Franzese, 90, arrested for parole violation

Federal agents on Wednesday arrested John "Sonny" Franzese, 90, charging him with his fifth parole violation in the last 25 years, according to an AP story by Larry McShane.

The arrest occurred at Franzese's regularly scheduled visit with his probation officer. The FBI reported that he had been associating with known mobsters.

Federal agents believe the 90-year-old Franzese, reputed longtime Colombo Crime Family capo, recently became the family's underboss. Franzese was convicted of bank robbery and sent off to a lengthy prison sentence in the late 1960s. He was first paroled in 1978 but violated parole four years later.

Canada nabs Giordano after 5 months

After a five-month search, Canadian authorities arrested reputed Montreal Mafia lieutenant Lorenzo Giordano, 44, on May 8, according to a story in yesterday's Montreal Gazette.

Giordano was wanted in connection with Operation Colisee, in which more than 90 arrests were made last November. He was arrested while working out in a Toronto gym. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit criminal acts of extortion and gambling as well as attempted murder.

He is scheduled to make a court appearance on May 23.

On Nov. 23, the Ottawa Citizen reported that Giordano was an "aggressive lieutenant in the Rizzuto organization." He was questioned in the 2005 murder of John Zanthoudakis, CEO of Norshield Financial Group. He has been named as a suspect in the murder of another man in Montreal on April 18, 2004.

The Montreal Crime Family was believed to have been led by Vito Rizzuto, recently convicted in New York of participating in the slaying of three Bonanno Crime Family bigshots. Last November, Rizzuto's father Nicolo Rizzuto, 82, was among those arrested.

Related MobNews posts:

• Rizzuto pleads guilty to 1981 slayings 05-04-07
• Attorney: Rizzuto won't flip 04-03-07
• Rizzuto, dozens more, arrested in Canada mob sweep 11-26-06
• No parole for Canada mob turncoat Simard 10-22-2006
• Canada's Musitanos up for parole today 10-04-2006
• Fugitive mobsters known to be in Toronto 09-22-2006
• Canada's 'godfather' deported 08-18-2006
• Thug-boxer deported from Canada 08-16-2006
• Canada court clears way for Rizzuto extradition 07-22-2006
• Few contenders for Toronto mob boss title 07-21-2006
• Rizzuto extradition decision due Friday 07-17-2006