The two Quebec women facing life in prison in Australia after police found more than $30 million worth of cocaine in their suitcases looked like they were having the time of their lives on the way there.
Melina Roberge and Isabelle Lagace, both in their 20s, spent the last two months on the MS Sea Princess, a massive luxury cruise that takes 2,000 passengers on numerous stops from Southampton in the UK to Sydney, Australia. Tickets for the cruise cost $20,000 each.
Vito Rizzuto was the Steve Jobs of organized crime: charismatic, visionary, and shrewd enough to run a billion-dollar enterprise with tentacles reaching from Montreal to New York, South America, and Europe.
Because of its location along the St. Lawrence river and proximity to US markets, Montreal has always been a major point of entry for drugs, guns, and basically whatever else you can fit into a shipping container.
And for the good part of three decades, Rizzuto had his hand in almost every racket in the city, heading a “consortium” of organized crime which included Colombian cartels, Irish gangs who controlled the city’s port, and Hells Angels who took care of distribution of drugs across Quebec and Ontario.
Rizzuto’s death in December 2013āfrom natural causesāhas left many speculating about his replacement and sources VICE spoke to hinted at a dramatic decline in the Sicilian Mafia’s power in Montreal and Canada since his passing.
With the rise of Haitian street gangs, the imminent release of numerous Hells Angels from prison, and rival Italian factions, there is no shortage of conspiracy theories surrounding Vito Rizzuto’s replacement.
Chief among those theories is that the Ontario-based Calabrian mafia, also known as the ‘Ndrangheta, is moving in and getting revenge after having been violently pushed out of the city by Vito’s father in the 1970s.
But this line of thinking is deeply flawed, said RCMP Staff Sergeant Chris Knight, because it assumes that Vito Rizzuto can even be replaced.
“No one’s got the credibility, no one’s got the clout, and certainly no one has the charisma that Vito Rizzuto hadāand I’ve met himāto make allies out of enemies. No one has that right now,” Knight told VICE.
Knight has been with the RCMP for 34 years and works with local, provincial, and international law enforcement to monitor organized crime in Quebec.
His squad has seen no sign of rival Italian gangs moving to replace the Rizzuto’s, as certain media and observers have speculated.
“We haven’t seen attempts or power moves from Hamilton or Toronto on establishments or persons here. And we haven’t received any information on the street to that effect either. It’s a myth. I’ve always heard these things about New York and Toronto controlling Montreal but nothing could be further from the truth.”
Antonio Nicaso agrees. He has authored 27 books about organized crimes and acted as a consultant for the government on these.Ā In his most recent book Business or Blood he writes extensively about the final years of Rizzuto’s life and the implications of a post-Vito world.
“I don’t see anyone with the same vision as Vito Rizzuto. His mafia was the real one, not a cheap imitation,” Nicaso told VICE. “Rather than fighting over turf, they are now trying to create a balance of power where different organizations will work together.
So it’s a group of people rather than one person like Rizzuto who was a master mediator capable of striking alliances and reaping huge profits through criminal enterprises.”
What is certain, for both Knight and Nicaso, is that the Sicilian Mafia no longer wield the power they once did in Canada. All signs point to a decentralization and instabilityānot a replacement.
“Their monopoly or their stranglehold is not what it used to be. It’s greatly diminished. They have lost a lot of power and there have been a lot deaths in the family,” said Staff Sergeant. Knight.
“You’re going to get struggles for street corners like you see in New York. In New York, it’s basically whoever has the biggest gun or the most soldiers gets the street corner for the distribution of narcotics and other organized crime activities.”
In 2010, Vito Rizzuto’s father and his son, both named Nick, were gunned down within months of each other.
The murders took place during a period of intense fighting wherein rival Italian factions, namely New York’s Bonanno family tried to take advantage of the power vacuum created after Rizzuto’s imprisonment in Colorado.
He had been deported and was serving time for his involvement in the triple murder of Bonanno family captains in 1981.
