Andrew Scoppa

[CabriniGreen]

i'm sure that montagna ordered the murder of nick jr, even if ducarme was the shooter, scoppa is probably not even made

Montagna must've given the go-ahead and Desjardins' guys may have caried it out, since they were working together.

Agreed.... what's not clear is if all this was a New York directive, or if Montagna called his own shot.

Its implied that Nick Jr.s murder, and the lack of response by the Rizzuto clan, and their general state of disarray after Colesium, and Vitos arrest, emboldened Montagna. And as he polled the lieutenants and saw the attitudes toward Vito shift, he formed alliances and looked to step in.

Heres the thing, even if hes successful in moving the Rizzutos out, hes got a pack of wolves to deal with, Murderous aggressive Bikers, Street gangs, he would have had to manage the narcotics contacts, I mean... he woulda had his hands full reguardless...

Actually no, Montagna didnt hit Nick Jr.

[OcSleeper]

Will this ever be finished

[chin_gigante]

I got a copy of the book myself and am in the process of making some notes of my own. Here's what I've got for Chapter 13, which should hopefully save Cabribi having to re-do all his lost notes again (it's extremely time-consuming, especially when the original text is written in another language):

Chapter 13

- The SQ knew that Andrew Scoppa had been talking to Felix Seguin
- A microphone was planted in his (Scoppa’s) car for the purposes of a narcotics investigation, and he had been overheard talking about his relationship with the journalist
- On the 15 September 2015, Scoppa’s driver Nicola Valiante asks him, “You started talking to Felix?” and Scoppa replies, “Yeah. Cause he’s on the button. He knows what he’s talking about, you know.”
- On the morning of Scoppa’s arrest in 2017, Seguin was summoned by the SQ and informed of their knowledge of this relationship
- A deal was worked out between the SQ and lawyers for Le Journal de Montreal to redact all portions of the investigation regarding Seguin’s relationship with Scoppa
- This took place in the wake of a scandal where the SQ had been spying on journalists
- Investigators were also worried that Seguin might leak police information to Scoppa, so they gave him false information to see if he would pass it on
- Seguin never repeated anything to Scoppa that the police told him, or vice-versa (though Scoppa tried to find out things from Seguin several times)
- The ERM investigation into Scoppa lasted from 2014 to 2017, during which time the taskforce considered him “the interim leader of the Montreal Mafia”
- In Spring 2016, criminal sources informed the ERM that Scoppa and his brother Salvatore rose in stature following the arrests of the Rizzuto clan leaders in November 2015
- According to these sources, the Scoppas received the approval of the Mafia in Toronto and Italy, and ran things in Montreal on a day-to-day basis
- The police bugged three rental vehicles used by Scoppa and his driver Valiante between 12 September and 26 October 2016, as well as several phones used by Scoppa
- Below are summaries of some of those conversations (a lot of them are related to Scoppa’s health problems or his relationship with his mother and things like that, so I’ve only summarised the ones I found relevant or particularly funny):

• On 14 September, Scoppa, Valiante, and an unnamed businessman talk about how Scoppa has a client who wants him to send thousands of containers of halal chicken from Brazil to Dubai. Scoppa later talks to Valiante about how he (Scoppa) is like a judge that everyone comes to for settlements, and how he has to stop meeting with everyone because there are contracts on his head. Steve Sollecito put a contract on him because he owes him money and wants to get out of paying. Meanwhile, word is circulating on the street that his brother Salvatore is a police informant. Scoppa has to take sleeping pills at night because he’s constantly worried about people wanting to take him down, like a new contender looking to take on a world champion. He is also waiting for a colonoscopy.

