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CRAVE ORIGINAL

THIS IS A TRUE STORY

Have a seat.

THE EVENTS DEPICTED IN THIS SERIES

ARE BASED ON WITNESS ACCOUNTS, COURT RECORDS, AND RECORDINGS

TIED TO AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION

CONDUCTED BY THE SÛRETÉ DU QUÉBEC

IN 2019.

It all started in 2016.

It's the strangest story in Quebecois crime history.

It's time.

This case is so unusual,

even Americans took notice.

A Vanity Fair journalist wrote a story about it.

I've covered dozens of criminal trials over the years.

I'd never seen anything like it.

BLEACH

Killing someone is easy.

Living with what you've done is the hard part.

Every time someone knocks at their door...

these people are worried.

Jesus Christ!

Marie-Josée Viau and Guy Dion...

DANIEL RENAUD, JOURNALIST

...a couple living in Saint-Jude,

a small town near Saint-Hyacinthe.

A normal suburban couple. Good citizens.

SARAH BERNARD, RESEARCHER SPECIALIZING IN CRIMINAL AFFAIRS

Marie-Josée Viau was very involved in her community.

She was the kind of mother everyone could rely on.

She helped out at the library, at the youth centre...

A civil engineering technician,

she worked for a public works company.

VINCENT LAROUCHE, JOURNALIST

She did some accounting.

She had been a building inspector.

ONE MISSED CALL - GUY

Guy Dion...

...was a respected, active member of the community.

He was the fire chief in a small town, an important job.

A youth hockey referee, a heavy-equipment operator.

A man who never had any issues with anyone.

They were ordinary people, the couple next door.

And they fell into the Mafia's clutches.

Won't be long.

In her forties, Marie-Josée finds herself at a crossroads.

Steady jobs are getting harder to come by,

and Marie-Josée bounces from one precarious job to the next.

They weren't rich.

She took a job at a fast-food restaurant to make a little extra money.

This restaurant will become very important.

Marie-Josée and Guy's story began in 2016,

when Marie-Josée's sister introduced them to her new boyfriend.

Marie-Josée and Guy lived on an isolated rural property

that consisted of a large renovated house

and two converted farm buildings;

one used as a garage, the other as a workshop.

Marie-Josée's sister was in a relationship with Jonathan Massari,

an operative in Montreal's Italian Mafia

who worked for the Scoppa brothers' clan.

JONATHAN MASSARI SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON

Jonathan Massari was arrested in the early 2010s,

following a Sûreté du Québec drug trafficking investigation known as Operation Pastille.

He was imprisoned.

I spent five years in a Saguenay prison

for drug trafficking and gangsterism.

You seem to be into some shady stuff.

Massari was imprisoned in a Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean prison,

and as soon as he got there, things got complicated.

What's up?

For unknown reasons, he got roughed up by other inmates.

They beat him brutally.

He got out of jail,

and that's when we met!

And now, we're living together!

This story took place as a war within Montreal's Italian Mafia unfolded.

REVENGE KILLING

In Laval, a man was fatally shot.

52-year-old Lorenzo Giordano, a former lieutenant of the Rizzuto clan,

died after being struck by multiple gunshots.

This man was poised to become

the next godfather of Montreal's Italian Mafia.

Ever since Vito Rizzuto's passing,

the leadership of Montreal's Mafia has been in a state of instability.

There are Calabrian and Sicilian clans,

as well as clans made up of people from other regions in Italy.

These clans operate within a pyramid-like structure, with a godfather at the top.

That's how it was during Vito Rizzuto's era,

as well as that of his father, Nicolo Rizzuto.

However, internal conflicts broke out in 2009-2010,

and the Mafia shifted from a pyramid structure to a cell-based one.

The Scoppa brothers' clan rebelled

against the dominant Sicilian clan.

Everybody was looking for soldiers for this war,

as well as collaborators to help them out.

A relationship between someone involved in organized crime

and an ordinary person -

what they call a "legit person," an honest person -

can take any shape or form.

They don't choose a random person out of the Montreal phone book and say,

"Let's try this one."

PIERRE SAMSON FORMER SÛRETÉ DU QUÉBEC INVESTIGATOR

An intermediary or a family member will say,

"They might be into it,"

or "They live in a strategic location."

Can I get a coffee?

The Sûreté du Québec investigators

met with a man named Frenchie.

His testimony helped launch a major investigation

into the war between Montreal's Sicilian and Calabrian clans.

Let's talk about Jonathan Massari.

How did you meet him?

We were both at the Cowansville jail.

In 2010, I got eight years in prison for shooting a guy.

Another inmate had attacked him at a Lac-Saint-Jean prison.

