Mafia Inc.: Grandeur et misère du clan sicilien au Québec

by André Cédilot

The runaway bestselling exposé about Canada's most infamous mafia family is finally available in English, updated to include shocking events and revelations that followed its newsmaking publication in Québec.

Queens, New York, 1981. When Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato and two others are found dead in a vacant lot, police fail to solve their murders. For their killer and his Montréal family, their deaths mark the beginning of an epic rise to criminal power that will last over thirty years. But in the mid-2000s, having escaped justice for decades, father and son Nicolo and Vito Rizzuto are finally arrested and convicted, one in Montréal and one in the United States. Meanwhile, deep inside the heart of their family, struck hard by a series of carefully plotted executions, the epic continues.

Updated and available for the first time in English, Mafia Inc. --a major bestseller even before the 2010 assassination of Nicolo Rizzuto--reveals how the Rizzuto clan built their Canadian empire through force and corruption, alliances and compromises, and turned it into one of the most powerful criminal organizations in North America. Relying on extensive court documents, police sources and sources in the family's home village in Sicily, Montréal journalists André Cédilot and André Noël reconstruct the history of the Rizzuto clan, and expose how its business extends throughout Canada and the world, shaping the criminal underworld, influencing politicians and bending the will of business leaders to their own self-satisfying ends.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, History, Canada, Crime, Legal, France

430 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Bernard Perusse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it in French. The in-depth research is highly impressive, but it’s an arduous, at times tedious, read. Most of it reads like an endless investigative piece, with almost no narrative drama. Page after page after page chronicles events and names in a professionally journalistic manner that ultimately leaves the reader confused and unengaged. It took me months to finish, largely because I was rarely in the mood to work so hard at retaining the convoluted details. Glad to have finished it off, but relieved that I can check it off my list.

[Anne Marriott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The true story of the Mafia in Canada, particularly Montreal. Amazing the stuff that happens right under our noses! The book became somewhat repetitive, but that is what the story of the Mafia is like--you make a mistake or betray one of them and your life is over. And it happens again and again and again...

[Peter Thurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My latest hyperfixation is with mafia-type organized crime - what better place to start than the Rizzuto family of Montreal, considered by some to be the "Sixth Family." The book is largely chronological, starting with all-important connections to the Italian island of Sicily, where the Cosa Nostra got its start at the end of the 19th century. From there is spans the globe, particularly Italy, Venezuela, and Canada, with lots of connections to the crime families in New York City. Technically considered a subset of New York's Bonanno family, the Rizzuto story takes as its locus event the 1981 killings of three dissident Bonanno capos (captains) in Brooklyn. Vito Rizzuto, who had successfully dislodged the Calabrian Cotroni clan from their position atop the Montreal underworld, was one of the key gunmen in the murders, and was eventually fingered by several high-ranking New York mafia members including famous turncoats Sal (Good Lookin) Vitale and the boss of the Bonanno family, Joe Massino. Mafia, Inc, translated from the French and written by two journalists who have followed the Montreal underworld for their entire careers, doesn't only recount the many, many killings that happened at the hands of the Rizzuto clan, but also goes into detail on how they effectively controlled the narcotics supply to New York, most of which came from Columbia, via Venezuela, before being shipped north and dropped into the cold waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway, where it was retrieved by Rizzuto associates and shipped south in trucks. Also included are the many examples of corruption that has been endemic to Quebec society since at least the 1950s. Unknown to most, the Rizzuto clan played a key role in the October Crisis, which saw the separatist FLQ kidnap Pierre LaPorte, who was Quebec's Minster of Labour. The book also includes details on how the Rizzuto clan was angling for contracts in the building of the Bridge of Messina, which would see a bridge built between Calabria, Italy's toe, and Sicily, the home of the Cosa Nostra. This scheme was taken as the source material for a fictional-movie-based-on-true-events of the same name, Mafia, Inc, which is currently playing on Netflix in Canada.

If you are at all interested in organized crime in Canada, this book is a must-read. The Rizzuto clan is arguably Canada's largest contribution to the world of international organized crime. Even though their power has declined to the point of insignificance (Nìcolo, Vito and Nìcolo Jr. are all dead), their presence is still felt not only in Quebec, but also in New York and Italy.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story of Montreal's crime boss Vito Rizzuto.. Describes just how deep the Mafia was in Canada and how closely connected it was to the major crime families of New York. Amazing how the Mafia was such an "enterprising" group and how much money went through them. Definitely a good read to get an idea how all the little events in the news tie together and are connected and directed by one big "family".

[Joel Bouchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, very insightful. Helped me understand many historic events. It's a tricky read because there are so many implications between various members of the even more various organisations. Thankfully, the author refreshes essential information when it needs to be.

Overall, a good book for any history buff who loves mob stories.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un récit très intéressant non seulement de l'histoire de la Mafia à Montréal, mais aussi sur l'histoire et le dévelloppement de la ville et comment ceux-ci ont été influencée par cette organisation criminelle.

[J.R.D. Skinner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but can get quite dense and devolve into listing names and family connections.

[Jérémie · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai lu la version francophone. Effectivement, la lecture peut être assez lourde par moments. Essayer de se retrouver à travers les noms italiens et de faire les liens entre les personnages est parfois très laborieux.

Par contre, il faut saluer le travail de recherche incroyable de l'auteur, la précision des faits apportés et l'integralité de l'oeuvre. C'est impressionant à lire.

Il faut vraiment s'interesser au sujet pour lire jusqu'au bout, car je dirais que l'histoire n'est pas assez romancée et le texte est très dense, mais en général j'ai apprécié ma lecture et j'ai appris beaucoup!

4/5

[Marc Therrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un autre chef d’œuvre qui nous renseigne sur le crime organisé et à quel point il a imprégné le monde légal et illégal au Québec. Ce livre est tout autant porteur d’espoir qu’une mise en garde contre l’apathie face aux groupes criminels.

Comme l’a un jour dit le juge Giovanni Falcone, comme toute chose, la mafia doit avoir une fin.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know if it's the translation's fault or not, but this was so poorly written. The exact opposite of what you want a non-fiction book to be. Basically just a list of facts and dozens of names, locations, and dates you can't possibly keep track of. Such a bore that I was just skimming the whole thing, so I had to give up.

[Meg Stj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très bien documenté mais malheureusement un peu lourd par moment.

[Sylvie Turcot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merci Bonsoir bonsoir de RC pour le livre

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tout simplement FASCINANT ! Le monde interlope est un monde parallèle au nôtre, avec ses propres règles, propres systèmes et une hiérarchie très bien définie. Avant de commencer ma lecture, j’avais peur qu’il s’agisse d’une lecture dense et complexe, mais les auteurs ont fait un boulot impeccable. Dès les premières pages on s’accroche et on ne veut plus s’arrêter ! Pour les fans de District 31, c’est à lire, vous ne serez pas déçus ! ;)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

On peut se sentir perdu.e au départ par l'abondance des personnages et certaines similitudes des évènements; néanmoins ça reste passionnant. presque spoiler alert: J'apprécie le récapitulatif de la fin

[Genevieve Ducharme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un compte-rendu des plus complets et impressionnants sur la mafia montréalaise et son impact sur notre société. Un travail de longue haleine pour tous ceux qui ont passé des années sur ce genre de dossier. Très intéressant.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illuminating read about the history and recent developments re: the Montreal Mafia.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

After quite some time i finally finished this book! It was a heavy read, a lot of info but a great read. A really good book and interesting.

[Malcolm SH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Récit très journalistique, description fascinante de l'emprise de la mafia à Montréal et au Québec.