Giuseppe Focarazzo, suspected by the police of laundering the dirty money of the mafia and bikers, 12 times in 5 years. Pietro D’Adamo, head of one of the strongest Montreal mafia clans according to the police, 8 times. Marco Pizzi, mafia clan leader in northeast Montreal, 6 times. Leonardo Rizzuto, co-leader of the Sicilian clan and youngest son of the late godfather Vito Rizzuto, 4 times. David Castelli, president of the Marauders, school club of the Hells Angels of Montreal, 10 times. David Lefebvre, member of the Montreal Hells Angels, 3 times. And we move on.
Since 2019, approximately 80 individuals linked to organized crime, including mafiosi, bikers, members of street gangs or fraud networks, have been observed by police at the Moretti restaurant, located on Wellington Street, in the Griffintown district, in Montreal.
Over the past five and a half years, police officers from the Éclipse squad, which specializes in collecting intelligence on organized crime and monitoring establishments with alcohol licenses, have visited it nearly 400 times, including approximately 90 times in each of the years 2022 and 2023, or at a frequency of one day in four.
“Since 2019, Moretti is the second licensed location we report on the most after Chez Parée [bar de danseuses] », Declared police officer Sébastien Brunet, member of the Éclipse squad, during testimony before the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ), a month ago.
“We visit it every week. At least once a week for me,” added his colleague, François Tottera.
It is a place known for several years. Among the clientele who frequent it, it is common to see individuals linked to different strains of organized crime.
Police officer François Tottera, member of the Eclipse squad
Since 2019, a few violent events have occurred inside or outside the Moretti restaurant.
PHOTO ARCHIVES THE PRESS
On June 23, 2019, Salim Touaibi searched, in the Moretti kitchen, for his firearm hidden, at his request, by an employee. Three years later, Touaibi was charged with the murder of Meriem Boundaoui, and this video was shown during the trial.
Among other things, two customers, including a minor, asked an employee of the establishment to hide a firearm during the police visit.
On November 11, shots were fired into the restaurant’s windows.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
On November 11, shots were fired into the windows of Moretti.
“All of this makes me say that there is a public safety issue in this place, even today. This is a type of clientele who can prepare to face threats and have a firearm or [gaz poivré]. This clientele does not control when these threats will materialize. The non-criminalized population may be at risk. When I see the recurrence of this clientele over the years, it leads me to fears of public safety,” testified Hugo Passos, Morality investigator of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM).
Willful blindness
The RACJ summoned the owner of Moretti, Nicola Monaco.
Me Joliane Pilon, from RACJ litigation, requests that the establishment’s alcohol licenses be suspended for at least 40 days.
“There is no question of saying that Mr. Monaco frequents people from organized crime, but this clientele is always present at his establishment,” denounced Mr.e Pilon, deploring that there is no metal detector, no search, no identification to avoid the presence of these individuals in the restaurant.
“I’m not saying that this clientele has control over the establishment. I am not implying that Mr. Monaco knows each individual personally,” continued Mr.e Pilon, according to whom the behavior of the owner in the face of this problem reflects willful blindness or carelessness.
When [le propriétaire] sees the frequency with which Éclipse presents itself and when we see people as well known as the Rizzutos, it is impossible to turn a blind eye to this clientele.
Me Joliane Pilon, RACJ litigation
“This is not a den of criminals. This is not a place where bandits hold meetings. It is a popular establishment in the Montreal area. There are people who are criminalized, according to the police, but there are also people who are not,” replied Moretti’s lawyer, Mr.e David Beaudoin.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Moretti restaurant
The lawyer argued that his client had collaborated numerous times with the police and had asked his employees to call them if necessary.
He added that no client wore any distinctive signs indicating that they belonged to a criminal group.
He accused the police of dropping names (of making name dropping) and deplored the fact that the witnesses did not give more details on the backgrounds and criminality of the restaurant customers whose names were mentioned during the hearings.
“Leonardo Rizzuto, is he really the godfather?” We do not know ! », Launched the lawyer, who requested a suspension of permits for a period of 25 days.
Moretti’s alcohol licenses have already been suspended for 45 days for breaches of health instructions noted by police during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Administrative judges Me Natalia Ouellette and Me Guillaume Brien took the matter under advisement.
With the collaboration of Mayssa Ferah, The Press
To contact Daniel Renaud, call 514 285-7000, ext. 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of The Press.