THE ONGOING TERRITORIAL WAR BETWEEN the Calabrian Gang and the Rizzuto Family in Montreal, Quebec, has taken up fresh wind this week. After a slow spell over the Christmas holiday, a trio of career criminals approached the Loreto Funeral Complex, which is owned by the Rizzuto family, and threw an incendiary device through a window. But this time the hoods hired to do the job weren’t up to the task. Not only did their firebomb fail to generate any fire or bombing, but they got caught within minutes after their attempt. CBC News tells us:
Montreal police Const. Raphael Bergeron said a passerby contacted police after seeing two men near the funeral home who were acting suspicious.
“They were running away from the premises and [the caller] gave the description of the suspects’ vehicle that was waiting for them not far from the funeral home.”
Bergeron said a police cruiser not far from the scene intercepted the vehicle, and three men were taken into custody for questioning.
CBC News
The three men, all known to the police from previous criminal activity, are being charged with two arson-related charges as well as conspiracy and possession of an incendiary device. They are scheduled for a bail hearing this morning. One of the perps is already on parole from an earlier conviction, so he will likely remain in jail.
During a year in which at least 24 firebombings of Italian restaurants, bars and other small businesses, 2010 was capped in November when the 86-yr.-old patriarch of the Rizzuto family, Nicolo Rizzuto was assassinated by a sniper’s bullet while sitting in his own home. His grandson, Nick Jr., was fatally shot in Montreal’s Notre Dame de Grace neighbourhood a little over a year ago. And Paolo Renda, Nicolo Rizzuto’s son-in-law who was apparently kidnapped near his home last May, also worked at the funeral home and was known to hold meetings there while he was being investigated during Project Colisee, a special police probe into Montreal’s organized crime. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since then.
Nicolo Rizzuto (dec’d.)
In addition there were more than 20 firebombings in 2009. Firegeezer has been posting the occasional report on the gang activities HERE, HERE, and HERE.
The National Post has prepared this graphic showing the locations of the firebombings for this past year, 2010:
The London (Ontario) Free Press has posted an informative thumbnail story on how this war of vengeance began and also mentions the high-level assassinations during the conflict. CLICK HERE to read that article.
UPDATE, ANOTHER FIREBOMBING MONDAY MORNING:
Montreal firefighters were called out at 3 am this morning for a restaurant fire that went to 2 alarms. It has been disclosed that the fire that burned out the Shish Poulet, a Lebanese restaurant, was started from an acclerant delivered by a Molotov cocktail-type device.
Shish Poulet Restaurant before Monday (Google Street View)
The Montreal Gazette reports:
About 3 a.m., a witness noticed flames inside Shish Poulet, a Lebanese restauraurant on Pie IX Blvd. near Emery St., Montreal police Constable Anie Lemieux said.
Firefighters noticed a broken window and traces of what looked like an accelerant or a Mototov cocktail inside, Lemieux said. The fire spread quickly “and the damages are pretty big.”
Police investigators planned to be at the restaurant Monday morning to comb the scene, talk to witnesses and “try to find out why this business was targeted.”
Also on FireGeezer…
- Montreal Mafia Madness Update – April 20, 2011
- Montreal Mafia Madness Update – April 3, 2011
- More Montreal Mafia Madness – cont’d. – September 16, 2011
- Montreal Mafia Molotov Madness – cont’d. – February 11, 2011
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