Frenchie has been mixed up in organized crime for years.

Mobsters in Montreal's Italian Mafia nicknamed him "Frenchie",

because he's a French-speaking Québécois.

We know that Frenchie is unstable

and socially inept.

He's a bit of a loose cannon.

He's useful, but hard to control.

He's tolerated by the organization, but not accepted.

He knows a lot of people in the criminal underworld.

In this network, some people call the shots, and others do the work.

Frenchie falls into the latter category.

Someone important in organized crime asked Frenchie

to protect Jonathan

against potential attacks in jail.

Jonathan Massari isn't a Mafia boss,

but he's a very important member of the Calabrian clan.

He clearly wanted to become essential to the organization,

which is why his safety mattered so much.

A friend from the Mafia asked me to protect him in the joint.

After that, no one laid a finger on him. I was there.

That's how he grew close to Jonathan Massari,

and they remained close after they were released.

They kept working together,

and they got in touch with Salvatore Scoppa.

What do you do for a living nowadays?

I do what I can.

I work closely with Salvatore Scoppa,

a businessman involved in major deals.

Hmm. Hmm.

Some people are fascinated by the underworld,

because organized crime comes with status, power...

MARIE-PIERRE HOUDE, CRIMINOLOGIST

...money and nice cars.

There's a social status associated with the criminal world.

They're considered superheroes, but they're just a bunch of wimps.

At first, Jonathan Massari was nothing more

than Marie-Josée's sister's boyfriend,

but soon enough, he became a part of the family.

That's how it all started between Jonathan and the couple.

A FEW DAYS LATER

- Remember my tiling company? - Yeah.

We just got a big contract.

It's gonna help us move forward.

But there's a small problem.

Organized crime doesn't just hand out contracts.

They need to know that the people they approach -

whether they're accomplices or participants -

will be able to live with it.

What kind of problem?

These projects are expensive.

You need workers, materials and money.

But then, it pays big.

You're reliable, right?

I mean...

Maybe you could help?

Apparently, he owed Andrew Scoppa,

Salvatore Scoppa's brother, money.

What kind of help?

A loan.

How much?

$10,000.

$10,000? Are you kidding me?

Once someone becomes part of your life and you build a relationship with them,

it's harder to say no.

I'll pay it back, with interest.

Hm...

It's a family,

they make you feel important.

They're charming. Their charisma is undeniable.

He was a classy man.

He was good at earning people's trust.

He managed to convince Marie-Josée,

who then withdrew money from her line of credit.

She gave him money she didn't have.

She didn't tell Guy about it.

She wanted to make money.

She wanted to please him,

to meet his demands,

and to do what he expected her to do.

"IT MADE ME UNEASY, BUT I STILL AGREED TO IT."

Over time, Marie-Josée Viau and Guy Dion were asked to do small favours.

People in organized crime have specific ways of recruiting.

They start by testing if the recruit can be trusted.

Then, little by little, they give them bigger responsibilities.

They don't ask someone to commit murder right away.

Massari introduced Salvatore Scoppa to Marie-Josée and Guy.

He even convinced Guy to serve as Salvatore's bodyguard

during his son's baptism in a Montreal hotel.

Guy got paid for it.

When Guy served as his bodyguard,

didn't he realize what kind of world he was getting into?

For Guy.

He must've made 500 bucks.

His ties with these people,

who had nothing to do with the Mafia, become stronger.

It happens gradually.

Trust needs to be earned.

Loyalty is very important to them.

And that keeps them on the hook.

This encrypted phone is for Marie-Josée.

Sure thing, boss.

At first, they're but a small cog,

but then, organized crime will ask more and more favours of them,

more important favours.

And soon, they're a vital cog in the wheel.

It's a gradual process.

Our brains adapt easily,

so, as something gets repeated,

it becomes easier to accept things that clash with a person's values,

but are accepted within the criminal group.

Massari got out of jail in 2014,

two years before I did.

We planned to see each other once I got out.

I was released in April 2016.

They placed me in a halfway house.

Jonathan Massari introduced me to Scoppa, who made me an offer.

I became his driver and bodyguard.

Salvatore was a psychopath.

Killing someone and eating a sandwich were the same to him.

One day, at the restaurant,

he said he was looking for "talents" to get rid of Sicilian enemies.

I was interested.

He showed me his "menu."

It was a list of his potentials, the "cannellonis."

He kept that in an encrypted file on his phone.

Rocco Sollecito's name was on it.

He was offering $300,000 to whoever would kill him.

Rocco Sollecito is incredibly important,

because after Vito Rizzuto died of natural causes in 2013,

he became the head of the Montreal Mafia.

