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bakeries to collect the insurance money as it became apparent that the arsonists were entering his bakeries with suspicious ease. The closest thing he came to being charged was an incident where the
Toronto police found $ 25,000 in counterfeit money in one of his bakeries, but were unable to lay charges as the police had no evidence that Racco knew of the counterfeit money in his bakery, which he insisted had been brought into the store by a dishonest employee.
252:("boss of bosses") of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto, and had close ties with other gangsters in the United States and Italy. Despite his denials, the media referred to Racco as the "godfather of Toronto". Racco ordered the three murders, namely of Triumbari in 1967 and Vendemini in 1969. In 1976, he had Salvatore Palermiti killed while he was visiting Toronto.
245:, the future Ontario Attorney-General met Racco in 1975 while he was still serving as a defense lawyer and described him as "the cruelest looking person I have ever seen". McMurtry stated that Racco was a stereotypical gangster straight out of a Hollywood film in every respect, saying he gave off a strong sense of malevolent power.
260:
As Racco was dying of cancer in the late 1970s, he asked for
Papalia to look after his son and keep him away from cocaine. Papalia took this request seriously, but he found that Domenic Racco was a hothead incapable of taking advice. Papalia complained with disgust that Domenic Racco, when eating
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Racco had a criminal convictions in his native Italy, but was never convicted of any crime in Canada. In the 1960s, most of Racco's bakeries were burned down in cases of arson. The police initially thought he was being targeted by rival gangsters, but concluded that Racco was burning down his own
264:
Racco died of cancer on
January 4, 1980. He had one of the largest Mafia funerals ever in Toronto that was attended by 200 people. Rocco Zito and Racco's nephew Rocco Remo Commisso were among his pallbearers. Domenic Racco did not last long as a boss, and was murdered on December 10, 1983 on the
215:
district, which was attracting too much media attention. On March 20, 1971, during a wire-tapped phone call, Racco was heard discussing the "youth of honors" (including his own son) who would be allowed to join "the
Honored Society" (an euphemism for the 'Ndrangheta). The initiation ceremony was
235:
Racco was greatly worried about his drug addict son, Domenic Racco, who was considered to be reckless and violent. On July 19, 1971, Domenic Racco shot three men in a
Toronto shopping mall following an argument over a cigarette; he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for attempted murder and was
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31:
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raided by the police and Racco was warned not to attend the meeting. During another wire-tapped phone call to an
American gangster, Racco was heard to say: "Jesus Christ, I really can't go into details here. You know, um, 'Ndrina." Racco initially answered to the
240:
of
Hamilton to attend the meeting. The journalist Adrien Humphreys wrote: "That Mike Racco, the pre-eminent immigrant Italian criminal, invited Canadian-born Johnny to this important family meeting was a mark of great respect".
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200:. Salvatore Triumbari and Filippo Vendemini were also co-founders until Racco sanctioned their murders in 1967 and 1969 respectively, due to disputes. Racco had been urged to start the Canadian operation by
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495:
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Racco was aggressive in denying the existence of organized crime, once telling a journalist "What is this Mafia? You really believe it exists?" Racco was the
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in 1953. He opened a bakery on St. Clair Avenue West, which became the beginning of a chain of bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream parlours owned by him.
211:
By 1971, Racco was considered to be the most powerful gangster in
Toronto, which led him to limit the amount of extortion-related violence in Toronto's
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dinner with him at Rooney's restaurant in
Toronto, would rush off to snort cocaine in the restroom as he had no self-control when it came to cocaine.
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as an young man and was already considered to be a senior leader when he immigrated to Canada in 1952. He first settled in Fort Arthur (modern
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132:(December 12, 1913–January 4, 1980), known as "Mike the Baker", was an Italian-Canadian gangster, regarded as the founder of the
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released on parole in 1978. Racco called a meeting to discuss ways to help his son beat the charges, and invited
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Racco was born in
Siderno Marina, Calabria, Italy on December 12, 1913, into a poor family. He joined the
496:"You'd never guess he was a Mafia chieftain': Longtime mob boss killed in violent attack in Toronto home"
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266:
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228:, the de facto boss of the Cotroni family of Montreal. Racco was also a very close ally of
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Cold War How Organized Crime Works in Canad and Why It's About to Get More Violent
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204:, the undisputed boss of Siderno until he was killed in January 1975.
