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Toronto Sun
13 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Project Alliance: Hit man may have played a role in all 6 murders behind Montreal Mob arrests this week
Alleged Montreal Mafia leaders Leonardo Rizzuto and Stefano Sollecito among those charged in homicides that happened over a decade ago. Published Jun 13, 2025 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 5 minute read Pallbearers carry the casket of Lorenzo LoPresti on Oct. 29, 2011 after his funeral at St. Patrick's Basilica in downtown Montreal. LoPresti was shot while standing on the balcony of his condo on Cóte Vertu Blvd. condo on Oct. 24th, 2011. On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Leonardo Rizzuto was one of several people charged in his death. Tim Snow/Montreal Gazette When the 11 people arrested Thursday in Project Alliance, including alleged Montreal Mafia leaders Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, appeared in court, they were charged with a total of six counts of first-degree murder. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The homicides happened over a decade, and it appears that Frédérick Silva, a hit man who turned informant three years ago, had a role in all of them. Lorenzo LoPresti,Oct. 24, 2011: LoPresti was the son of Giuseppe (Joe) LoPresti, who was close to Leonardo Rizzuto's father, Vito, until LoPresti was killed in 1992 in a homicide that remains unsolved to this day. Both families lived on Antoine Berthelet Ave. in northern Montreal, and Lorenzo LoPresti attended the same high school in St-Laurent as Leonardo's sister. Throughout 2011, a coalition that tried to take control of the Montreal Mafia from the Rizzuto organization came under attack, and Lorenzo LoPresti was shot on Oct. 24 while standing on the balcony of his condo on Côte Vertu Blvd. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Weeks after LoPresti was killed, Antonio (Tony Suzuki) Pietrantonio was wounded in a shooting on Dec. 13, 2011, near the entrance of a Portuguese restaurant in a strip mall on Jarry St. E. near Chambord St. At the time, police sources told The Gazette that it appeared LoPresti was acting as Pietrantonio's right-hand man while Pietrantonio was one of the leaders of the group that sought to replace the Rizzuto organization at the helm of the Montreal Mafia. On Thursday, Leonardo Rizzuto and six other men were charged with the first-degree murder of Lorenzo LoPresti and with plotting with Silva to murder Pietrantonio. Domenico Facchini, Dec. 21, 2012: Facchini, 37, was killed and Vito D'Orazio was injured after they were shot inside a building tied to Giuseppe (Ponytail) De Vito who, at the time, was serving a lengthy prison sentence for smuggling cocaine through Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. De Vito had acted as a leader of several airport employees who were part of what was called 'the door' that let cocaine into Montreal. De Vito came to hate the Rizzuto organization because he felt its members lied to him about the quantities of cocaine they were bringing in and thereby holding back on his share in their arrangement. De Vito became part of the coalition that wanted to take over the Montreal Mafia, but on July 8, 2013, he was found dead in his cell in the federal penitentiary near Quebec City. A coroner later determined that De Vito died of cyanide poisoning. On Thursday, three men were charged with Facchini's murder and the attempted murder of D'Orazio. One of the accused, Jean-Ismel Zephir, 48, is the brother of Emmanuel Zephir, a notorious street gang leader. In 2022, Sébastien Giroux, who had just pleaded guilty to helping Silva hide from the police for months, was ordered to not associate with known criminals while he was awaiting his sentence. Giroux agreed to follow the order, but he asked for special permission to allow him to communicate with the Zephir brothers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The other two men charged with the murder and attempted murder are Gianpietro (JP) Tiberio, 52, a convicted criminal identified during the Charbonneau Commission as an associate of the Rizzuto organization, and Patrick Gilbert, 51, of Anjou, who has a lengthy criminal record. Vincent Lamer, Nov. 3, 2017: During Quebec's biker gang war, a conflict that stretched from 1994 to 2002, Lamer appeared to be a very willing participant in the violence that resulted in more than 160 deaths. Lamer started as a member of the Rowdy Crew, a Hells Angels support club at the time, before he switched to another support club called the Rockers in 2000. Being part of the Rockers brought Lamer directly under Hells Angels leader Maurice (Mom) Boucher and his efforts to monopolize drug trafficking in Montreal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During an investigation dubbed Operation Springtime 2001, police managed to secretly record meetings held by the Rockers and during one in April 2000, Lamer told the other gang members that they could skip the gang's eight-month probation period if they killed a rival drug dealer. Lamer ended up with a 10-year prison term when he was sentenced as a result of charges filed against him in Operation Springtime 2001. Lamer was shot several times while he was inside his sport utility vehicle as he was driving away from a maintenance company where he worked on 55th Ave. in Rivière des Prairies. Jean-Richard Larivière, 57, a longtime member of the Hells Angels and a member of the Rockers when Lamer was also a member, was charged on Thursday with the first-degree murder of Lamer. He is also charged with conspiring to kill Lamer along with Samy Tamouro, a man tied to the Hells Angels in Quebec who was killed in Mexico near the end of 2023. