Originally Posted By: Hollander
It's such an important place for the Italian community as a whole, the attack could have big consequences.


The funeral home has continued to operate, without any interruption, since the attack in January 2011.

I'm not the only poster who knows that the Loreto has income that is guaranteed because the Rizzutos' paesani in the Montreal area have no choice when a loved one dies but to hold visitations at the funeral home, i.e., the choice is made for the family of the bereaved; otherwise, the family members would face the consequences of showing a lack of respect. (This lack of economic freedom in particular offends my sensibilities. It disgusts me. If you're not in the mafia that's part of your community but you're pro-mafia, sometimes you have to pretend to be pro-mafia just so you keep up appearances and don't cross the wrong people.)

There are an estimated 18,000 people in the Montreal area whose ancestry can be traced to Cattolica Eraclea. The Loreto may be more important to them than to the significantly wider Italian-Canadian community in the Montreal area.

Italian families with ancestry from other than the Rizzutos' hometown sometimes also choose the Loreto for the deceased's funeral-home visitation. So do non-Italians. Both groups at least have other options.

Prepaid funeral arrangements are risky, especially when you prepay the funeral home (as opposed to prepaying an insurer). What if the quality of service at the funeral home goes downhill? You're stuck unless you want to shell out more money to have the visitation somewhere else when the time comes.

I'm not sure why the Loreto was targeted and what the attack represents. Perhaps the building was attacked because Italians in the Montreal underworld who are opposed to the remnants of the Rizzuto clan also see the building as somewhere the clan's loyalists convene for funerals.

One of Rocco Sollecito's siblings, Stefano, was shown at the Loreto earlier this month. See http://www.complexeloreto.com/en/obituary/stefano-sollecito/.