The murder of a gangster’s daughter-in-law in Montreal this week confirms once again that organized crime’s famous code of honor is really just a myth, police estimate.
• Also read: Murder of Claudia Iacono: “She was actually the target”
• Also read: Murder of Claudia Iacono: The daughter-in-law of a mafioso was shot in her car
“Your unwritten rule not to touch women and children does not exist when you look at the development of the murders over several years,” said chief inspector Benoit Dubé of the Surete du Québec (SQ). Respect, there is none at all. They do what they have to do when they have the chance, that’s all.
The Journal was able to speak to the provincial police chief of criminal investigations on the sidelines of the seminar on armed violence held at the headquarters in recent days. (see text below)
The murder of Claudia Iacono on Tuesday afternoon while driving her white Genesis SUV had a bombshell effect in the criminal and police world.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
The 39-year-old was married to Anthony Gallo, son of the late mafioso Moreno Gallo. The latter was shot dead in Mexico in 2013. He was known to lack loyalty to Vito Rizzuto, one-time godfather of the Montreal Mafia.
other cases
Although attacks on women in the underworld are less common, the SQ reminds us that this is far from the first time organized crime has violated its so-called code of honor. We first remember little Daniel Desrochers, who died in 1995 during the Biker War after a car bomb exploded in front of his elementary school.
ARCHIVE PHOTO
The car bomb that killed 11-year-old Daniel Desrochers in 1995.
Then, in 2010, the assassination of Nicolo Rizzuto in the presence of his wife and daughter at the family home. Most recently, the murders of Salvatore Scoppa at a family celebration in 2019 and Antonio De Blasio, who was murdered in front of his young son in 2017.
Maxime Deland/QMI AGENCY
After the assassination of Nicolo Rizzuto on November 11, 2010, you could clearly see the bullet hole that punched through the window of his Montreal residence and then fatally hit the mafia boss’ father.
reaction in sight
The SQ also believes in a hot summer, as a bloody reaction to the assassination attempt on Leonardo Rizzuto is to be expected in the coming months. The co-boss of the Montreal mafia was hit by two bullets while driving his Mercedes in mid-March.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
“Organized crime has been brewing since this incident,” explains Chief Inspector Dubé, who has been on site for more than 20 years. Everyone is alert. Leo is a Rizzuto, so we suspect there will be revenge on the part of the Sicilians. Arrests are being made to prevent this aftershock, but will it be enough? NO.”
extortion in restaurants
As for the many arson attacks that have taken place in various restaurants and shops in the greater Montreal area in recent weeks, according to SQ, everything indicates that they are in fact the result of extortion attempts. This series of crimes is also linked to organized crime.
“We’re trying to understand why it’s suddenly starting up again. Because it’s something we’ve seen many times before. It’s as if they only recently discovered it existed,” said Chief Inspector Dubé.
More and more 3D weapons
“We’re starting to have all the good players in the right places,” said the head of the Sûreté du Québec Criminal Investigation Department at the end of the very first seminar on armed violence.
300 people attended the three-day event at the SQ headquarters on Parthenais Street in Montreal. At least one representative from each Quebec police unit was present, in addition to staff from the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), correctional facilities and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
According to the SQ, great importance has been attached to prevention, which is the cornerstone of this fight against armed violence. Researchers, particularly criminologists, were encouraged to give presentations to explain the results of their research.
“To write history, you have to know how to understand it,” says Chief Inspector Benoit Dubé.
Printed Weapons
Thanks to the expertise of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, participants were able to understand how criminals manage to create a weapon using a 3D printer.
Screenshot, TVA news
“We are also seeing a resurgence of these weapons,” Chief Inspector Dubé said. We have already confiscated about twenty printers this year alone, compared to seven last year.
Where are the guns from?
Weapons traceability remains a key issue in this fight, so a new dedicated center was set up last January. In particular, this makes it possible to identify the origin of the weapons in order to carry out targeted operations in cooperation with other countries.
Contrary to what was observed a few years ago, the weapons that are bought illegally in Quebec no longer come from the dark web. The SQ also notes that fewer and fewer arms are being passed through Aboriginal communities, a sign that efforts in this direction are beginning to bear fruit. We see, therefore, that most of these are purchased in the United States and shipped to Quebec through a variety of routes, including illegally crossing the Canada-US border.
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