Funeral services are being held today for former Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto in Little Italy at Notre-Dame-de-la-Defence Church. This historic church is also where funerals were held for Vito’s son Nick Rizzuto Jr and father Nicolo Rizzuto after both were assassinated. Mr Rizzuto passed away due to complications from lung cancer at the age of 67 at a Montreal hospital last week. Lines of mourners attended a wake for the Montreal Mafia boss which began on Sunday morning and lasted late into the night. Vito’s remaining family which included his wife and two children greeted hundred of mourners as they arrived to pay their respects. The atmosphere was subdued with one room containing dozens of displayed floral arrangements with more stacked almost to the ceiling offering a powerful scent of lilies in the air. Lines of people formed outside of the doors and into the parking lot as they flowed in to see Mr. Rizzuto for the last time.
“Photo’s from Vito Rizzuto wake courtesy of Canadian Press/Graham Hughes”
The Sunday visitation was also a busy time for law enforcement as they gathered outside watching closely as the mourners poured in. Many mafia experts expected many top mob leaders from area’s like Hamilton, Toronto, New York, and possibly even Sicily to show up and pay respect to former mob chief. Both Mafia leaders and police will be keeping a close eye on the wake and funeral watching for any signs of a new emerging power figure. Not everyone attending the funeral will have tears in their eyes and some people will be glad he is gone as they feared they could of also been on Vito’s revenge list as he waged war against those he held responsible for deaths of his father and son.
It is still unclear if a successor was named by Vito before he passed away. Mafia experts have noted the lack of another dominate force with in the Montreal underworld with the same charisma and deep rooted connections like Vito Rizzuto possessed. Also if he did name someone to take the reigns of the Montreal Mafia can this new boss maintain control and keep thing from unraveling into a bloody power struggle. The Sicilian based Rizzuto crime family has controlled the Montreal Mafia for over 30 years now after winning a war between the Sicilian and Calabrian factions in the 1970’s led by Nicolo Rizzuto. Perhaps now the Calabrian factions see an opening with the Rizzuto family era coming to an end to shift power back to their side. Only time will tell as we wait to see how things shake out in the Montreal underworld.
“Vito Rizzuto carried out”
“Vito Rizzuto funeral procession”
