Daytime killing of 53-year-old man linked to Montreal Mafia: source

Montreal police say they’re investigating the daytime shooting death of a 53-year-old man in the parking lot of a suburban shopping centre.

The victim’s identity has not been released, but a source confirmed to The Canadian Press that he was well-known Montreal Mafia figure Francesco Del Balso.

Police suspect Del Balso was behind the attempted murder in mid-March of Leonardo Rizzuto, the son of late Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto.

Officers stopped Del Balso several days later at the Montreal airport as he attempted to leave the country and seized his passport before releasing him.

Police spokeswoman Const. Jeanne Drouin says officers responded to a call about gunshots early this afternoon and found the man’s body in front of a gym in Dorval, Que.

The man was declared dead on the scene.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2023.