• On 15 September, Scoppa goes on a rant about a La Presse article by Daniel Renaud about an arson attack at a restaurant in Parc-Extension. The article notes that the incident may be Mafia related because Scoppa is said to control the neighbourhood. Scoppa complains that he hasn’t controlled that territory for a long time and it was taken away from him. He claims to have had nothing to do with the incident and is upset that others may believe he was behind it, though he mentions that his brother could have been involved. He has asked his lawyer to speak to Renaud because he believes the piece could put his life in danger, whereas he speaks highly of an article written by Seguin. He says Renaud should read Le Journal de Montreal because Seguin knows what he’s talking about. Scoppa and Valiante also talk about how the police are executing a search warrant at Steve Ovadia’s residence. Scoppa then complains again when he sees Renaud has written another article about the search at Ovadia’s house. Scoppa claims to not have talked to Ovadia in over a year, and jokes about buying Le Journal so that Renaud would work for him. He complains about how his brother’s antics are bringing him back into the milieu, linking it to the “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” line from The Godfather Part III. Later on, in a conversation with an unidentified male, it’s mentioned that Salvatore Scoppa went around spreading rumours that his brother was connected to the arson attacks. Scoppa mentions that Salvatore went to Italy and Toronto and told people that he (Andrew) had taken everything from them (presumably Rizzuto and Sollecito), while Andrew claims he did nothing. They talk about whether or not Steve Sollecito is really sick, and how it complicates the situation with the money he owes Scoppa. Scoppa mentions how after a guy from Riviere-des-Prairies got killed, Sollecito went to his mother to get a present he had given to him. When Scoppa found out about this he was furious and explained why to Sollecito himself. Scoppa says he does not like Ovadia but wishes him the best anyway because he embarrassed Sollecito in the past. Scoppa claims he does not want to be a boss and says he does not want to talk to his brother either directly or indirectly.

• On 21 September, Scoppa has another conversation with the businessman about the halal chickens. The businessman has a supplier in Naples who wants to ship from Italy to Dubai. Scoppa asks him to get a rate.

• On 27 September, the businessman tells Scoppa the profit for the chickens should be 30 cents per kilogram. Scoppa says he will talk to his client.

• On 7 October, a family member tells Scoppa that Salvatore made their mother cry. Andrew says his brother likes making their mother upset and calls him an idiot. He also talks about how some other guys want to take control of the Book and he wants to join up with them so he will finally get his money back from Sollecito.

• On 12 October, Fazio Malatesta brings Scoppa transcripts from Project Magot-Mastiff and tells him how one co-operator named him twice. He identifies Scoppa in connection with a meeting in a restaurant with Gregory Woolley and members of the Hells Angels. Scoppa claims never to have been at the restaurant with them.

• On 13 October, Scoppa has another conversation with the businessman about the chickens. Scoppa says the client has made it clear they want to go with the Brazilian chickens over the Italian ones because they believe the Brazilian option will be cheaper. The businessman says some arrangements in Italy have already been made and he will have to pay his supplier regardless. Scoppa tells him he will arrange a meeting with the client.

• On 15 October, Scoppa complains about his stomach problems and says how on one occasion he was caught short and had to put a pair of soiled underwear in a bag.

• On 16 October, Scoppa talks about the murder of Vincenzo Spagnolo and how he hopes no one tries to link it to him. He says whoever did it had to be stupid and speculates about why someone might want to kill him. He asks himself whether it’s a message in response to something the Rizzuto clan did recently or further back. He also asks if it could be related to construction. He reiterates that he would never do something so stupid and describes how he told Steve Sollecito that he only wants back what he’s owed and nothing more. Scoppa does not like Nicola Spagnolo, but he liked his father. He says the Rizzuto clan has too many enemies. Scoppa asks the man he is talking to whether he has spoken to Sollecito yet and he says no, but he will later. Scoppa then calls a travel agent to arrange a trip to the Caribbean.

• On 17 October, Scoppa tells Valiante that the Spagnolo murder has hurt Sollecito and he will have to hire some black guys to hit someone to avoid looking weak. He says his brother better watch his back. Later on, Scoppa talks about how he might have to take action before the Rizzuto clan moves against him, though he does not intend to do anything at that moment. The police will also be watching everyone in anticipation of reprisal attacks.

• On 18 October, Scoppa talks about how Sollecito kissed his ass while Vito Rizzuto was in prison, then stabbed him in the back. Scoppa feels he was too nice to Sollecito and now he is owed $4.4 million.

[stubbs]

Great stuff Chin!

This quote stood out to me:

According to these sources, the Scoppas received the approval of the Mafia in Toronto and Italy, and ran things in Montreal on a day-to-day basis

Wonder if they mean the Calabrians? Sicilians? Both? Either way, this would be huge.

This could mean that the Soppas did have connections to Calabrians in Toronto and back in Italy, who may have backed them in their bid to take out the Rizzutos.

