Two men have pleaded guilty in the attempted murder of Leonardo Rizzuto, son of former Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto.
The guilty pleas were entered on Monday by Stefano Sollecito and Leonardo Rizzuto’s former bodyguard, Lorenzo Giordano. Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm with the intent to endanger life.
The incident occurred on December 28, 2015, when Leonardo Rizzuto was shot multiple times while driving his SUV in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood of Montreal. He survived the attack and was able to drive himself to a nearby hospital.
According to court documents, Sollecito and Giordano were part of a plot to kill Rizzuto in retaliation for the murder of Vito Rizzuto in 2013. The two men were allegedly acting on behalf of the Rizzuto crime family, which was seeking revenge for Vito Rizzuto’s death.
The guilty pleas come after a lengthy legal battle, which saw both men initially plead not guilty and their trials delayed due to various legal challenges. However, on Monday, both men changed their pleas to guilty, avoiding a lengthy trial.
Sollecito and Giordano are scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. They each face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The Rizzuto crime family has long been a dominant force in the Montreal underworld, with Vito Rizzuto at the helm for decades. However, the family has faced significant challenges in recent years, including the deaths of several key members and the imprisonment of others.
The attempted murder of Leonardo Rizzuto is just one example of the ongoing violence and power struggles within the Montreal Mafia. As the legal proceedings continue, it remains to be seen what impact these guilty pleas will have on the Rizzuto crime family and the wider criminal landscape in Montreal.
