Roger Valiquette was found shot to death execution style in a parking lot in Laval in what is believed to be the latest hit in the bloody Montreal Mafia war. Valiquette is a long time associate of jailed mobster Raynald Desjardins and was likely murdered on orders from Vito Rizzuto or the Rizzuto crime family according to mob insiders. Desjardins now jailed on murder charges was believed to have been a leading member in an attempt by a break away faction with Calabrian Mafia backing in an attack against the Rizzuto family in an attempt to take over the Montreal Mafia. But even with murders of many high ranking Rizzuto family leaders including Vito Rizzuto’s father and son the takeover attempt failed. Since Vito Rizzuto was released from prison in 2012 he is believed to have taken back control of the Montreal Mafia and continues to settle scores for the death of his family members and attack on his crime family.
“Montreal mob boss Vito Rizzuto”
Both Desjardins and Valiquette before becoming allied with the Rizzuto family had ties to the Cotroni clan of the Calabrian Mafia. When the Rizzuto family took control of the Montreal Mafia in the 1970’s Desjardins helped in connecting with the Hells Angels biker gang then led by Maurce “Mom” Boucher in major drug operations and he became a trusted ally of Vito Rizzuto. Valiquette also began to cultivate these links with the biker gangs in foot steps of Desjardins becoming part of the drug operations. Many believe that the ties to both the Calabrian Mafia and Desjardins is the likely reason for the Vilaquette’s murder. One Italian organized crime expert said that given the past career and position of Valiquette one might think he was part of the wrong clan and paid the price for it. He also points out that Valiquette also had ties to another Calabrian mobster Tonino Callocchia who was himself part of a murder attempt in which he survived last February. Along with the murders of other Calabrian clan members like Joe Di Maulo and Moreno Gallo since the return of Vito Rizzuto to Montreal one can begin to see a pattern.
Montreal Mafia insiders Andre Cedilot says this is still not over and there could be more bloodshed to come as a list of victims being priced since Vito’s return is still not complete. He says there could have been up to a dozen targets on that list and there may still be 5 or 6 of them yet to fall and some of them possibly large names within the Italian community in Canada.
