The murder of alleged Bonanno crime family associate Sylvester Zottola wasn’t mafia related at all according to a new indictment.
Although it was a family affair with a wicked twist. Mafia scion Anthony Zottola has been charged with arranging the murder of his Cosa Nostra linked dad and a failed hit on his older brother Salvatore Zottola. According to prosecutors, Anthony conspired with members of the Bloods street gang to carry out the murders. He had been plotting to kill both his father and brother since back in November of 2017. The rift in the family developed over a business dispute according to information from the indictment. Killing one’s own family over money is certainly dirtier than most mob business.
(Sylvester “Sally Daz” Zottola)
Text messages recovered by authorities showed Anthony plotting to kill his family members on Christmas day in 2017. He sent a message to Brooklyn gang member Bushawn Shelton asking if it was possible to kill both his father and brother at the same time. He said in the text “Can we get a doubleheader at all. My business is all messed up by both of them especially the MF captain (his father) the worst. Every day (it) gets harder for me.” Shelton who is a co-conspirator in the case has also been arrested.
Salvatore survived being shot several times in a failed hit back in July 2018 in front of the families Waterfront home. His father who had survived multiple attempts on his life was murdered on October 4, 2018, while waiting for coffee at a local McDonalds drive-thru. Authorities recovered a photo of 200k from Shelton’s cell phone that was taken a day after the hit on Sylvester “Sally Daz” Zottola. According to the feds Anthony supplied the attackers with keys to his dad’s home and a security passcode for a family office. They were also able to plant a tracking device of some kind to vehicles belonging to both.
After Sally Daz was taken out a text was sent from other conspirators to Shelton that contained only the word “Done” to signal the job had been completed. Shelton then texted Zottola a message that said “Can we party today or tomorrow?” to confirm the hit had been successful. The men seemingly met and the payoff of the 200k was made. Zottola exchanged messages with Shelton referring to the murders as “the filming” and the “final scene.” His father was referred to as “the actor” and the hitman as the “director.”
A total of ten suspects have now been charged in the case with nine of the having plead not guilty to murder, conspiracy, and weapons charges. Anthony Zottola and Shelton were charged with a murder-for-hire conspiracy, unlawful use, and possession of a firearm, and causing death through the use of a firearm. If convicted they face a mandatory sentence of life behind bars. So what was once thought to possibly be a tale of New York Mafia retribution ends up being something you would be more likely to see in a mafia movie.
