Vito Rizzuto

Vito Rizzuto was an Italian-Canadian alleged mob boss who led the Montreal-based Rizzuto crime family and was widely described as a leading figure in the Sicilian Mafia in Canada.

Vito Rizzuto (21 February 1946 – 23 December 2013) was an Italian-Canadian organized crime figure widely described as the alleged leader of the Sicilian Mafia in Canada and the head of the Montreal-based Rizzuto crime family. He is considered a major figure in Canadian organized-crime history, particularly in Montreal and Quebec.

Early life

Vito Rizzuto was born on 21 February 1946 in Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, Italy. He immigrated to Canada with his family in 1954, settling in Montreal. His father, Nicolo Rizzuto, later became associated with the family’s criminal activities in Montreal.

Criminal leadership

Rizzuto became the reputed leader of the Montreal Mafia and the Rizzuto crime family, which operated from Montreal, Quebec. Reports describe him as a powerful underworld figure with ties to the Bonanno crime family in New York. Sources describe the organization as a major criminal enterprise involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, gambling, fraud, loansharking, and contract killings. The Rizzuto family is sometimes called the 'Sixth Family' in references to its size and influence.

Legal cases and imprisonment

In 2004, Rizzuto was arrested in connection with the 1981 killings of three Bonanno family captains in Brooklyn. He later pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to commit murder and received a 10-year prison sentence.

Death and legacy

Rizzuto died in Montreal on 23 December 2013 after health problems; sources describe the cause as natural causes or illness-related complications. After his death, news coverage described him as one of the most prominent Mafia figures in Canadian organized crime history.