carmelo cannistraro was part of arcadi crew involved in sports gambling going back to proj. colisee. he along with 10 others were busted for running a large gambling ring under the direction of the arcadi, del balso and giordano admin. cannistraro was sentenced to a short sentence in 2011 and not much had been heard from him aside from an arson at a beauty salon owned by his wife in 2017. his speciality and most current involvement all lead to gambling i have no evidence of his involvement in anything else. desiderio pompa worked for a time with or under ennio bruni until his 2010 murder. bruni was alleged to also work under arcadi/del balso and was one of the last active remaining members of the rizzuto crime family on the street. pompa after this became more closely allied with the rizzuto clan and was alleged to be act as a bodyguard and driver for vito rizzuto, a role he is also alleged tohave filled for his father nicolo. in past reports pompa has been linked to sports gambling specifically in laval. he is somewhat recently out on a gun possession charge.

all 3 of those articles are very revealing. some of the names i had thought were no longer involved, krolik being one of them. also shows that mirarchi had indeed made a truce with rizzuto/sollecito clan. more to come.....

Thanks VitoCahill.

I didn’t remember thise names, but thanks for the infos.
Mirachi seem to be a very powerful guy, and who knows how to move in this buisness

I have been saying this on here for years, Mirarchi is the most powerful mafioso in Montreal.

I agree , he is well connected.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2023/11...treal.com&utm_campaign=reco#cxrecs_s

something to look out for on friday.

So it would appear, based on these articles that Pizzi and Barberio are still aligned with the mafia. This would lead me to believe that the HA would be responsible for the Barberio shooting and the constant harassment of Pizzi businesses. But who knows?

Yes , the Rizzuto's have had several disputes and most of them were self inflicted like the handling of Bertolo, Del Balso , D'Amico/Piccirilli and other.
I also agree some Ontario clans took advantage of Vito's imprisonment, to strike.

J.E: the Montreal mafia in disarray

The decline of the Rizzuto clan in Montreal is causing a wave of changes in the city's criminal underworld that could benefit the most powerful mafia in the world.

The JE show will present this Friday a one-hour special on the 'Ndrangheta, in addition to providing the most recent portrait of the Montreal mafia.

The police officers and specialists in the fight against organized crime met by the host Félix Séguin in Italy are also monitoring very closely what is happening here.

WATCH on the JE show Friday 9 p.m. on TVA, rebroadcast Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on LCN.

READ Friday in the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2023/11/29/je-la-mafia-de-montreal-en-deroute

Whooley functioned as the Rizzuto's street muscle. A kind of loyal mercenary, if you will. I believe his piece of the Book to be compensation for protecting Rizzuto interest in the street. He became closer to them than the bikers. I read, (maybe back in 2015-ish?) That his closeness with the Italians was causing HIM friction within his own PowerBase. Don't be surprised if one of his jealous underlings lined him up for the bikers.


The Bikers are the strongest in the street. They fought that bloody war for control. If the streets were to be considered a marketplace, then they have " dominant market share" , so to speak. It would make sense to them thst they control the betting, as they have the muscle to enforce it.

Without Whooley, it's questionable at this point if the Sicilians can hold onto their interest. Time will tell.


I gotta say this though.... These revelations about the Book, I heard about, and read first in that Scoppa book. It's by far the most credible thing he talked about.

crazy part to me is that the rizzuto/sollecito faction continues to fight off these attacks, albeit with serious losses across the board. none the less various factions and groups continue to push on the r/s faction and continue to get pushed back. it is not easy to dislodge any criminal group that is embedded like they are. the roots of the rizzutos go back near 70 years in montreal. i also get a kick out of the stories yet again claiming that now...now the rizzutos are in decline and weakened. as opposed to 2006, 2009-2011, 2012-2013, 2015-2019, 2023???

Agreed. Since his release he's been quiet, almost waiting for the stars to align.

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...avec-lassassinat-du-caid-gregory-woolley

The Rizzuto mafia clan is seriously threatened with the assassination of kingpin Gregory Woolley
This murder which occurred on November 17 is described as “a tipping point” by several police sources

The 45-year reign of the Rizzuto clan at the head of organized crime in Montreal is seriously threatened with the murder of kingpin Gregory Woolley, which occurred two weeks ago.

The shooting of Woolley, which occurred on November 17 in front of his wife and three-day-old child in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, is described as “a tipping point” by several police sources interviewed by our Bureau of Investigation .

This is because the formidable Woolley, 51, was one of the most important allies left to Leonardo Rizzuto, co-leader of a clan increasingly shaken in recent months.

“Now that Gregory is dead, Leonardo has just lost his main protector,” says a police source on condition of anonymity.

Since the death of godfather Vito Rizzuto from natural causes in 2013, his son Leonardo and Stefano Sollecito, whose father Rocco was already interim head of the mafia, form the tandem at the head of the Sicilian clan's operations in Montreal.

