5 chilling details about Sylvester Zottola’s murder 

Sylvester Zottola, a 71-year-old reputed mob associate linked to the Bonanno and Lucchese crime families, was fatally shot while waiting in his SUV at a McDonald’s drive-thru in the Bronx on October 4, 2018.

Prosecutors revealed that it was his son, Anthony Zottola, who orchestrated the murder to gain control of the family’s multimillion-dollar real estate business reported in Justice.gov, on April 14, 2023. The execution-style killing was the culmination of a series of violent attempts on Sylvester Zottola’s life, including a home invasion, stabbings, and an attempted shooting that he had previously survived, as per CBS News, October 20, 2022.

Federal investigators uncovered that Anthony Zottola hired members of the Bloods gang to carry out the assassination. A tracking device was placed on his father’s car, allowing the gunman, Himen Ross, to locate and fatally shoot him as per CNN, April 15, 2023. The case gained national attention and will be featured in New York Homicide on Oxygen, shedding light on the depths of family betrayal in organized crime.

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5 key details about Sylvester Zottola’s murder

Sylvester Zottola, a 71-year-old reputed mob associate, was shot and killed on October 4, 2018, while waiting in his car at a McDonald’s drive-thru in the Bronx. The murder was part of a calculated plot orchestrated by his son, Anthony Zottola, who sought control of the family’s lucrative real estate business as per Justice.gov, April 14, 2023. The case, which included multiple failed attempts on his life, eventually led to convictions and life sentences for those involved.

1) A year-long assassination plot

Before his murder, Sylvester Zottola was subjected to a series of violent attacks spanning over a year. In November 2017, he was held at gunpoint by a masked individual. The following month, three men invaded his home, where they struck him on the head with a gun, stabbed him multiple times, and slashed his throat.

He survived despite the severity of the attack as reported on CBS News, on October 20, 2022. In July 2018, his son Salvatore Zottola was shot multiple times outside his home but also managed to survive.

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2) A tracking device led to his murder

On the day of the killing, a tracking device placed on Sylvester Zottola’s car allowed his killers to locate him at the McDonald’s drive-thru. As he waited to pick up a cup of coffee, gunman Himen Ross approached and fired multiple rounds into his vehicle as per CNN, April 15, 2023. Surveillance footage captured the moment, confirming the murder’s execution as part of a premeditated hit.

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3) The role of the Bloods gang in the murder

Anthony Zottola enlisted members of the Bloods gang to carry out the attacks on his father and brother. He hired Bushawn Shelton, who then recruited additional gang members, including Ross, to complete the murder-for-hire scheme. After Sylvester Zottola’s death, text messages revealed that Anthony was informed of the successful hit, with Shelton messaging,

“Can we party today or tomorrow?”

Anthony responded with coded language, stating,

“I have the cases of water in a day or so.” which referred to the payment for the killing (Justice.gov, April 14, 2023).

A later investigation recovered a photo of a box containing $200,000 in cash, presumably the hitman’s payment.

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4) The financial motive behind the murder

At the time of his death, Sylvester Zottola controlled a real estate portfolio valued at tens of millions of dollars. His son, Anthony, who helped manage the properties, conspired to eliminate his father and brother to gain complete control of the business as per abc7ny.com, June 9, 2023. Prosecutors alleged that the business was originally built from the proceeds of illegal gambling operations, further linking the case to organized crime.

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5) Sentencing and legal proceedings

Following a six-week trial, a federal jury found Anthony Zottola and Himen Ross guilty of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and firearms offences. In April 2023, both men were sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment plus an additional 112 years in federal prison.

The additional years represent the ages of Sylvester Zottola (71) and his son Salvatore (41) at the time of the attacks reported on CNN. Several co-defendants pleaded guilty, including Shelton, who was sentenced to 37 years in prison as per Justice.gov.

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Stay tuned for more updates.