The fall of the house of Rizzuto
Daniel Renaud writes about the fall of the house of Rizzuto at the helm of organized crime in Montreal. With the loss of Nick Jr., Vito and Nick Sr. over the last ten years, the family no longer features in lists of potential godfathers, if indeed the mob can continue in the classic Mario Puzo style.
Update: Adding a link to the Gazette’s timeline of the last decade in organized crime in Montreal
david100 11:52 on 2019-12-28 Permalink
I wouldn’t be so sure that Rizzuto-Sollecito isn’t consolidating right now, as per the article a week or two ago, the point of which seems was precisely this:
« dans la mafia, tout le monde cherche à faire de l’argent et lorsque tu n’es plus là pour diriger et gérer des conflits, cela ne donne rien d’avoir un nom de famille et de ne pas être capable d’agir », ajoute l’ex-policier.
So, when you’re looking at his four keys to understanding the continued strength of the Sicilians/Rizzutos . . .
Plusieurs facteurs expliquent cette situation, selon Nicodemo Milano. Un : la fortune des familles siciliennes, dont celle des Rizzuto. Deux : leur réseautage, c’est-à-dire ces personnes dont on n’entend jamais les noms et ces gens d’affaires, propriétaires d’entreprises légitimes, qui facilitent leurs activités. Trois : leur alliance avec des groupes criminels majeurs, dont les Hells Angels. Quatre : les enquêtes policières, qui ont affaibli les Siciliens, mais aussi leurs ennemis, dans des moments clés.
On (1), while the gang war has surely hit income, the wealth of the Rizzutos probably has only increased over the past few years (construction boom, money laundering boom, drugs steady), particularly as their legit investments bear fruit, this is probably the major reason that it’s Rizzuto rather than Sollecito himself who is the current ‘godfather’ – he brings the money; on (2), we don’t really know how the gang war has affected their network of extortion victims, associates, etc. but, again, these familial connections are probably a big reason that Rizzuto rather than Sollecito is in charge, at least nominally; on (3), reinforcing this link was the explicit takeaway from the article of a couple weeks ago, and it’s clear that Rizzuto/Sollecito are buttressing this pillar of their strength; and on (4), their enemies have been suffered worse, far worse, police scrutiny than have the Sicilians over the past couple years.
Anyway, it’s always interesting to get the insight of a guy like Milano, and it’s just common sense that the Rizzutos are diminished, as well as that the pickings for organized crime are getting slimmer. But crime that pays requires a greater outlay of cash, more sophistication than ever, more connections (especially for laundering), and a greater distance from the “street” or front line, where risk of being a police target is higher. So, from that perspective, it seems pretty plausible that Rizzuto/Sollecito could be around for quite some time, provided they can stay alive – there’s just no Montreal underworld type more connected, wealthier, and sophisticated.
david100 12:27 on 2019-12-28 Permalink
That’s IF Leonardo is sitting as the titular head of the family with Sollecito as the consiglieri. Still not clear that this is the case.
Kate 12:38 on 2019-12-29 Permalink
david100, is there any reason to believe there’s still some sort of capo-and-consigliere structure? Everyone “knows” about that from The Godfather but that’s long ago and far away, and fictional, and that story didn’t encompass Hells Angels and other crime gangs in the mix.