As recently as 2020, the Quebec Criminal Intelligence Service ruled, in a detailed report of which we obtained a copy, that the Rizzutos formed “the most influential and powerful criminal group” in Quebec.

The organization saw the clan as "a direct and continuing threat to Quebec society."

But things changed very quickly.

Rizzuto targeted

Last March, Leonardo Rizzuto was the victim of an attempted murder on Highway 440 in Laval. Eight bullets were fired at his luxury Mercedes-Benz SUV, but the 53-year-old mobster survived.

Then, Del Balso himself was assassinated on June 5, after leaving a meeting in a Dorval gymnasium.

Police officers who expected the escalation of violence to continue were surprised by a relatively calm summer season in the metropolis... until the attack on Woolley two weeks ago.

That day, the boss took a seat in his partner's Lamborghini SUV. Normally, the 51-year-old would have been driving an armored vehicle, which was under repair.

In recent weeks, police had warned the man nicknamed “the godfather of street gangs” that his life was in danger.

He was feuding with Hells Angels Normand "Casper" Ouimet and Patrick Lock in recent months. Woolley had also made a powerful enemy in Raynald Desjardins, the veteran mafia kingpin. In 2015, he was also accused of plotting a failed assassination attempt on Desjardins.

Although the charges were dropped in 2018, investigator Steve Girard, responsible for questioning Woolley after his arrest in 2015, warned him that some of his enemies might want revenge.

“A characteristic specific to the Italian mafia is that revenge has no expiration date,” adds Commander Francis Renaud.

“The city is open”

The game of new alliances has now begun in the metropolis.

“There are a lot of new alliances that can be a little fragile. It might seem like a form of instability, but it's more tensions generated by these new alliances,” says Marie-Ève ??Lavallée, inspector responsible for the organized crime program in Quebec for the RCMP, in an interview.

ECHOES AS FAR AS ITALY

Italian police officers do not hesitate to speak of the “fall” of the Rizzuto clan after the latest setbacks of the Sicilian organization in Montreal.

On behalf of the JE program , our Bureau of Investigation went to Calabria, cradle of the most powerful mafia in the world, the 'Ndrangheta.

After half a dozen interviews with the greatest specialists in the fight against Italian organized crime, one observation emerges: the Rizzuto clan is in decline.

“The murders which have affected members of the Rizzuto family in recent years have led to the fall of the clan, which has already formed, with the Caruana and the Cuntrera, the main Italian criminal organization in Canada,” believes Alfonso Ladevaia, the director of the state police of Reggio, Calabria.

These murders are part of a change in the balance between Italian criminal groups operating in Canada,” adds Director Ladevaia.

Like a multinational

Experts interviewed say that the 'Ndrangheta has an annual turnover of more than $70 billion. This is more than that of companies like Air Canada, Desjardins, Couche-Tard, Bombardier and Metro combined.

In Canada, the Calabrian mafia is mainly established in the Toronto and Thunder Bay region of Ontario, where it has four branches, themselves divided into 17 sections. But it is also becoming more and more active in Montreal.

Without revealing the exact content of the discussions captured by the electronic eavesdropping of certain 'Ndrangheta mafiosi, the commander of the carabinieri of Reggio Calabria affirms that he often hears about the situation in Montreal.

“We have made Canada understand how dangerous these people are,” says Colonel Massimiliano Galasso.

Calabrian as boss?

Moreover, the Calabrian Vittorio Mirarchi, who has already been tipped as a future godfather, is at the center of discussions on the future of the Montreal mafia.

Mirarchi, a protégé of kingpin Raynald Desjardins, spent six years behind bars after being found guilty of plotting the murder of aspiring godfather Salvatore Montagna in Charlemagne in 2011.

Several sources claim that he still has what it takes to become the most influential criminal in Quebec, but specialized police officers see him very little in Montreal.

He would spend most of his time in Toronto. Mirarchi is not a member of the 'Ndrangheta, but there would be very strong support, sources report.

Organized crime in change
The violent events since March 2023 have reshuffled the cards within organized crime. Our Bureau of Investigation consulted several sources and police documents to draw up a portrait of those who have been weakened, those who are stronger and those whose positioning the police are awaiting in the coming weeks.

THE WEAKENED

Leonardo Rizzuto

Co-leader of the Sicilian clan of the Montreal mafia
Victim of attempted murder in March 2023

Stefano Sollecito

Co-leader of the Sicilian clan
Very sick

Nicola Spagnolo

Faithful lieutenant of the Rizzuto
Imprisoned for an assault that occurred in 2020

Vito Salvaggio

Loyal to the Rizzutos for 20 years
Involved in the economic interests of this mafia family

ON THE UPLINE

Peter of Adam

Well established in the LaSalle district
Has good connections with Irish organized crime and the Hells Angels

Vittorio Mirarchi

Very close to Raynald Desjardins
Discreet, he has very strong support from Toronto

Raynald Desjardins

Recently released from prison
He established good ties with the Hells Angels
Enemy of the Rizzuto clan

Jean-Philippe Célestin

Close to Gregory Woolley
Able to unite street gangs

TO MONITOR

Martin Robert

The most influential Hells Angels in Quebec
Is located outside the country

Stéphane Plouffe

Close to Martin Robert
Would control the sale of narcotics north of Montreal
Both Tamouro

Hells Angels henchman
Is located outside the country

Carmelo Cannistraro

Responsible for sports betting management
Stefano Sollecito's right-hand man

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...un-dernier-adieu-au-caid-gregory-woolley

The funeral ceremony was held late in the afternoon at the Loreto complex, in the Saint-Léonard district of Montreal.

