.
1 Nov. 4 2012, Blainville — Joseph Di Maulo, 70, an influential Mafioso for decades, is killed outside his home in Blainville. Police sources note the similarity between Di Maulo’s death and that of Nicolo (Zio Cola) Rizzuto, on Nov. 10, 2010, in that both men were killed at home near loved ones — considered verboten in Mafia circles. Di Maulo was believed to be part of a group that tried to take over the leadership of the Mafia in Montreal when the Rizzuto organization was at its weakest point. He was the brother-in-law of Raynald Desjardins, charged with murdering Salvatore Montagna, an aggressive Mafioso who spearheaded the attempt to take control of the Mafia away from the Rizzuto organization. 2 Nov. 15, 2012, Montreal — Tony Gensale, 43, was killed after he was shot coming out of a martial arts class. According to reports, Gensale was possibly mistaken for Giuseppe Fetta, a man with known ties to Mafia figures who was injured when he was shot in December. 3 Nov. 17, 2012, Montreal — Mohamed Awada, 47, a convicted drug dealer with known ties to people linked to the Mafia was killed near his home.
4 Dec. 8, 2012, Ahuntsic — Police find the body of Emilio Cordileone, 50, a restaurant owner believed to have past ties to Di Maulo. The area where his body was found is believed to be significant as it might have been intended to send a message to others.
5 Dec. 17, 2012, Montreal — Giuseppe Fetta, 33, is injured after being shot remarkably close to where Gensale was killed. During an extensive investigation into the Mafia in Montreal, which ended in 2006, Fetta was known to have associated with several people in the Mob, including some of the same people Awada knew.
6 Dec. 21, 2012, Montreal — Domenico Facchini, 37, is killed and a 38-yearold man injured after they are shot inside a building tied to Giuseppe (Ponytail) De Vito, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence for smuggling cocaine along with several Mafia figures. When De Vito was investigated, wiretap evidence suggested he was considered an outsider to the Rizzuto organization even if he worked with them.
7 Jan. 22, 2013, Montreal — Gaétan Gosselin, 69, is fatally shot outside his home on one of the coldest nights of the winter. Gosselin was once related to Raynald Desjardins through marriage and was living in a building owned by Desjardins’s daughter.
8 Jan. 31, 2013, St-Léonard — Vincenzo (Vincent) Scuderi, 49, is killed outside his home. Although Scuderi has no criminal record in Quebec, police believe he was tied to people who opposed the Rizzuto organization and had outstanding debts. A firearm police believe can be traced to street-gang members was recovered near the scene of the shooting.
9 Feb. 1, 2013, Laval — Tonino Callocchia, 51, is injured after being shot in the parking lot of the Youlios restaurant. Callocchia was known to have ties to the Mafia for decades and might have been the most influential person targeted in the shootings since the hit on Di Maulo. During the 1990s, Callocchia was arrested in a major drug smuggling and money laundering conspiracy that also involved Di Maulo’s brother Vincent.