Scoppa, Massari and I were the ones who chose the next "cannelloni."

That's how I became a hitman.

In the criminal world, you don't get the title of hitman.

You become one without it ever being explicitly stated.

We began keeping watch.

That means doing surveillance.

You keep track of their routine and the places they go.

It's important; it allows you to get your target at the right moment.

We sometimes woke up at 5 a.m.

He's leaving.

What time is it?

We couldn't get caught.

At first, we used Massari's car.

H.C.

Then, we started using Marie-Josée's Mazda.

Can I borrow your car for a few hours?

Why do you want my car?

I have some errands to run.

I'll fill it up.

The person gets increasingly involved

until they're in too deep,

and everything changes.

She wanted her $10,000 back

and felt kind of stuck,

so, Mr. Massari used that to manipulate her.

Don't worry, Marie, you'll get your money.

Huh?

The keys?

Okay.

Bit by bit, she got more involved.

The manipulation began when she lent him money,

then, her car.

It's repetitive, it becomes a habit.

You don't realize you're crossing major boundaries.

This is dragging on.

That's part of the game.

It comes down to recognizing a person's weak spot.

That's the game.

There he is. What time is it?

Twelve past eight.

Twelve past eight.

After a couple of weeks, we had the information we needed,

so we decided to ambush Sollecito near his condo.

Massari was waiting on a motorcycle.

MAY 27, 2016

I looked into Rocco's eyes. He looked into mine.

I don't know why, but he let it happen.

I shot him twice in the head,

then I emptied the clip.

67-year-old Rocco Sollecito has been killed in his own car.

A man was hiding in a bus shelter.

He wasn't just some nobody.

He used to be third-in-command of Montreal's Sicilian clan.

ROCCO SOLLECITO MURDER THE END OF THE SICILIANS

THE SQ WANTS TO SHED LIGHT ON

A MURDER ON SAINT-ELZÉAR

POLICE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY TWO PEOPLE...

...ON A BLACK MOTORCYCLE

He and Massari drove to Marie-Josée's property

and asked her to burn a number of things,

including their motorcycle helmets.

We got rid of our clothes and our helmets

in case we'd been caught on surveillance cameras.

We burned it all outside.

Marie-Josée helped us.

She had gasoline.

She was chill, totally at ease.

A statement like that raises questions.

In that moment, what did she know?

Did she understand what was happening?

Or was she participating without realizing the implications?

Moral disengagement begins when you accept

or choose not to oppose something that violates one of your values.

A number of psychological mechanisms help ease a person's inner conflicts.

I took a shower before leaving their house.

I wanted to get rid of every trace of gunshot residue and gunpowder.

Massari jumped in the pool.

Inside, Massari and I high-fived

when we saw the news confirming Sollecito's death on television.

What does this tell us about the situation within Montreal's Italian Mafia?

It sounds like the end of the Sicilian clan.

Shortly after Sollecito's death,

Massari asked for my help.

Rocco was at war with the Sicilians. He needed weapons.

And since Salv doesn't kid around, he bought a shitload of weapons.

He put Massari in charge of storing the weapons.

So, he got Marie-Josée and Guy involved.

What's up with you? Get on it.

Let's go, Guy!

Massari first asked the couple

to hide the weapons at their place

so the police wouldn't seize them,

because major Mafia figures

are always under police surveillance or investigation,

so people involved in organized crime

benefit from befriending people who are above suspicion.

It takes the heat off of them

and protects them from potential police raids.

So, the Viau-Dion couple was perfect for this kind of work.

Salv doesn't mess around, so he stocked up on weapons.

They eventually saw that it was an arsenal of guns,

some of them quite powerful

which the clan wanted to store somewhere discreet

in case of a conflict with its enemies.

Jesus Christ!

This is a big favour; not only are these weapons expensive,

but they could get into trouble if the police were alerted.

They've clearly gained the trust of the Scoppa brothers.

Chill, Guy, they'll be gone in no time.

Agreeing to hide a large arsenal

of prohibited weapons for a clan is very risky.

In Canada, possession of one prohibited weapon is a criminal offence

punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

It's a very serious matter.

Had they been caught, they would've been in big trouble.

We'll pay you some rent.

How much?

Marie-Josée and Guy were promised $1,000 per month.

We need to make an inventory;

brands, models, ammunition...

There are too many!

Can I count on you, Marie-Josée?

You're pretty organized.

I don't know anything about guns!

They even asked Marie-Josée to make an inventory of the weapons

so they could sell them.

They even offered them a cut of the sales.

Alright.

What's this one?

A long-range assault rifle.

She kept a detailed handwritten inventory

of every weapon in the garage.