[Frank]

Great stuff Chin!

This quote stood out to me:

According to these sources, the Scoppas received the approval of the Mafia in Toronto and Italy, and ran things in Montreal on a day-to-day basis

Wonder if they mean the Calabrians? Sicilians? Both? Either way, this would be huge.

This could mean that the Soppas did have connections to Calabrians in Toronto and back in Italy, who may have backed them in their bid to take out the Rizzutos.

That stood out to me too. And no mention of the Bonannos.

[Clark]

Thank you Chin. Super write-up! It is much appreciated.

[chin_gigante]

Chapter 14

- Scoppa would meet with Seguin in Griffintown in the late morning or early afternoon
- Seguin was confused why Scoppa wanted to meet there where they could easily be seen
- Seguin was sure he once spotted a police surveillance team
- Scoppa was afraid of being followed but not by surveillance
- Scoppa kept telling Seguin that the drugs found at the Tour des Canadiens were not his
- Scoppa made Seguin listen to police recordings of him and told him incriminating statements about drugs were misconstrued
- Seguin felt Scoppa was protesting too much
- Scoppa tried to lead Seguin astray on other areas
- Two days after the Spagnolo murder, Seguin asked Scoppa why it happened
- Scoppa said Spagnolo was the “Guardian of the Book of Truth” and “knew secrets others would have liked to see buried forever”
- There was no such thing as the Book of Truth
- The police also suspected that Scoppa and his brother had killed Spagnolo
- Scoppa was wiretapped and under surveillance when he told Seguin about this Book of Truth
- Scoppa, Valiante, Malatesta, and several others were arrested 26 October 2016 as the ERM wrapped up their investigation
- Scoppa and Malatesta would use the Tour des Canadiens as a place to store and move large quantities of cocaine
- On the day of the arrests, police found 15kg of cocaine in Malatesta’s condo in two bags marked with emojis
- The cocaine was found to be 83% to 86% pure
- 7.2kg of cannabis, $14,300 in cash, and two boxes full of .45 calibre cartridges were also found
- An accounting sheet was also found that stated for every kilo of coke, $2,000 in profit should go to “The Uncle” (Scoppa)
- 65kg of cocaine in seven garbage bags were also found in the trunk of Malatesta’s SUV
- Another 31kg of cocaine was seized from a cache on 13th Avenue
- The value of the total 111kg of cocaine seized was estimated at $5 million
- $55,000 in cash was discovered in Scoppa’s condo
- $3,940 was discovered in Scoppa’s Toyota
- Seguin and Thibault obtained notes from the officers conducting the arrest and interview that day
- After requesting a lawyer, Scoppa briefly chatted with the investigators
- He talked about his Brazilian wife and his 6-year-old son who loved soccer
- When asked why he was at the Tour des Canadiens, Scoppa said he trained there, it was quiet, he feared for his life, and he had a condo there
- Scoppa refused to say anything about Malatesta other than that he was an acquaintance
- At one point, Scoppa was asked what he thought about what was going on in town and he replied, “It’s a mess”
- Scoppa was released with a court date set for 25 January 2017
- Scoppa returned to the Tour des Canadiens and was arrested upon attempting to enter another condo
- Scoppa was advised that authorities were locking down the scene to prepare for a search warrant
- Scoppa said he was looking for something in the room
- Officers offered to obtain whatever he was looking for as long as it was not cash, drugs, or weapons
- Scoppa left immediately

[OcSleeper]

I got a copy of the book myself and am in the process of making some notes of my own. Here's what I've got for Chapter 13, which should hopefully save Cabribi having to re-do all his lost notes again (it's extremely time-consuming, especially when the original text is written in another language):

Thanks for doing this. A lot of us who don't speak French have been relying on this thread to learn about what Scoppa revealed.

- On the 15 September 2015, Scoppa’s driver Nicola Valiante asks him, “You started talking to Felix?” and Scoppa replies, “Yeah. Cause he’s on the button. He knows what he’s talking about, you know.”

Felix Seguin? So someone in Scoppa's circle knew he was revealing details to a journalist?

