NCJ Number
102065
Date Published
1985
Length
329 pages
Annotation
This book focuses on the criminal career of Paul Volpe (from the early 1960's until his murder in 1983), the archetypal Canadian mobster of the period, with attention to how, why, and with whom he operated his criminal enterprise.
Abstract
Also reviewed is the history of organized crime in Canada, going back to the extortions of the 'Black Hand' in the first decade of the 20th century (a period long overlooked by researchers) and extending to the mob wars in the early 1980's. The book portrays the struggle between the 'old mob,' represented by Toronto-born criminals such as Volpe, and the 'new mob' of tougher Italian-born mobsters such as Remo and Cosimo Commisso as well as Domenic Racco, who have been moving in on the older group in a fight for territory and mob supremacy. Various mobsters are profiled, including Cecil Kirby, who entered into a 1981 contract to kill Volpe. Mob activities in Ontario are emphasized, although Quebec and Vancouver mobsters are discussed in the examination of organized crime in the rest of Canada. Suggestions for curbing mob power and activity include the enactment of legislation that makes mob affiliation a crime and which will permit the seizing of mob assets. The book recommends the establishment of a royal commission to examine the nature and extent of organized crime in Canada and recommends legislation to address it. 27-item bibliography and subject index.