Reputed Mobster gunned down in Montreal

MONTREAL— Rocco Sollecito, described by Mafia experts as a former leading figure in the notorious Rizzuto crime family, was shot dead in his car near Montreal on Friday.

Sollecito, 67, was “possibly” tied to organized crime and was shot one or more times, said provincial police spokesman Jason Allard.

His murder comes after his son, Stefano, was arrested in November in a major drug sweep and accused of being an influential leader of the Montreal Mafia.

Also arrested that same month was Leonardo Rizzuto, who police say worked with Stefano in a large-scale drug-trafficking operation.

Leonardo is the son of Vito Rizzuto, the alleged leader of the Rizzuto crime family who died of natural causes in 2013, shortly after his release from a U.S. prison.

News reports said Sollecito was gunned down near his home in Laval, not far from a police station.

Maria Pacheco said she rushed to the scene to see what had happened.

“When I got here there were two cars, one white and one red behind it,” Pacheco said. “I saw the man sitting in the car and the windshield was all broken.”

Allard said Sollecito was pronounced dead in hospital.

Aretired Montreal police investigator familiar with the Mafia told The Canadian Press that Sollecito was a childhood friend of Vito Rizzuto and became an influential part of his crime syndicate. The retired investigator said Rocco Sollecito was Vito Rizzuto’s “right-hand man” and was blamed by some in the Rizzuto clan for not doing enough to protect the family when Vito was in prison.

Sollecito reportedly had been making money on his own doing side deals, the officer said.