Gregory Woolley was a man who led a lot within the underworld: he maintained close ties with the mafia as well as with the Hells Angels and street gangs.

The co-leader of the Montreal mafia, Leonardo Rizzuto, of whom Woolley was a faithful ally, showed up on the scene, fleeing the cameras of the media present on site. Her sister, Libertina, also made a notable presence.

Other big names in organized crime came to support those close to Woolley: former Hells Mario Brouillette and South Chapter prospect Richard Mayrand; mafioso Giuseppe “Gator” Focarazzo and gang leader Jean-Philippe Célestin, accompanied by his close guard.

The latter is expected by observers of the criminal scene to be the one who could fill the “vacuum” left by the death of Gregory Woolley in the scene of organized crime.

Throughout Friday afternoon, hundreds of people entered and exited the Loreto funeral home, while luxury vehicles – many of them armored – lined the complex's parking lot.

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/...-se-sont-deplaces-au-salon-funeraire.php

Mafiosi, bikers, gang members; individuals of all criminal stripes came early Friday afternoon to the Loreto Funeral Complex in Montreal, to show their respect to the loved ones of Gregory Woolley, who was shot and killed on November 17.

La Presse noted that some visitors were questioned by members of the Eclipse Squad.
Among the notable guests, let us highlight the presence of Leonardo Rizzuto, youngest son of the former mafia godfather Vito Rizzuto, the gang member Jean-Philippe Célestin, the ex-biker Mario Brouillette, the mafioso Pietro D'Adamo, biker and mafia associate Giuseppe Focarazzo and members of the Hells Angels, including some former Nomads, the now-defunct group led by Maurice Boucher during the biker wars.
Police also noticed some armored vehicles displaying Ontario license plates in the parking lot.
The gang leader will not have a funeral in a church.
Gregory Woolley's remains are also expected to be laid to rest on Friday evening and to be buried Saturday morning in a metropolitan cemetery.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/emissions/je

French Video on Montreal organized crime and Ndrangheta

TVA JE French Video and the article from Journal de Montreal mentions:

"In Canada, the Calabrian mafia is mainly established in the Toronto and Thunder Bay region of Ontario, where it has four branches, themselves divided into 17 sections. But it is also becoming more and more active in Montreal. "

On the video they show 17 circles for Toronto and 1 circle for Thunder Bay. I may be wrong but are they are saying there are 17 cells/Families. If true they have more than doubled over the years.
Anyone else interpret to be different ? I am perplexed as to the meaning of that statement.

Anyone familiar with Adham Haouili? Haouili, who is known to the police in matters of fraud, would be the spouse of Ms. Desjardins, daughter of Raynald, according to our information. He is currently in Mexico, according to various sources who requested anonymity.

He is from the Lebanese community I think.

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/...tend-depuis-longtemps-s-intensifient.php

The police strikes that the community has been waiting for for a long time are intensifying

A year and a half after Frédérick Silva began collaborating with the police, the revelations of this former hitman in Montreal organized crime, very active for several years, resulted in a first major operation this week.

Important players targeted

According to our information, among the people visited by the police on Wednesday and Thursday, we find Pietro D'Adamo and Vito Salvaggio, whom the police consider to be two important players in the mafia, and the gang leader Jean-Philippe Célestin.
The latter was the right arm of Gregory Woolley, murdered in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu on November 17, and was present at his burial at the end of last week.
Célestin has several criminal histories. In 2017, he was sentenced to 70 months in prison for gangsterism, conspiracy, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, cocaine trafficking and money trafficking conspiracy.

It has begun ! The question is how many will Silva takedown with him and will this create a vacuum for others to fill and takeover ?

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...-des-grosses-pointures-du-crime-organise

Murder of three innocent people: the police arrive at the big names of organized crime

https://montrealgazette.com/news/lo...murder-investigations-going-back-decades

Montreal Mafia, Hells Angels targeted in murder investigations going back decades

I doubt much comes out of it. Too many different groups potentially involved. It's not as simple as America.

Is Leonardo Rizzuto still in Montreal? Any sensible human would leave the area

Mafia : la ’Ndrangheta prépare plus sérieusement sa mainmise sur le Québec depuis 2004

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2...nt-sa-mainmise-sur-le-quebec-depuis-2004