Frank Cotroni

Link of the day - I will pay you $25, if you come up with a cool domain name for me.



Vic Cotroni, Frank's older brother and godfather of the Montreal crime family, died of cancer on September 19, 1984. Frank, who was being held at the Parthenais prison in Montreal while fighting extradition, requested a humanitarian leave to attend the funeral but was refused. Réal Simard, who oversaw Frank's activities in Toronto, was arrested for murder and decided to testify against his boss. Simard told police of his role in the murder of a north-end drug dealer who was badmouthing Cotroni. Giuseppe Montegano was shot four times in the head in June, 1981 at a private club owned by Cotroni's son, Francesco. On December 8, 1987, Cotroni was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter. His son Francesco and two associates were also convicted in the plot. Around the same time, Cotroni was convicted to a six year term for the conspiracy case in Connecticut. As he served time for those two crimes, Cotroni held an interview with a reporter in the prison yard. "The Big Guy" denounced his life of crime and, as he smoked an expensive cigar and watched a prison softball game, assured the world that he was going straight. Cotroni, his son Francesco, and 22 others were nabbed on April 17, 1996 in a massive joint drug ring between the Italian Mafia and an organization led by Daniel Serero. Police claimed the network was responsible for importing hundreds, if not thousands, of kilos of cocaine into the country. Cotroni, who ran the ring with Serero, was once again behind bars, this time for a seven year sentence. While behind bars, the Calabrian mob boss received bad news on May 19, 1999, when his son Paolo was shot to death in the driveway of his Repentigny home. In what police believe was a retaliation, 69 year old Vincent Melia was shot in the face in a bar just before Paolo's funeral service was about to begin. On October 30, 2001, Cotroni, at the age of 70 years old and having spent almost 30 years of his life behind bars, was paroled from a minimum security prison in Laval. He had served two-thirds of his term and police promised to keep a close eye on him. Cotroni was arrested on June 3, 2002 for allegedly violating the conditions of his parole. Two police officers claimed to have seen the mob boss in a Montreal restaurant meeting with people with criminal records. He was given a conditional release on August 26, 2002, after a hearing before the National Parole Board. Cotroni died of brain cancer at his Montreal home on August 17, 2004. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death. He was 72 years old.

Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires

The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer

For the Sins of My Father: A Mafia Killer, His Son, and the Legacy of a Mob Life

Link of the day - I will pay you $25, if you come up with a cool domain name for me.