Carmine Verduci an alleged member of the Ndrangheta or Calabrian Mafia was found shot to death in a possible mafia hit outside of a cafe near Toronto. Police say he was shot several times outside of Regina Sports Cafe an area that many people claim is often frequented by organized crime figures. Verduci is considered by many mafia insiders to be an important mob figure in the Greater Toronto Area and a member of the Siderno group of the Ndrangheta. It is still unclear as to the motive behind the murder of Verduci but several theories are being investigated by local authorities. Some believe the hit could of been an internal move by the Ndrangheta or possibly another hit in the bloody Montreal mafia war between the Sicilian mafia faction and the Calabrians.
“Carmine Verduci”
Back in 2008 Verduci was noticed by Italian authorities attending a mob meeting of the Ndrangheta in Italy. The presence of a Canadian was of interest to law enforcement and they put him under surveillance including following him and cell phone taps. This lead to a two year probe code named “Operazione Crimini” linking 40 people which were Canadian citizens or residents of Canada. In 2010 Italian prosecutors launched sweeping indictments on several of the 40 people involved and alleged that information from probe unveiled seven dominate mafia families in the Toronto area. It also exposed that each family had a boss which sat on a board of control and the identity of these bosses were made public for first time.
Perhaps that is the reason for his murder now and he finally had to pay for his slip up then. Others believe it could be another mob hit in the mafia war between the Sicilian faction and the Calabrian faction in Canada which began with an assault of the once dominate Rizzuto crime family and long time mafia don Vito Rizzuto. The murder of such a well connected and influential mobster with in the Ndrangheta in Canada could be a sign that the Sicilian faction has reorganized and is sending a message. A police source says he believed his position inside of the Calabrian mafia in Toronto would of made him an attractive target for Silicilan mobsters in Montreal looking to make a stand.
Many people were hoping for and believed there would be peace after the passing of Vito Rizzuto with the Montreal mafia war coming to an end. Now this latest seemingly mafia related hit could make that hope unlikely.
