It is said that Volpe upset other mob bosses in Ontario and the U.S., who felt he was invading their territory with his business acquisitions.

Toronto Star reporter Peter Edwards and mob expert Antonio Nicaso wrote in their 1993 book Deadly Silence that police informer Cecil Kirby indicated the Montreal-based Commisso family had placed a $20,000 murder contract on Volpe in the early 1980s.

The book draws on information from a bevy of informers among Volpe's former associates in Philadelphia and Buffalo.

Edwards also writes Volpe was killed within half an hour of meeting an associate at a Woodbridge restaurant to discuss his involvement in securing $2.5 million for a planned casino in Antigua.

The investigation into Volpe’s murder was extensive, with tips and leads taking detectives to the United States where they spent weeks conducting interviews.

To this day, no arrests have been made.

Peel homicide Insp. Brent Magnus said although a case such as this one has been “unsolved” for years, police continue to investigate “all practical avenues” in an effort to make an arrest.

“We constantly investigate leads that present themselves which will assist in solving a case,” he said. “The staff within the Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau are dedicated to seeking the truth on all cases and are committed to ensuring that each and every victim and their respective families are provided with some closure.”

Anyone with information can call police at 905-453-2121, ext. 3205 or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

-with files from Torstar

