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Courtesy of Quebec
Police Commission's Inquiry |
Montreal is known for its fine cuisine, vibrant nightlife and diverse festivals, but beneath its surface lies a rich and twisted criminal tapestry, from ruthless drug lords and mob hitmen to hardnosed biker gangs.
Yet most Montrealers are unaware of the colourful gangland history that surrounds them. On an idle afternoon, you can even visit some of these notable sites and connect with the ghosts from the past.
5880 Jean Talon Street East. On January 22, 1978, mafia kingpin Paolo Violi was playing cards with friends at a bar on Jean Talon, when gunmen suddenly burst into the establishment and shot him dead. Violi, who police say was second-in-command in the Montreal mob, had been on the losing side of a bloody war with the family's Sicilian faction for control of the group.
It has been rumoured that Violi was given the kiss of death just moments before his killer leveled a shotgun against the back of his head and pulled the trigger.
Legendary crook Monica Proietti, better known as Machine Gun Molly, heisted more than 20 banks throughout the 1960s.
6580 St. Jacques Street West. At about the same time that Violi was gunned down, Peter (Dunie) Ryan was flying high as the city's primary drug broker and top dog of the West End Gang, a loosely-knit band of predominantly Irish hoods. Working out of a motel on St. Jacques, Ryan ran a massive drug network that supplied much of Quebec, northern Ontario and the Maritimes with cocaine and hashish.
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| Courtesy of Allo Police |
On November 13, 1984, Ryan was ambushed at the motel by overzealous rivals, who hoped to kidnap the drug kingpin and learn where he kept his illicit fortune. When Ryan tried to fight back, he was shot dead. Police estimate Ryan was worth somewhere between $50 and $100 million at the time of his death.
1645 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West. In response, Ryan's acolytes dispatched hitmen Michel Blass and Yves "Apache" Trudeau to dole out retribution. The pair orchestrated the stunning bombing of a downtown apartment, killing four gangsters suspected in Ryan's death and injuring eight others. Trudeau, then a member of the Hells Angels, later became a police informant and confessed to carrying out 43 murders.
1369 Beaubien Street East. On January 21, 1975, Richard Blass, nicknamed "The Cat" because of his ability to escape prison and rivals' bullets, walked into the Gargantua Bar with an accomplice. Brandishing firearms, the pair locked 13 people into a closet and set fire to the building. All died.
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| Courtesy of Allo Police |
Three days later, police tracked Blass to a chalet north of Montreal, where he was riddled with bullets in the ensuing gunfight.
Intersection of Pie IX Boulevard and Villeray Street. Men aren't the only ones who have helped shape Montreal's violent history. Legendary crook Monica Proietti, better known as Machine Gun Molly, heisted more than 20 banks throughout the 1960s before police finally closed in as she and her gang robbed a Caisse Populaire on Saint Vital Boulevard in Montreal North on September 19, 1967. After a short car chase, Proietti, who weighed less than 100 lbs, began shooting at the police. Officers immediately returned fire and killed the 27 year old. |
