Raffaele Delle Donne shares his life story - and his role in the Russo shooting
- with Hana Gartner.
Raffaele Delle Donne was born in Naples, Italy. His family moved to Toronto
when he was 12. Raffaele dropped out of school at 15 and worked at a glass
factory to help support his family. By 17, he was selling clothes out of
the back of a van. At 21, Raffaele married his elementary school sweetheart.
They started a family and moved to Woodbridge, outside of Toronto. They
had two boys.
INTRODUCED THE MOB BY A CHILDHOOD FRIEND
In 2003, Raffaele was hard-up for money. At this time, he was approached
by a childhood friend, Antonio Borrelli, to do a mortgage fraud transaction.
A man named Mike Marrese was involved. Marrese was known to the police as
a local fraudster and Mafia associate. Raffaele made $50,000 for two days
work. It was the start of his life in the mob. "They said you can
make money in a couple of days. I needed the money. It was no risk. I wasn't
hurting anybody because it was all paperwork. It was my biggest mistake.
Once I got in they owned me."
Raffaele didn't tell his wife about his growing association with
the Toronto mob. She thought he was still selling clothes on the street.
Raffaele was offered a job as Marrese's driver. He drove Marrese
to his appointments and helped handle the mortgage frauds. Raffaele nibbled
at the edges of this criminal world. He was the low guy on the mafia totem
pole. He knew that Peter Scarcella was the boss, but he rarely saw him or
talked with him. "I was just a little sheep around. I had never got
to see the actual total picture because it was kept in the dark from us.
I was just a nobody. I didn't need to know certain things."
CAUGHT IN A MOB TURN WAR
Raffaele's world would change drastically when a turf
war started in Toronto between Scarcella and a newcomer
Mike
Modica. Modica
was a member of the New York Bonnano crime family. He had spent 14 years
in jail and showed up in Toronto looking for new opportunites. He was trying
to take over Scarcella's territory.
Raffaele was forced to take sides. He felt threatened by Scarcella and
ended up working as a snitch for him. Raffaele would play a key role in
setting up Modica for the botched hit that happened at the California Sandwiches
shop on April 21, 2004.
CRIMINAL TURNS INFORMANT
Raffaele Delle Donne in Toronto. He says it's not the city that he misses,
but his friends and family.
In May 2004, Raffaele became a police informant. He wore at wire for 13
months and helped police collect evidence against Scarcella and his gang.
His role would help police build a solid case against the shooters.
Raffaele's wife and children were put in witness protection. He hasn't
seen them in two years. He is on the run with a $100,000 contract on his
head by the mob and Hell's Angels.
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