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Caught on tape: Construction bosses
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Introduction
In 2006, the RCMP made sweeping arrests of Mafia members and associates accused of drug-related crimes. The arrests came largely after years of intensive surveillance at Montreal's Consenza Social Club, the unofficial headquarters of Montreal's Rizutto clan.
In all, the RCMP intercepted 64,000 conversations at Consenza and shot more than 35,000 hours of video over four years as part of Project Colisée.
What was passed over during that drug investigation was the hours of interactions between mafia associates and the bosses of some of Montreal's largest construction companies.
Those conversations weren't part of the RCMP's mandate and the tapes were left unmined until the RCMP was forced to hand them over to Charbonneau commission investigators, who quickly identified several key players in the Montreal-area construction industry.
Those construction bosses, identified here, were seen on tape at the social club and became a key element of the testimony detailing a kickback scheme involving the Mafia, the construction magnates and city officials.
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Domenico Arcuri
Business
- President of the Société Internationale Carboneutre (SICN) Inc., a decontamination company, owner of Ital Gelati Inc. and former shareholder in Construction DAMC inc. – MIRABEAU Construction Inc.
- Associated with Raynald Desjardins in SICN. Desjardins is currently in jail awaiting trial on murder charges in the death of Salvatore Montagna in November.
Family
- His father, Domenico Arcuri, immigrated to Canada in the 1930s. Family members dispersed across Canada and the U.S. including Toronto, Montreal and New York.
- Family has tight links to the Rizzuto family and the Cammalleri family in Toronto. Vito Rizzuto's wife is a Cammalleri.
Investigation
- Caught on tape exchanging money with the so-called middleman, Nicolo Milioto, at the Consenza Social Club in 2004.
- Businesses have been fire bombed several times in recent months.
- Hasn’t been seen in the Montreal area since mid-August.
Related story: Mafia-linked Montreal ice cream business firebombed
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Nicolo Milioto
Business
- President of Mivela Construction Inc., which specializes in sidewalks and medians until January 2012.
- Was the "middleman" between the construction industry in Montreal and the Rizzuto clan, according to Charbonneau investigators.
Investigation
- Not known to investigators before he was caught on surveillance.
- Seen or heard on surveillance at Consenza Social Club at 236 times during Project Colisée.
- Seen exchanging money with members or associates of the Rizzuto family at the Social Club.
- Close to Nicolo Rizzuto Sr. and frequently met with Rocco Sollecito in the back room of the social club, according to surveillance captured.
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Accursio (Alex) Sciascia
Business
- President of ATG Paving Inc., which specialized in casting and concrete finishing. It also held municipal contracts for snow removal.
- Company founded in 1993.
- Vice-president of the Association Cattolica Eraclea Inc., the official name of the social club that acted as the Rizzutos headquarters. The association represents families who trace their heritage back to the village of the same name in Italy, a group that includes the Rizzutos.
Family
- Sciascia's brothers-in-law, Giuseppe and Tony Salvo, are business associates. They own a furniture company together, Immeubles Sciascia-Salvo.
Investigation
- Identified on surveillance tapes handing money to Nicolo Rizzuto at the Consenza Social Club in 2005.
Paolo Catania
Business
- Shareholder and treasurer of CATCAN Enterprises, a civil engineering construction firm. Development CATCAN specializes in residential and commercial development.
- Supervised municipal work site projects in Montreal, the Port of Montreal as well as Charlemagne, Repentigny, L’Assomption.
- Company was initially founded by Frank Catania and Paolo's father Tony Catania in 1963. Frank Catania left the company to found F. Catania Construction.
Family
- Son of Tony Catania and cousin of Paolo Catania, president of F. Catania Construction.
Investigation
- Identified on surveillance video greeting Paolo Renda and others at a Christmas party at Consenza Social Club on Dec. 24, 2005.
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Frank Catania
Business
- Founder of F. Catania and Associates Inc., which specializes in road and sewer infrastructure.
- Paolo Catania took over business from his father and Frank is no longer associated after 2006.
Family
- Founded company that became CATCAN Enterprises with brother Tony in 1963. The business is now run by nephew Paolo Catania.
- Founded company F. Catania and Associates Inc. with his son in 1987.
Investigation
- Seen on surveillance video at the Consenza Social Club with Nick Rizzuto Sr., who refers to him as Ciccarello or Chico, affectionate nicknames the commission investigator says shows a close relationship between the two men.
- Surveillance also captured a conversation about a collection being taken to buy a $4,500 humidor as a retirement gift for Catania.
- A photo seized in 2011 and presented at the commission shows Frank Catania along with Nick Rizzuto Sr. and others seated in a board room with plans for development projects in the background.
Other investigations
- City officials allegedly fed information to F. Catania and associates to ensure it won the bid for land in an east end development project at a fraction of the cost. A city auditor's report found the city lost close to $5 million on the deal.
- In the spring of 2012, UPAC officers raided the offices of F. Catania Inc., arresting his son Paolo and nine others on charges of fraud and breach of trust.
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Frank Enrico (Rick) Andreoli
Business
- President of CANBEC Construction inc.
- Company specializes in civil engineering and snow removal - Founded in 1984 in Lachine.
- Involved as an administrator at the Quebec association of snow removal entrepreneurs and the Quebec association of infrastructure entrepreneurs.
- Linked to several other businesses including NORBEC paving, Gestion RIANCO and the estate of Federico Del Peschio, a Rizzuto associate who was assassinated in front of his St-Laurent Street restaurant in 2009.
Investigation
- Seen on surveillance at a Christmas party at the Consenza Social Club on Dec. 24, 2005.
- According to commission investigator Eric Vecchio, Andreoli's closeness to the organization is demonstrated when high ranking member of the Rizzuto clan, Francesco Arcadi, greets him by placing his hands on Andreoli's face.
- Andreoli is also captured having a private discussion with consigliere Paulo Renda at the social club the same night. Because he wasn't identified as a person of interest in the RCMP investigation, the audio wasn't recorded.
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Lino Zambito
Business
- Former vice-president and co-owner of Constructions Infrabec.
- Filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2011 after he was charged with fraud and breach of trust and accused of tax evasion.
- Director at Franchises Pizza Etc. Inc. since November 2011.
Family
- Father, Guiseppe Zambito, co-founded Construction Infrabec Inc. in 1997.
- Brother in law, Peter Laschuk, joined business in 2002 as a director.
Investigation
- Seen on surveillance tape at Christmas party at the Consenza Social Club greeting Paolo Renda.
- Took the stand as a witness at the Charbonneau commission and he made stunning disclosures about how construction companies colluded to divvy up city work among them and kick backs to the political party of the Montreal mayor.
Related story: Quebec construction boss admits companies colluded
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