Читать книгу That Wasn’t the Plan - Reg Sherren - Страница 29

It wasn’t all politics. Sometimes there was crime, big crime. As the summer rolled on, another Quebecker flew in, this one a big player in the Montreal mafia’s crime syndicate. There had been a huge hashish drug bust near Clarenville, Newfoundland, at a remote location called Ireland’s Eye. Sixteen tons of hash were seized, at the time the largest drug bust in Canadian history.

The RCMP charged Vito Rizzuto, among others. Vito, also known as Montreal’s Teflon Don, looked the part. At the time, he was considered the most powerful criminal in Montreal, if not Canada. It was said he came to power after participating in the assassination of some renegade mobsters associated with the Bonanno crime family of New York. He and two others, wearing ski masks, apparently shot three of them to death.

I was assigned to cover some preliminary court proceedings at the courthouse in Clarenville. Mr. Rizzuto and his colleagues had flown in for just that occasion. Cameraman Sterling Snow was again with me. Sterling is a tall, lanky fellow with a big walrus moustache. He is also tough as nails and afraid of nothing. We waited outside the court for some sign of action.

Vito and his gang soon arrived. Vito was an imposing, nasty presence, with slicked-back hair and a big hooked nose. He was also immaculately dressed in a long camel-hair coat, silk scarf and fine leather gloves. As he approached, I asked him if he would like to say anything. He smiled and said nothing. Then, as he was passing Sterling, he bent his shoulder into the camera, hitting it. Sterling said, “Jesus, buddy, watch it!”

“Sterling!” I hissed, “forget it.” Thankfully, he did.

The court proceedings dragged on and were eventually adjourned until the afternoon. Nothing to do but eat lunch. With few options, we chose the restaurant at the Holiday Inn up by the highway. As we entered, Vito and his gang walked in right behind us. He nodded politely and there we sat, elbow to elbow, eating club sandwiches with the head of the Montreal mafia.

The charges against Montreal’s Teflon Don eventually slipped right off him. They were dropped after the RCMP was caught trying to illegally wiretap another restaurant table, this one belonging to Rizzuto’s lawyers.