This quote stood out to me:

According to these sources, the Scoppas received the approval of the Mafia in Toronto and Italy, and ran things in Montreal on a day-to-day basis

Wonder if they mean the Calabrians? Sicilians? Both? Either way, this would be huge.

It is interesting especially since it's so vague. I think before Cabrini speculated Scoppa wasn't made since his knowledge of mafia traditions/protocol seemed limited. If that's correct it's kinda surprising who was considered the interim leader and possible successor. Plus the fact it doesn't mention the Bonannos.

I imagine when they say Toronto they mean the Cuntrera-Caruanas and thinking back to the Violi-Rizzuto Conflict in the 1970s the Capo Provincia of Agrigento, Giuseppe Settecasi was involved in the mediation. Maybe something similar was happening in 2016. I can't see any Ndrangheta groups having any say in who runs Montreal which has traditionally been LCN even when it was ran by Calabrians.

[stubbs]

Tour des Canadiens seems to be a fifty floor condo / skyscraper in central Montreal

[chin_gigante]

They talk about whether or not Steve Sollecito is really sick, and how it complicates the situation with the money he owes Scoppa. Scoppa mentions how after a guy from Riviere-des-Prairies got killed, Sollecito went to his mother to get a present he had given to him. When Scoppa found out about this he was furious and explained why to Sollecito himself.

Should clarify that this murder victim is Marco Campellone. Couldn't think who it was when I was taking notes but the text refers to him as "the Kid from RDP", which is how Campellone is described in earlier chapters.

[stubbs]

It is interesting especially since it's so vague. I think before Cabrini speculated Scoppa wasn't made since his knowledge of mafia traditions/protocol seemed limited. If that's correct it's kinda surprising who was considered the interim leader and possible successor. Plus the fact it doesn't mention the Bonannos.

I imagine when they say Toronto they mean the Cuntrera-Caruanas and thinking back to the Violi-Rizzuto Conflict in the 1970s the Capo Provincia of Agrigento, Giuseppe Settecasi was involved in the mediation. Maybe something similar was happening in 2016. I can't see any Ndrangheta groups having any say in who runs Montreal which has traditionally been LCN even when it was ran by Calabrians.

True, I thought that was possible as well.

It’s also very interesting that it’s worded as Scoppa went to Toronto and Italy for approval, as opposed to just informing them he was taking over as an interim leader. So, almost implies a subordinate relationship as opposed to being peers.

So, who in Italy would be at that level? Would he be getting approval from the Sicilain bosses back in Palermo? Are any of them really in power enough to give any sort of approval? Maybe he sent word to some of Nick Rizzuto’s old contacts back in Agrigento.

[OcSleeper]

Tour des Canadiens seems to be a fifty floor condo / skyscraper in central Montreal

Here's an article about it. Really doesn't say much that wasn't said already.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/allege ... cking-case

[OcSleeper]

It is interesting especially since it's so vague. I think before Cabrini speculated Scoppa wasn't made since his knowledge of mafia traditions/protocol seemed limited. If that's correct it's kinda surprising who was considered the interim leader and possible successor. Plus the fact it doesn't mention the Bonannos.

I imagine when they say Toronto they mean the Cuntrera-Caruanas and thinking back to the Violi-Rizzuto Conflict in the 1970s the Capo Provincia of Agrigento, Giuseppe Settecasi was involved in the mediation. Maybe something similar was happening in 2016. I can't see any Ndrangheta groups having any say in who runs Montreal which has traditionally been LCN even when it was ran by Calabrians.

True, I thought that was possible as well.

It’s also very interesting that it’s worded as Scoppa went to Toronto and Italy for approval, as opposed to just informing them he was taking over as an interim leader. So, almost implies a subordinate relationship as opposed to being peers.

So, who in Italy would be at that level? Would he be getting approval from the Sicilain bosses back in Palermo? Are any of them really in power enough to give any sort of approval? Maybe he sent word to some of Nick Rizzuto’s old contacts back in Agrigento.

I'm not sure who that would be. My knowledge of Italian affairs is basically 0. I would assume it would still be someone from Agrigento though. In another thread here it was revealed the Rizzutos were/are working with a clan from Ribera, Italy. Maybe this is who "Italy" refers to now? Maybe B or Cabriri can shed some light here since it was their thread.

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=6182&hilit=Cross&start=75

[B.]