Earlier this month, Raynald Desjardins pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the murder of Sal “the Iron Worker” Montagna.
Desjardins was Rizzuto’s right-hand man during the golden years of his reign and, according to wiretaps, one of the only two non-Italians to be “made” in the Mafia.
Montagna was the acting head of New York’s Bonanno crime family who triedāand failedāto replace Rizzuto as the boss in Montreal. Obviously, their relationship soured and Desjardins’s car was showered with AK-47 fire north of Montreal in 2011.
Two months later, Montagna’s body was found floating in the Assomption River.Ā Desjardins’s case is a salient reminder of just how complex and delicate the balance of power can be for organized crime in Montreal.
The city has seen a period of relative calm in recent months but that doesn’t mean that it’s stable or lasting. Based on the RCMP’s analysis, all signs point to splintering drug turf and increased instability.
“It’s very volatile on the street. Whereas ten years ago, if there’s one thing that Vito Rizzuto had it was the ability to gather people, negotiate truces, and make arrangements that everyone made money. With him being gone, it’s more volatile now.”
Ironically, this volatility is directly linked to the effective police work done by the RCMP who arrested almost 100 suspected mobsters in Project ColisƩe and pretty much every Hells Angels patch member during Operation Sharqc.
Obviously, these arrests did nothing to curb the demand for drugs and, according to sources who spoke with VICE, all of that demand was absorbed by notoriously unstable Haitian street gangs who are plagued with internal Bloods-Crips rivalries and have effectively replaced the Hells Angels on the street.
Sources also pointed to the fact that the notoriously racist Hells Angels will want their old drug turf back and will not be pleased with the fact that black gangs are now in control. There’s trouble a’brewing in la mĆ©tropole.
“The Hells Angels will definitely become more and more important, that goes without saying,” said Antonio Nicaso.
Knight agreed: “They’re going to want more territory and more cheap drugs and a monopoly over extortion or illegal gambling. There will be conflict for sure. It’s all about money and power. And the more players you have, the less you have to go around.”
Without Rizzuto’s unifying and stabilizing influence, the current period of relative calm is likely to be short-lived. And in order to survive in a post-Vito world, the Sicilian Mafia will have no choice but to rebrand.
Unlike stereotypes propagated in the media, the Mafia in Montreal isn’t all about guns, drugs, and prostitutesāit’s actually more boring than that.
Last September, the Charbonneau Commission wrapped up.
The inquiry heard testimony from almost 200 witnesses and exposed a massive criminal conspiracyĀ involving the mob, construction companies, unions, and high-ranking municipal employeesāa reminder that crime in Montreal was able to fester in an environment of political collusion.
In fact, the findings of the Commission led to the resignation of mayor Gerald Tremblay and to the arrests of Laval’s former mayor and Montreal’s interim mayorĀ on gangsterism and corruption charges, respectively (all of which makes Rob Ford seem pretty benign, Toronto).
“The Mafia is strong and powerful is because they were capable of infiltrating our society and our politicians. What they used to do with the gun, they now do with corruption, relationships, and contracts,” Antonio Nicaso said.
“They are not as strong and powerful anymore mainly because they are not able to replace Vito Rizzuto but without connections to those who hold the power and money, the Mafia would just be a bunch of hooligans.”