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The Enforcer:Johnny Pops Papalia, A Life and Death in the Mafia
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436:. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc. p. 178.
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People from the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria
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in Hamilton for violating cocaine trade agreements.
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359:(2nd ed.). Toronto: John Wiley & Sons.
666:
654:
637:
522:Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada
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357:Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada
281:The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime
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29:
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164:Racco maintained close contacts with the
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340:. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
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224:in 1974, he established close ties with
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430:Schneider, Stephen (15 October 1998).
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279:Edwards, Peter; Auger, Michel (2004).
502:from the original on 19 December 2016
498:. nationalpost.com. 30 January 2016.
283:. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.
728:Canadian people of Calabrian descent
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488:
476:from the original on 2 January 2017
472:. torontosun.com. 30 January 2016.
462:
302:. Toronto, Canada: Harper Collins.
13:
470:"The life and death of Rocco Zito"
14:
779:
450:from the original on 4 March 2020
733:Italian-Canadian organized crime
604:from the original on 13 May 2017
708:20th-century Canadian criminals
180:. By 1962, Racco established a
51:Siderno Marina, Calabria, Italy
753:Naturalized citizens of Canada
713:20th-century Italian criminals
1:
594:"Chapter 2 – Settling scores"
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139:
7:
743:Italian emigrants to Canada
355:Schneider, Stephen (2009).
321:. Toronto: HarperColllins.
192:in Canada with the help of
10:
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758:Organized crime in Toronto
298:Humphreys, Adrian (1999).
160:"The Godfather of Toronto"
220:, but after the death of
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83:
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37:
28:
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667:Edwards & Auger 2004
655:Edwards & Auger 2004
638:Edwards & Auger 2004
433:Canadian Organized Crime
415:Edwards & Auger 2004
272:
723:Canadian male criminals
338:Memoirs and Reflections
317:Langton, Jerry (2015).
748:Italian male criminals
598:The Hamilton Spectator
336:McMurtry, Roy (2013).
718:Canadian crime bosses
267:Musitano crime family
256:Later years and death
738:Italian crime bosses
218:Buffalo crime family
174:Cotroni crime family
166:Luppino crime family
768:People from Toronto
189:Camera di Controllo
681:, p. 206-207.
640:, p. 195-197.
328:978-1-4434-3255-9
222:Stefano Magaddino
170:Hamilton, Ontario
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48:12 December 1913
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578:Humphreys 1999
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553:Schneider 2009
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541:Schneider 2009
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417:, p. 196.
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238:Johnny Papalia
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64:(aged 66)
60:4 January 1980
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172:and with the
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134:Siderno Group
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130:Michele Racco
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243:Roy McMurtry
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213:Little Italy
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62:(1980-01-04)
703:1980 deaths
698:1913 births
520:Schneider,
226:Paolo Violi
150:Thunder Bay
146:'Ndrangheta
692:Categories
506:4 December
480:4 December
443:1773380249
375:References
230:Paul Volpe
198:Rocco Zito
140:Early life
114:Allegiance
97:Rosa Racco
88:Crime boss
84:Occupation
44:1913-12-12
524:, pp. 310
602:Archived
500:Archived
474:Archived
448:Archived
178:Montreal
102:Children
183:crimini
154:Toronto
68:Toronto
608:27 May
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94:Spouse
454:5 May
273:Books
610:2017
508:2016
482:2016
456:2019
438:ISBN
361:ISBN
342:ISBN
323:ISBN
304:ISBN
285:ISBN
196:and
186:and
57:Died
38:Born
176:in
168:in
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