No clue. It's true the mafia of Ribera was said to be involved with the Canadian Cattolicensi in the slot machine operation, but an Agrigento mafia figure in NYC associated with the Bonanno family is also part of the same slot operation, as are other Sicilian mafia families. Haven't seen anything about Montreal falling under the authority of the Sicilian mafia, only ongoing relationships. Both of the warring factions from ~10 years ago had strong ties to the Sicilian mafia but I haven't seen anything concrete about the Sicilian mafia getting directly involved beyond what happened to Joe Bravo in Sicily.

Toronto has had important Sicilian mafia members living/staying there in the last 20 years. Not sure who is still there currently or who may have moved there over the last decade. The RCMP sergeant who supervised Project Otremens shared an infographic that identified Toronto with the 'ndrangheta, Hamilton with Buffalo, and Montreal with NYC. This isn't absolute, as there is crossover, but it seems to be how the RCMP sees these cities when it comes to mafia politics.

"Running things in Montreal on a day-to-day basis" could mean a number of things formally, informally, both, or both. A lot of Scoppa's involvement relates to a specific set of criminal operations and he's given little to nothing on how Cosa Nostra members in Montreal are organized beyond a couple vague comments from Sollecito.

Thanks for keeping this going, Chin.

[CabriniGreen]

I got a copy of the book myself and am in the process of making some notes of my own. Here's what I've got for Chapter 13, which should hopefully save Cabribi having to re-do all his lost notes again (it's extremely time-consuming, especially when the original text is written in another language):

Chapter 13

- The SQ knew that Andrew Scoppa had been talking to Felix Seguin
- A microphone was planted in his (Scoppa’s) car for the purposes of a narcotics investigation, and he had been overheard talking about his relationship with the journalist
- On the 15 September 2015, Scoppa’s driver Nicola Valiante asks him, “You started talking to Felix?” and Scoppa replies, “Yeah. Cause he’s on the button. He knows what he’s talking about, you know.”
- On the morning of Scoppa’s arrest in 2017, Seguin was summoned by the SQ and informed of their knowledge of this relationship
- A deal was worked out between the SQ and lawyers for Le Journal de Montreal to redact all portions of the investigation regarding Seguin’s relationship with Scoppa
- This took place in the wake of a scandal where the SQ had been spying on journalists
- Investigators were also worried that Seguin might leak police information to Scoppa, so they gave him false information to see if he would pass it on
- Seguin never repeated anything to Scoppa that the police told him, or vice-versa (though Scoppa tried to find out things from Seguin several times)
- The ERM investigation into Scoppa lasted from 2014 to 2017, during which time the taskforce considered him “the interim leader of the Montreal Mafia”
- In Spring 2016, criminal sources informed the ERM that Scoppa and his brother Salvatore rose in stature following the arrests of the Rizzuto clan leaders in November 2015
- According to these sources, the Scoppas received the approval of the Mafia in Toronto and Italy, and ran things in Montreal on a day-to-day basis
- The police bugged three rental vehicles used by Scoppa and his driver Valiante between 12 September and 26 October 2016, as well as several phones used by Scoppa
- Below are summaries of some of those conversations (a lot of them are related to Scoppa’s health problems or his relationship with his mother and things like that, so I’ve only summarised the ones I found relevant or particularly funny):

• On 14 September, Scoppa, Valiante, and an unnamed businessman talk about how Scoppa has a client who wants him to send thousands of containers of halal chicken from Brazil to Dubai. Scoppa later talks to Valiante about how he (Scoppa) is like a judge that everyone comes to for settlements, and how he has to stop meeting with everyone because there are contracts on his head. Steve Sollecito put a contract on him because he owes him money and wants to get out of paying. Meanwhile, word is circulating on the street that his brother Salvatore is a police informant. Scoppa has to take sleeping pills at night because he’s constantly worried about people wanting to take him down, like a new contender looking to take on a world champion. He is also waiting for a colonoscopy.

