Alleged Montreal mob boss Leonardo Rizzuto in court; next appearance Nov. 3

Alleged Montreal-based Italian mafia boss Leonardo Rizzuto appeared in court Wednesday morning alongside 10 other suspects with alleged links to organized crime.

The legal proceedings, which took place at the Centre judiciaire Gouin, consisted of “case management.”

The Gouin courthouse has been the site of several high-profile cases involving organized crime and biker gangs over the years. It even has an underground tunnel to nearby Bordeaux prison to allow for secure transfer of inmates.

This case was initially heard at the Montreal courthouse.

“They were involved in every crime possible, importing on narcotics. He’s the last one of the Rizuttos, Leonardo,” said Pietro Poletti, a retired lieutenant detective for the Montreal police (SPVM).

“It’s going to be a decline of the Rizzuto family.”

Shortly after their arrests on June 12, Rizzuto and the 10 suspects pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder or conspiracy to commit murder for alleged murders and alleged attempted murders between 2011 and 2021.

The suspects also face charges related to several alleged violent crimes.

“The more accused, the more complicated the case is,” said criminal defence lawyer Steven Slimovitch.

During their first court appearances in September, the cases entered a “management phase” to set dates for future hearings.

The content of the case management and pre-trial proceedings are under a publication ban that prevents the media from publishing the documents filed and the discussions in court.

Slimovitch say pre-trial proceedings help lawyers sort out what they would plan to introduce while in trial – everything from evidence to expert witnesses.

“There probably will be a lot of preliminary things that have to be discussed, otherwise, you’re going to leave them for the trial and it’ll be a nightmare come trial time. So the idea is to get rid of these things ahead of time,” Slimovitch explained.

On Wednesday, Rizzuto and nine other suspects appeared in person at the courthouse. One suspect appeared via videoconference.

At the end of the proceedings, several people in the audience room — presumably family and friends — approached the glass that separated the accused and the courtroom and began waving at them.

Rizzuto and the other accused are scheduled to be back in court Nov. 3.

The charges came after 150 police officers were involved in the arrest of Rizzuto and the others accused in several cities across Quebec. It was part of a joint investigation between Montreal and provincial police called Project Alliance.

Poletti is suggesting a police informant could play a key role during the court cases. 

“He’s been collaborating with the authorities for years,” Poletti told CityNews. “It wasn’t the best kept secret. And apparently he’s got evidence on over 40 murders or so.

“You need corroborating evidence and his credibility will be placed to the test.”