Montreal Mafia boss and leader of the Rizzuto crime family Vito Rizzuto died from a lung ailment in a Montreal hospital. Vito was released from a U.S. prison last year after serving 10 years for racketeering which included his part in the murders of three Bonanno family captain of the New York Mafia in 1981. While in prison a break away faction of the Rizzuto family believed to be backed by the Calabrian Mafia attempted to take over the Montreal underworld killing both his son Nick Rizzuto Jr and his father and crime family patriarch Nicolo Rizzuto in the process. Mob insiders and authorities believe the rival faction was led in part by Raynald Desjardins along with others from with in Rizzuto family and Ndrangheta in hopes of taking control of the lucrative drug trade.

“Vito Rizzuto”

The attempt by this rival faction was unsuccessful as an internal dispute of some kind developed leading to the murder of Salvatore “Sal the Ironworker” Montagna who had allied with Desjardins. Montagna was believed to be killed on orders from Desjardins and he currently in prison charged with the murder awaiting trial. Since returning to Montreal after his prison release Vito Rizzuto was believed to have taken back the reigns of the Montreal Mafia and has begun to strike back again his enemies. The ongoing Montreal mafia war has left dozen of bodies on the streets of Montreal and many believed that the end was not yet in sight as Vito Rizzuto had scores yet unsettled.

With the passing of the powerful and influential Vito Rizzuto the carnage may become even worse as a power void may well develop inside the Montreal Mafia. A bid for power may not begin which in the world of the Mafia often leads to more bloodshed. The landscape of the Montreal Mafia is with out a doubt due to change with the reign of the Rizzuto crime family seemingly now at its end.