MONTRÉAL, Que. — The man on trial for the 2016 murders of two Montreal Mafia leaders appeared ready to get back in the game when he was secretly recorded by an informant three years later.
The jury in the trial of Dominico Scarfo, 49, began hearing a series of recordings made in the summer of 2019, after the gunman who shot Mob leader Rocco Sollecito in Laval decided to work undercover for the Sûreté du Québec.
Scarfo is alleged to have participated in Sollecito’s murder by positioning a vehicle in front of Sollecito’s BMW as he left his home on the morning of May 27, 2016. Scarfo allegedly stopped his vehicle at a designated intersection in Laval and blocked Sollecito’s path. The gunman, who had waited inside a bus shelter at the intersection, opened fire and shot Sollecito eight times before escaping on the back of a motorcycle driven by a second accomplice.
Scarfo is also alleged to have fatally shot Lorenzo Giordano earlier in 2016. At the start of the trial, prosecutor Marie-Christine Godbout told the jury that both men were killed on orders from Salvatore Scoppa, a leader among a Calabrian clan in the Montreal Mafia who wanted to kill their Sicilian rivals.
On Tuesday, the jury began listening to a recording made using a body pack, a device that secretly records conversations. The recording was made on July 28, 2019, and the informant’s exchanges with Scarfo indicated the accused sensed betrayal was everywhere.
He referred to the other accomplice in Sollecito’s murder, the person who was on the motorcycle, as having “pulled a Paulie” on him. He explained that he was referring to the movie The Godfather, and how a bodyguard named Paulie who was supposed to protect Marlon Brando’s character called in sick at the last minute to help set up an attempt on the Mafia leader’s life.
“You remember The Godfather? Paulie — when he calls in sick? I don’t know if you remember. He called in sick (and said) ‘I can’t make it today,’ and then they shot (Brando’s character),” Scarfo was recorded saying.
While it wasn’t clear what the accomplice backed out of when he “pulled a Paulie,” it was apparent that Scarfo no longer trusted the man three years after they allegedly took part in Sollecito’s murder.
” … I want territory. Me, now I want power.”
During the same conversation, the informant told Scarfo that things had changed with Scoppa because the accomplice, whose name cannot be published for the time being, had lied to him. The informant also said Scoppa’s brother, Andrea (Andrew) Scoppa, was willing to finance something new that would involve weapons.
“Bro, if he’s willing to put up the cash,” Scarfo replied.
“Andrew will put up cash. Andrew will put up money for toys,” the informant continued.
“To get back in, I want territory. Me, now I want power,” Scarfo said.
“Me, I have two guys that are gonna go. You understand? They’re up for anything. They want money. They’re up for anything.”
The trial contonues.
[email protected]
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2022
Comments are closed.