What happened to Sylvester Zottola? Details explored about the subject of New York Homicide on Oxygen

Bronx businessman Sylvester Zottola, who was reportedly connected to organized crime, was shot and killed on October 4, 2018, while sitting in his vehicle at a McDonald's drive-thru, waiting for his coffee. The 71-year-old had survived multiple assassination attempts over the preceding year, including a home invasion where his throat was slashed and a shooting incident targeting his son, Salvatore Zottola, as per CBS News, October 20, 2022.

According to federal prosecutors, the murder was orchestrated by his own son, Anthony Zottola, who sought to seize control of the family’s multimillion-dollar real estate empire, as per ABC7NY, April 15, 2023. Investigators later uncovered a tracking device on Sylvester Zottola’s vehicle, revealing how hired hitmen located and ambushed him, as noted in Oxygen on March 8, 2025.

The case, which exposed a violent conspiracy driven by financial greed, is the subject of the New York Homicide episode Death in the Drive-Through, airing on Oxygen. The episode revisits the details of Sylvester Zottola’s final moments and the extensive investigation that led to multiple convictions.

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On December 27, 2017, three intruders forced their way into Sylvester Zottola’s home and attacked him, slashing his throat in an attempted murder

Sylvester Zottola, a Bronx businessman linked to organized crime, endured multiple assassination attempts before his murder in 2018. One of the most violent incidents occurred on December 27, 2017, when three unidentified men broke into his residence, bound him, and demanded money.

During the attack, they beat him, stabbed him multiple times, and slit his throat before fleeing the scene. Despite the severity of his injuries, Zottola survived after a neighbor heard his screams and called 911, as per U.S. Justice, June 8, 2023.

This home invasion was one of several targeted attacks against Sylvester Zottola over the course of a year. On September 8, 2017, an unknown individual approached him under the guise of seeking employment and then beat him, leaving him with a broken rib, as noted in Oxygen, March 8, 2025.

According to CBS News, October 20, 2022, two months later, in November 2017, a group of masked men attempted to abduct him while he sat in his car, but he managed to escape.

The violence against him escalated in 2018. On June 12, a gunman attempted to shoot Zottola outside his home, but the firearm jammed. A month later, on July 11, his son, Salvatore Zottola, was ambushed outside his residence and shot multiple times. Salvatore survived the attack, as per ABC7NY, April 15, 2023.

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The murder of Sylvester Zottola and investigation findings

On October 4, 2018, after surviving these previous attempts on his life, Sylvester Zottola was fatally shot at a McDonald's drive-thru in the Bronx while waiting to pick up a coffee. Surveillance footage captured a gunman, later identified as Himen Ross, firing through the passenger-side window of Zottola’s SUV. As per Oxygen, former NYPD Detective Sean Butler recalled,

"It was a gruesome sight,... "There was blood everywhere."

Investigators determined that this was a carefully orchestrated hit. A day after the murder, police found a GPS tracking device attached to Zottola’s vehicle, which had been used to monitor his movements. The investigation led authorities to Bushawn Shelton, a Bloods gang member who had coordinated with Ross and others to carry out the murder.

Shelton’s phone contained incriminating text messages exchanged with Anthony Zottola, Sylvester’s son, confirming Anthony’s involvement in the plot, as per NY Post, April 14, 2023.

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Anthony Zottola’s involvement in orchestrating his father’s murder

Authorities uncovered that Anthony Zottola had orchestrated the murder-for-hire scheme to take control of his father’s multimillion-dollar real estate empire, which was valued at approximately $45 million, as per NY Post, April 14, 2023.

"Over the course of more than a year, the elderly victim, Sylvester Zottola, was stalked, beaten, and stabbed, never knowing who orchestrated the attacks," said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace (CBS News, October 20, 2022).

Anthony had enlisted Shelton, who then recruited Ross and other gang members to carry out multiple attacks on both Sylvester and Salvatore. The conspirators received specific details from Anthony, including security codes, property layouts, and tracking schedules, ensuring they knew his father’s exact whereabouts, noted in ABC7NY, April 15, 2023.

Following the murder, a text exchange revealed how the perpetrators reacted to the crime.

"Moments after Sylvester Zottola was gunned down, Shelton called Anthony and told him the deed was done," Robert K. Boyce, a former NYPD Chief of Detectives, explained.

He added,

"Then he texted him, ‘Can we party today or tomorrow?’" (Oxygen, March 8, 2025).

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Sentencing and legal outcomes

After a six-week trial, Anthony Zottola and Ross were found guilty of conspiracy and murder-for-hire. They were each sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 112 years for weapons charges. Judge Hector Gonzalez, who presided over the case, remarked,

"I see greed and money as one of the core reasons why this heinous crime was committed," (NY Post, April 14, 2023).

Shelton, who had arranged the logistics of the assassination, pleaded guilty before the trial and was sentenced to 37 years in prison, as per U.S. Justice, June 8, 2023. Several other co-conspirators received prison terms ranging from 16 to 22 years for their roles in the failed attempts on Sylvester Zottola’s life.

The murder of Sylvester Zottola, along with the subsequent investigation and trial, is explored in the New York Homicide episode Death in the Drive-Through, which airs on Oxygen. The episode provides a detailed account of how law enforcement uncovered the plot, the evidence that led to the convictions, and the betrayal that ultimately ended in a father’s assassination at the hands of his son.

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Stay tuned for more updates.