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sébastien Beauchamp, Dec. 20, 2018: During 2022, Silva underwent a lengthy trial for the murder of Beauchamp who, like Lamer, was a former member of the Rockers during Quebec's biker gang war. The hit on Beauchamp was a messy affair. Silva chased Beauchamp around a gas station in St-Léonard on Langelier Blvd., near Robert Blvd. He recklessly fired off several shots and a stray bullet ended up lodged in a gas pump. Beauchamp's murder is one of the reasons why Silva is now serving four life sentences. Larivière is charged with Beauchamp's murder, a sign that he allegedly asked Silva to kill him. Earlier the same year, on Jan. 24, 2018, Jean-Guy Bourgouin, another former member of the Rockers, was shot outside a restaurant in St-Léonard. It appears that Larivière allegedly ordered that shooting, too, as he was charged with the attempted murder on Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2020, Girard Anglade, a close associate of Silva's, pleaded guilty to shooting Bourgouin. He received a six-year prison term. Gaétan Sévigny, Oct. 17, 2019: During Project Magot-Mastiff, another investigation into Leonardo Rizzuto, Stefano Sollecito and members of the Hells Angels that resulted in arrests made in 2015, investigators learned that Sévigny was tied to the biker gang and that he was very active in drug trafficking in eastern Montreal. On June 19, 2019, Sévigny was sentenced to a five-year prison term after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, conspiracy and gangsterism charges filed against him in Project Magot-Mastiff. He had only a day left to serve behind bars when he was sentenced. Four months later, he was gunned down in front of his home in Terrebonne. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Larivière is also charged with Sévigny's murder. Charles-Olivier Boucher-Savard, Dec. 22, 2021: Boucher-Savard was shot multiple times near Lafontaine Park a few months after he was released from a federal penitentiary. He had served two-thirds of a sentence he received for stabbing a person tied to the Luppino family, a Mafia clan based in Hamilton, Ont., in April 2018. Pietro D'Adamo, 54, the alleged leader of a Mafia clan based in LaSalle, and Davide (Baldy) Barberio, 45, an alleged member of the Montreal Mafia who survived an attempt on his life when he was shot on Sept. 21, 2021, were charged Thursday with Boucher-Savard's murder along with three other men. World World Canada Celebrity Canada
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Canada's biggest mafia boss Leonardo Rizzuto and 11 others arrested in Quebec under the most significant crackdown on organized crime in decades
In a coordinated operation involving more than 150 police officers, Quebec authorities arrested 11 suspects on Thursday(June 12), including alleged mafia boss Leonardo Rizzuto , in what officials are calling the largest organized crime takedown in decades. "This is one of the most significant police operations in recent decades," said Benoît Dubé, Director of Criminal Investigations for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). Officers swept across nine cities, including Montreal, Laval, Quebec City, and Rosemère, executing warrants tied to a years-long investigation known as Project Alliance. Targeting Canada's most powerful mafia group Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. All 11 men have pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder. Among them is Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, the youngest son of the late Vito Rizzuto, once regarded as Canada's most powerful mob boss. The Rizzuto family, long linked to Sicily's Cosa Nostra, dominated organized crime in Montreal for decades. Live Events The operation targeted members of the traditional Italian mafia, the Hells Angels, and local street gangs. Those arrested are accused of sponsoring or executing multiple murders and attempted murders between 2011 and 2021. Retired officer Pietro Poletti noted a shift in tactics: 'In the past, Italian mafia or bikers wouldn't outsource hits. But this time, a freelance killer was key.' Killer turned informant connected the dots That man is Frederick Silva, a notorious contract killer who turned police informant in 2022. His testimony and cooperation, according to investigators, were pivotal in connecting the dots across different criminal factions. One arrest shocked residents of St-Lazare, where armed officers surrounded a quiet suburban home at sunrise. 'We saw flashing lights and my son started crying,' said Marie Deschamps, a mother of two. 'You never expect this on your street.' Stefano Sollecito from Montreal's underworld The arrests also included Stefano Sollecito, 57, another major figure in Montreal's underworld. Authorities believe the charges carrying potential sentences of 25 years or more will severely weaken the mafia's infrastructure. Future threat Still, police are wary of what comes next. 'Where there's a void, someone will try to fill it,' said Francis Renaud of the Montreal Police Organized Crime Unit. 'We're watching closely to see who steps in.' Five suspects remain at large, and the next court appearance for those arrested is scheduled for September. Meanwhile, police are urging the public to come forward with information by contacting Info-Crime Montréal at 514-393-1133. Quebec's underworld may be shaken, but the long shadow of organized crime still looms.
