Cece Luppino was found shot to death by a family member at the Luppino family home in Hamilton on Wednesday.
According to reports, the 43-year-old mafia scion was killed in what has been described as a targeted shooting. An unidentified family member reportedly called 911 after returning home in the late afternoon and finding him dead. The motive for the attack is still unclear and investigators so far have no suspects or any additional information. Hamilton police are said to be exploring the Luppino families ties to organized crime as part of its investigation.
“Cece Luppino”
The Luppino crime family has long-standing ties to the Mafia in Canada and the United States. Cece’s 80-year-old father Rocco Luppino is the son of deceased Ontario mafia leader Giacomo Luppino. Giacomo was considered by many to be one of the senior mob figures back in the 60s and 70s. According to police Cece had no criminal record and worked for a local family business. But his name had recently come up during an investigation called Project OTremens that targeted the highest levels of the mafia in Ontario. The investigation led to the takedown of mobsters on both sides of the border. More information on the investigation can be found here.
Rocco’s nephews Domenico Violi and Giuseppe Violi were captured on wiretaps by a mafia turncoat from New York during the investigation. According to transcripts of the recordings, Domenico claimed to be the new underboss of the Buffalo Mafia and that his uncle Rocco was a mob captain. During a conversation between Giuseppe and the informant, he said that Cece Luppino was offered a chance to become a made man as well in 2015. But he seemingly turned down the invitation telling his father that he would only be involved if he could make money in it according to a National Post report. He was quoted as saying “There are too many headaches,” describing how he watched his father struggle for over 30 years and he didn’t want to do the same.
There will certainly be plenty of theories when it comes to Luppino’s death. Could it be part of an ongoing mafia war between rival factions in the region which started back in 2017 with the murder of alleged mobster Angelo Musitano? If the hit was part of a Mafia settling of accounts there may be more bloodshed to come.