• On 15 September, Scoppa goes on a rant about a La Presse article by Daniel Renaud about an arson attack at a restaurant in Parc-Extension. The article notes that the incident may be Mafia related because Scoppa is said to control the neighbourhood. Scoppa complains that he hasn’t controlled that territory for a long time and it was taken away from him. He claims to have had nothing to do with the incident and is upset that others may believe he was behind it, though he mentions that his brother could have been involved. He has asked his lawyer to speak to Renaud because he believes the piece could put his life in danger, whereas he speaks highly of an article written by Seguin. He says Renaud should read Le Journal de Montreal because Seguin knows what he’s talking about. Scoppa and Valiante also talk about how the police are executing a search warrant at Steve Ovadia’s residence. Scoppa then complains again when he sees Renaud has written another article about the search at Ovadia’s house. Scoppa claims to not have talked to Ovadia in over a year, and jokes about buying Le Journal so that Renaud would work for him. He complains about how his brother’s antics are bringing him back into the milieu, linking it to the “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” line from The Godfather Part III. Later on, in a conversation with an unidentified male, it’s mentioned that Salvatore Scoppa went around spreading rumours that his brother was connected to the arson attacks. Scoppa mentions that Salvatore went to Italy and Toronto and told people that he (Andrew) had taken everything from them (presumably Rizzuto and Sollecito), while Andrew claims he did nothing. They talk about whether or not Steve Sollecito is really sick, and how it complicates the situation with the money he owes Scoppa. Scoppa mentions how after a guy from Riviere-des-Prairies got killed, Sollecito went to his mother to get a present he had given to him. When Scoppa found out about this he was furious and explained why to Sollecito himself. Scoppa says he does not like Ovadia but wishes him the best anyway because he embarrassed Sollecito in the past. Scoppa claims he does not want to be a boss and says he does not want to talk to his brother either directly or indirectly.

• On 21 September, Scoppa has another conversation with the businessman about the halal chickens. The businessman has a supplier in Naples who wants to ship from Italy to Dubai. Scoppa asks him to get a rate.

• On 27 September, the businessman tells Scoppa the profit for the chickens should be 30 cents per kilogram. Scoppa says he will talk to his client.

• On 7 October, a family member tells Scoppa that Salvatore made their mother cry. Andrew says his brother likes making their mother upset and calls him an idiot. He also talks about how some other guys want to take control of the Book and he wants to join up with them so he will finally get his money back from Sollecito.

• On 12 October, Fazio Malatesta brings Scoppa transcripts from Project Magot-Mastiff and tells him how one co-operator named him twice. He identifies Scoppa in connection with a meeting in a restaurant with Gregory Woolley and members of the Hells Angels. Scoppa claims never to have been at the restaurant with them.

• On 13 October, Scoppa has another conversation with the businessman about the chickens. Scoppa says the client has made it clear they want to go with the Brazilian chickens over the Italian ones because they believe the Brazilian option will be cheaper. The businessman says some arrangements in Italy have already been made and he will have to pay his supplier regardless. Scoppa tells him he will arrange a meeting with the client.

• On 15 October, Scoppa complains about his stomach problems and says how on one occasion he was caught short and had to put a pair of soiled underwear in a bag.

• On 16 October, Scoppa talks about the murder of Vincenzo Spagnolo and how he hopes no one tries to link it to him. He says whoever did it had to be stupid and speculates about why someone might want to kill him. He asks himself whether it’s a message in response to something the Rizzuto clan did recently or further back. He also asks if it could be related to construction. He reiterates that he would never do something so stupid and describes how he told Steve Sollecito that he only wants back what he’s owed and nothing more. Scoppa does not like Nicola Spagnolo, but he liked his father. He says the Rizzuto clan has too many enemies. Scoppa asks the man he is talking to whether he has spoken to Sollecito yet and he says no, but he will later. Scoppa then calls a travel agent to arrange a trip to the Caribbean.

• On 17 October, Scoppa tells Valiante that the Spagnolo murder has hurt Sollecito and he will have to hire some black guys to hit someone to avoid looking weak. He says his brother better watch his back. Later on, Scoppa talks about how he might have to take action before the Rizzuto clan moves against him, though he does not intend to do anything at that moment. The police will also be watching everyone in anticipation of reprisal attacks.

• On 18 October, Scoppa talks about how Sollecito kissed his ass while Vito Rizzuto was in prison, then stabbed him in the back. Scoppa feels he was too nice to Sollecito and now he is owed $4.4 million.

Great work Chin... you picked up right where I left off, so no ones missing anything...