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Mafia charges paint surprising picture of who killed whom in power struggles
The charges filed in Thursday's roundup of significant organized crime figures on Thursday suggest past ties mean nothing during underworld power struggles. The charge that stands out the most is one that accuses alleged Montreal Mafia leaders Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, of the first-degree murder of Lorenzo LoPresti, a man who was killed at his condo in the St-Laurent borough on Oct. 24, 2011. Five other men are also charged with the first-degree murder of LoPresti, but Rizzuto's name is the one that stands out because he and LoPresti grew up on Antoine Bethelet Ave. — a roadway in northern Montreal that used to be known as Mafia Row — when they were much younger. The tall, curly-haired LoPresti was the son of Giuseppe (Joe) LoPresti, who once made headlines for his arrest in a high-profile heroin smuggling trial in the U.S. Giuseppe LoPresti and Vito Rizzuto, Leonardo's father, were both from he same part of Sicily — Cattolica Eraclea — and while Vito Rizzuto rose to be the leader of the Montreal Mafia during the 1980s and '90s, Giuseppe LoPresti was killed in 1992 at age 44 in a homicide that remains unsolved. According to court documents filed in an RCMP investigation dubbed Project Clemenza, it appeared to investigators that Lorenzo LoPresti decided to join a group of people tied to the Montreal Mafia who tried to take control of it from the Rizzutos. The takeover failed when the opposing group developed differences of their own. Leonardo Rizzuto and Sollecito were also charged yesterday with plotting to kill men on opposite ends of the split, including Raynald Desjardins, a man who was once very close to Vito Rizzuto, and Salvatore Montagna, a Mafia leader from New York who tried to organize the efforts against the Rizzuto clan. Montagna ended up being killed on Nov. 24, 2011, in Charlemagne, just east of Montreal. The list of men that Leonardo Rizzuto and Sollecito are alleged to have plotted to kill also includes; Giuseppe Renda, a man who vanished in 2012; Moreno Gallo, an Influential Montreal Mafia figure who was killed in Mexico in 2013; Antonio Vanelli, the intended target in a botched hit that took the life of Angelo D'Onofrio, an innocent man who was shot at the Café-Bar Hillside on Fleury St. in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough on June 2, 2016. Another two men that Rizzuto and Sollecito are charged with plotting to kill are Joseph Dimaulo, a 70-year-old Montreal Mafia leader who was killed in 2012, and Antonio Pietrantonio, a man who survived two attempts on his life in 2011 and 2024. Jean-Richard (Race) Larivière, 57, a member of the Hells Angels who was among the 11 people arrested on Thursday, is now charged with murdering men who were once part of the same biker gang as him. Larivière had been a member of the Rockers, a Hells Angels support gang during Quebec's biker gang war, which stretched from 1994 to 2002, before he graduated to the Hells Angels by becoming a prospect member of a now defunct Nomads chapter based in Quebec. On Thursday, Larivière was charged with the murders of Vincent Lamer and Sébastien Beauchamp, two men who were also members of the Rockers during the biker gang war. Lamer, who was introduced into the Rockers in 2000, was killed in Montreal during 2017 and Beauchamp, who became a full-patch member of the Rockers in 2000, was killed in 2018. Larivière was also charged on Thursday with the attempted murder of Jean-Guy Bourgouin, a founding member of the Rockers when it was created in 1992. This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 6:01 PM.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Police arrest Leonardo Rizzuto in major operation targeting Montreal Mafia
MONTREAL - Nearly a dozen people alleged to be important members of Montreal's Mafia and other gangs were arrested on Thursday in what police called a major blow to organized crime. Those arrested include Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, son of the late crime boss Vito Rizzuto and the presumed head of one of Canada's most notorious crime families. He and the others have all been charged with first-degree murder. About 150 officers were deployed early Thursday morning in several cities across Quebec as part of a joint investigation between Montreal and provincial police called Project Alliance. They arrested 11 men between 27 and 57 years old, who they say are associated with the Mafia, the Hells Angels and street gangs. The suspects allegedly participated in several murders and attempted murders between 2011 and 2021. 'This is one of the most significant police operations in recent decades,' said Marc Charbonneau, head of the Montreal police specialized services department, during a news conference following the arrests. 'The indictment of these individuals will undoubtedly have a major impact, destabilizing the spheres of organized crime.' Police are still searching for five other suspects, who have also been charged with first-degree murder. Three of the men arrested were already in detention. André Gélinas, retired detective-sergeant with the intelligence division of the Montreal police, said Rizzuto's arrest has symbolic weight, as he is widely perceived to have taken over as the 'godfather' of the Rizzuto family following his father's death in 2013. He said there is no obvious successor to Rizzuto from within the clan. 