These two small ones are Mini Uzis.

Those?

- Yep. - Alright.

Salvatore Scoppa had stored enough weapons to fill a 30-page inventory.

Once the clan's arsenal was stored in their garage,

it became difficult to back out.

The clan trusted them

with something illegal and very precious to them.

Getting out of that situation wouldn't be easy.

When criminal activities happen elsewhere,

a certain distance remains.

But when it happens in your own environment -

in your house, in your garage -

the level of involvement is totally different.

Studies have shown

that people who want to be accepted within a group

can do things they never would have done on their own.

- Yes? - Hey, Marie.

Some clients are gonna test the weapons.

Just so you know, it'll get loud.

Find a way to cover the noise.

How do I do that?

Marie, you're a smart girl.

Get creative.

Okay.

Hey...

When am I gonna get my $10,000?

It's becoming urgent.

Lay off it, okay?

This isn't the time.

Most people who decide to get involved with organized crime

don't know what to expect.

Like us, they read the papers and they watch the news.

They see reports of serious crimes, like murders or attempted murders,

but they don't think it will go that far.

They start with easy stuff, like stealing a car or hiding drugs,

and then, they move on to delivering drugs to get some money.

They commit increasingly serious crimes.

It's a well-known process.

Manipulation is one of the first steps in criminal activity.

They gradually ask for more, step by step.

Soon after Sollecito's death,

the Falduto brothers appeared on Salv Scoppa's menu.

I refused for three weeks.

I wanted to protect them. We have mutual friends.

I finally accepted.

Who were the Falduto brothers?

The two young men were associated with the Mafia,

but they weren't important players.

Vincenzo Falduto had previously been the target of an attempted murder.

What we understood from that story

is that these men had been part of Salvatore Scoppa's entourage.

For some reason, they ended up being seen as enemies of the Scoppa clan.

At that time, the attacks came from both sides,

and allegiances kept changing.

Some people were killing for one side, then the other.

It was very confusing,

and it became hard to identify who was on which side.

Did they pose a real threat to the Scoppa clan?

What's clear is that the Scoppa clan wanted them gone.

One day, Jonathan Massari asks them to meet him

in the Saint-Jude area.

We had lunch with Vincenzo and Giuseppe at a restaurant near Saint-Jude.

It went well.

Where is he taking us?

We're in the middle of nowhere.

You trust this Calabrian guy?

The Falduto brothers end up at Guy and Marie-Josée's house.

They park their car in the garage,

and before the garage door is even closed...

"THERE HAD BEEN NO TALK OF SHOOTING IN MY GARAGE"

From then on, things escalated quickly.

We need plastic sheeting for the bodies.

We'll be back, Guy.

Jesus Christ!

Marie-Josée Viau and Guy Dion are left alone with two bodies,

a bloodstained garage,

and a blood-covered damaged car.

What now?

I want time to stand still.

How did they feel?

Some people freak out and suffer awful panic attacks.

They yell and argue.

Other people go into autopilot, into survival mode.

The nervous system takes over; adrenaline and cortisol kick in.

They dissociate.

She likely dissociated, numbing her emotions.

"What now?"

That was the day...

they crossed the point of no return.

The day after the Falduto brothers' execution,

Marie-Josée and Guy were alone - truly alone -

with two dead bodies in their garage.

Nobody was around to take charge.

Did you sleep?

Nope.

Their friend Jonathan Massari dragged them into this huge mess

and promised he'd be back to help them after taking Frenchie back to Montréal.

He never came back.

Marie-Josée and Guy waited all day for him.

I keep calling Jonathan.

He isn't answering.

Have you called your sister?

She's not answering either.

At that point, they must have considered their options.

They're too involved with the Mafia to call the police.

So, that's not an option.

That night, they went to bed.

We can imagine they didn't get much sleep.

Did you text Scoppa?

Since Guy had served as Scoppa's bodyguard...

For Guy.

...he could reach him directly through prepaid phones.

Here's an encrypted phone.

He could call him directly.

You told him that we haven't heard from Jonathan, right?

That we're stuck with two dead bodies?

Of course.

It's him!

No way.

He doesn't know where Jonathan is.

He's vanished.

What? Are you kidding?

I'm dead serious.

He wants us to get rid of the bodies.

Fucking hell!

If the brain feels safe, it cooperates.

When it senses danger, it can switch to autopilot.

BLEACH

Big cleaning day?

Yeah, exactly.

NEXT TIME

They're ordinary people caught up in a spiral of crime.

One of the sloppiest murders of the decade.

They need to handle the situation.

We've got no choice, Guy.

We'll set you up with a wire, and then, you'll go see her.

They must have been very nervous.

difuze