The British DJ and record producer gives us his inside track into the worldās coolest partying destinations
Miami is a year-round clubbing destination catering for everyone from super rich VIPs to underground clubbers looking for the cooler side of electronic music. I just played at Treehouseon South Beach, which has a real quirky feel to its layout and aĀ very relaxed vibe. Ā British Airways flies to Miami
Watch: John Digweed live at Treehouse, Miami
This is easily one of myĀ favourite cities in the world. San Fran is so beautiful during the day and very lively at night. Mighty is an old warehouse style venue with a state-of-the-art Avalon EAW sound system and super friendly and energetic crowd. I always have so much fun playing here.Ā British Airways flies to San Francisco
India has recently been bitten by the electronic music bug. The last time I was in town I played at a new club called Blue Frog which has several venues throughout the country. The crowd seemed really enthusiastic ā thereās a new generation of young people who are working, have disposable cash, and just want to go out and have a good time. Read more: DJ schools in Mumbai āØĀ British Airways flies to Bombay
People know Vegas for its mega hotels, casinos and clubs, but itās also home to one of the worldās biggest music festivals ā Electric Daisy Carnival runs over three days (19-21 June 2015) and leads the way in terms of out-of-this-world productions by some of the best DJs in the world. Ā British Airways flies to Las Vegas
āIn Montreal, the crowds party right through to the afternoon on the following dayā
For summer clubbing, it you canāt beat anywhere else on the planet. Ibiza has it allĀ ā great beaches, restaurants and nightlife. I have a residency at the legendary Pacha in Ibiza Town for its āInsaneā Friday night party, running until the first week of October.
British Airways flies to Ibiza
āØNew York is special for me ā I was the resident DJ at club called Twilo from five years. The cityās got a great vibe. Thereās a club there called Output in Williamsburg, which not only has an amazing sound system, itās got a no camera/no bottle service/no VIP policy, so it attracts a proper clubbing crowd, without any pretension. Iād rather play for people who want to dance, not people who want to look at a DJ through a camera.Ā British Airways flies to New York
Home of the famous after hours nightclubbing scene (the clubs donāt open until after midnight), Montreal has always been a top city for me to play in. They invest in the clubs there and make them better. Stereo has one of the best sound systems in the world ā not to mention a well-educated crowdĀ who sometimes party right through to the afternoon the following day.Ā British Airways flies to Montreal
When it comes to electronic music, Amsterdam Dance Event is the place to be: the five-day conference and festival (14-18 October 2015) features over 2,000 DJs and act, so itās a great time to network and party at the same time. There are parties on every night of the week across the city. I always host a Bedrock party at the Melkweg to a very up-for-it international crowd. Ā British Airways flies to Amsterdam
Vladimir Antaki has been documenting shopkeepers all over the world. His project was born from his desire to document and pay tribute to these āguardians of urban templesā that we meet everyday without really noticing
Rachid the butcher in Paris. All photographs: Vladimir Antaki/Barcroft Media
David poses with his dog in London
Jainul in his shop in New York
Jose, a TV repairman, in New York
Abou Georges in his workshop in Beirut, Lebanon
Marie in Montreal, Canada. Marie is a passionate collector. She runs a store that contains nostalgic objects that belonged to her late husband. The store no longer exists
Richard surrounded by hundreds of items in Montreal
Edwige is dwarfed by stacks of vintage magazines in Paris
Alyssa in Montreal
Abdou in Beirut
Denise Acabo in her chocolate shop in the Moulin Rouge area of Paris
Yacek stands amongst his adult books and magazines in London
Baba in his shop in Paris
Abraham sits inside a car in Beirut Photograph: Vladimir Antaki/Barcroft Media
Esther stands next to a bin containing fabric in her shop in Montreal. āIt gives me a purpose. I get up in the morning and I come here. I have something to do. Most of my friends my age which is 85, 86, 84 give or take, they get up in the morning and say: āWhat am I gonna do today?ā. They have to look for things to do.ā
Terrence in his bookshop in Montreal. āBookstores, you know, are also a form of community centers. A lot of people come here just to sit and browse and chat with their friends. Iāve had people come in here, men and women who have met one an other and ended up getting married, for heavenās sake.ā
āBirdmanā is surrounded by stacks of CDs in his shop in New York. He doesnāt own a computer, a mobile phone, or a cash register. He solely relies on his visual memory. He made a fortune on Wall Street when he was 35-years old and enjoyed it up to when he was 57, before opening his shop Rainbow Music 13 years ago
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