Sylvester Zottola a reputed Bonanno crime family mobster was gunned down while waiting in his SUV for an order at McDonald’s in the Bronx.
According to reports, he was waiting for his coffee order around 5 p.m. when he was blocked in by another vehicle. A hitman stepped out and fired five shots hitting Zottola in the chest, shoulder, and head. The 71-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. The Bonanno family associate was known to be feuding with someone although it’s still unclear as to who and why.
“Sylvester Zottola (left) sits with Vincent Basciano”
Sylvester’s 41-year-old son Salvatore Zottola was the victim of an attempted hit back in July that was caught on video (can be seen here) and made headlines. A gunman pulled up and shot him multiple times in front of the families Bronx mansion and left him for dead. Somehow Salvatore avoided any life-threatening wounds and survived the attempted assassination. The hit on Sylvester’s son may have been a message to the old man who had already survived several assassination attempts over last year.
Both Sylvester and Salvatore refused to cooperate with authorities during the investigation into their attempted murders. Sylvester Zottola has long-standing ties to the Bonanno family and former boss Vincent Basciano. The Zottola’s supplied and serviced Joker Poker machines to mafia controlled locations in the 1990s and 2000s according to court documents. While it seems quite possible these attacks could be linked to his Cosa Nostra ties authorities have not found or made public any evidence linking the two or made any arrest so far.
Federal investigators took over the case earlier this year but the United States Attorney’s Office had no comment about the assassination or the current investigation. It will be interesting to see if this has anything to do with the New York Mafia family or if it was something else.
