Nearly 400 visits by Eclipse Squad police officers over the past five years, individuals linked to organized crime sitting at its tables and observed on at least 736 occasions, a firearm passing through its kitchens, shots fired in its windows, customers who do not respect health measures; all of this weighed heavily in the thinking of the judges of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux who decided to suspend the liquor permits of the popular Moretti pizzeria on Wellington Street in Montreal for a period of 25 days.
The RACJ litigation, which had inherited the file from the Montreal Police Department (SPVM), requested a 40-day suspension and the restaurant’s lawyer, a 10-day suspension, but the judges split the difference, noting all the same efforts, albeit insufficient, by the owner, aimed at improving security in the establishment.
During the hearings that took place this spring, SPVM police officers, including some from the Éclipse Squad, which specializes in monitoring licensed establishments and collecting intelligence on organized crime, testified that between January 2019 and March 2024, they observed, some on more than one occasion, more than 730 individuals linked to organized crime at the Moretti restaurant.
Shots were also fired into the restaurant’s windows last fall.
During a police visit, a customer attempted to hide his handgun by entering the kitchen and handing it to an employee in June 2019.
All this was noted by witnesses during the hearings.
“What is important to remember here, however, is that the establishment is regularly frequented by a certain clientele who, because of their affiliation with criminal groups, risk endangering the safety of other clients, and therefore the safety of the public. In this regard, the Tribunal cannot ignore the armed violence that is rife between rival gangs and criminal groups in the greater Montreal area. This armed violence sometimes occurs at any time of day, with no regard for the lives and safety of innocent people who could be the target of a stray bullet,” the administrative judges wrote in a 30-page decision issued Friday.
“The violent events that have occurred in recent years in Montreal reflect the carelessness and nonchalance toward human life displayed by certain actors and henchmen of organized crime, hence the need for the licensee to take the necessary measures to keep this type of clientele away from its establishment,” they continued.
Not present enough
The judges stressed, however, that there was no evidence to show that the establishment was controlled by organised crime, that its owner, Nicola Monaco, had links to it or that criminal activities were taking place at the Moretti.
They note that the majority of the clientele is made up of young professionals who are of no interest to the police.
The judges understand that the owner cannot know all of his customers and highlight his efforts to prevent disturbances to public order, including hiring security guards, installing around twenty cameras and putting protective film on the windows.
But the judges deplore that on at least four occasions, the Moretti employees refused to cooperate with the police and they recommend that Mr. Monaco be more present in his establishment.
“A more constant regular presence on his part will certainly result in him having a better knowledge of the problematic situations that occur there and thus greater control over resolving them.”
“The Court considers, despite the holder’s claims to the contrary, that the addition of a metal detector arch would certainly have the effect of improving security at the establishment,” added the administrative judges.
To contact Daniel Renaud, dial 514 285-7000, ext. 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of La Presse.