HISTORY THROUGH OUR EYES

Jan. 22, 1978: Violi gunned down in espresso bar

On Jan. 22, 1978, Paolo Violi, the 45-year-old reputed leader of Montreal’s underworld, was killed in a St-Léonard espresso bar poolroom by two masked gunmen.

His funeral five days later at Notre Dame Della Difesa Church was well attended, as seen in this photo by the Montreal Gazette’s George Cree.

Our account the following day highlighted the heavy police and media presence.

“The mourner who attracted the most attention from the media was Vic Cotroni, the man identified at the (Quebec Police Commission Inquiry into organized crime) as the former Don of the Montreal underworld,” we reported.

“Violi took over the reins of the underworld here several years ago from Cotroni and at the height of his power, according to testimony at the crime probe, he had 1,000 soldiers behind him.”

However, Violi, who had been sidelined while serving a jail sentence for contempt of court for refusing to testify at the probe, had since lost most of his power, his lieutenants and soldiers having splintered into different factions, we said.

Police photographers were busy snapping photos of the mourners, and it was expected to take a week for them to identify all those present.

Violi’s demise brought the Rizzuto clan to power.

Some complained that Violi was not worthy of a church service.

But Rev. Pietro Raffaelli, who celebrated the mass, told our reporter, “It is our duty to serve the dead as well as the living. We are not to judge.”