'It is a devastating blow that effectively decapitates the leadership of the Rizzuto crime family, an organization that for some years now has lost the power it once held in Montreal,' said organized crime expert Antonio Nicaso in an email. Rizzuto and six other men have been charged in the 2011 killing of Lorenzo Lopresti, reported to have been a Mafia member. The seven men, including 57-year-old Stefano Sollecito — another reputed leader of the Montreal Mafia — have also been charged with conspiring to murder Lopresti and seven other people. Richard Larivière, 57, reportedly an influential member of the Hells Angels, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in killings that occurred between 2017 and 2019, as well as one count of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The charges have not been proven in court. At the press conference, police cautioned that new figures will be quick to fill the void left by those arrested on Thursday. 'We often say that humans abhor a vacuum, so that vacuum will be filled,' said Francis Renaud, head of the organized crime unit of the Montreal police. 'Do we put on our rose-coloured glasses and expect there to be no reaction? That would be false, that would be a lie to say that.' But Benoît Dubé, deputy director general of the Quebec provincial police, said it's significant that all of the suspects were charged with murder. 'They're not going to be charged for two years in prison. They're being charged for 25 years in prison. So that's the impact,' he said. Gélinas said the arrests will cause turmoil in the world of organized crime. 'Will it be other organizations that end up trying to strategically take advantage of the destabilization, or will positions be filled internally with people who get promoted?' he said. 'Time will tell.' Rizzuto and Sollecito were arrested in 2015 as part of a drug-trafficking investigation, but were acquitted after a judge ruled that police had illegally wiretapped them. Rizzuto later survived an attempted murder in 2023. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Rizzuto crime family 'effectively decapitated' after arrests, Mafia expert says
Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, were among 11 suspects taken into custody on Thursday with another five sought as part of Project Alliance. Published Jun 12, 2025 • Last updated 49 minutes ago • 2 minute read Leonardo Rizzuto arrives at the Montreal courthouse in 2019. Allen McInnis/Montreal Gazette The alleged leaders of the Rizzuto crime family have been arrested in a sweeping police operation that one expert says has 'effectively decapitated' what remains of Montreal's most notorious Mafia clan. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, were among 11 suspects taken into custody on Thursday with another five sought as part of Project Alliance, a three-year investigation into organized crime in Quebec. Rizzuto — the son of the late mob boss Vito Rizzuto — appeared in court by video, where his lawyer entered a not guilty plea. Sollecito, who appeared frail and in a wheelchair, remains in custody. The charges against the men relate to a series of killings between 2011 and 2021. The arrests followed co-ordinated raids by nearly 150 officers across Montreal, Laval, Quebec City and nearby regions. Also detained were Nicola Spagnolo, Davide Barberio and Jean-Richard Larivière, a longtime member of the Hells Angels. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Antonio Nicaso, an expert on organized crime and professor at Queen's University called the arrests a serious setback for the Rizzuto network. 'It is a devastating blow that effectively decapitates the leadership of the Rizzuto crime family, an organization that for some years now has lost the power it once held in Montreal,' Nicaso told The Gazette Criminologist Maria Mourani said the operation reflects the importance of the targets. 'We see several very important members of the Italian Mafia in Montreal who are being targeted,' she said. 'This is good news.' She said it remains to be seen what happens, but the arrests may bring about a possible 'slight destabilization' of Montreal's criminal landscape. 'Every time there are police operations, there are individuals who will replace other individuals,' Mourani said. 'You can expect that some groups will try to take the dishes.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is the third major operation targeting the Rizzuto network in less than two decades, following Project Colisée in 2006 and Project Magot-Mastiff in 2015. The latter collapsed after allegations of police misconduct, and charges were dropped. Authorities say the latest probe is notable for its murder charges. Though police did not confirmed it on Thursday, the probe was largely built on information from Frédérick Silva, a convicted hit man now serving multiple life sentences. Several search warrants related to the current investigation were carried out during December 2023. Back then, the Sûreté du Québec said in a statement the search warrants were 'part of a major criminal investigation, which aims to elucidate several murders linked to organized crime that occurred in Montreal and (north of Montreal) from the middle of the 1990s until today. Certain individuals associated with notorious groups such as the Italian Mafia, the Hells Angels and criminalized street gangs are targeted by the investigation.' On Thursday, Mourani said there is no sole leader in Quebec's organized crime but instead there are just 'different groups and families.' The Sicilian-rooted Rizzuto family once dominated Montreal's underworld, but its influence has since waned. 'Will these individuals be convicted? Will they stay off the streets?' Mourani said. 'We'll have to watch closely.' With files from Paul Cherry of The Gazette Toronto & GTA World Toronto Blue Jays Toronto & GTA World
