Man Ordered Hit On Mob-Connected Father For $45M Real Estate Empire, Feds Say
A New York man whose father was allegedly paying dues to two mob families paid to have his father murdered in order to inherit a $45M property portfolio, prosecutors said in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday.
Anthony Zottola, who is accused of paying for a $200K hit on his father in 2018, allegedly did so in an attempt to take over his father's 90-property Bronx real estate portfolio, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
The hit was successfully carried out when Sylvester “Sally Daz” Zottola, who was allegedly tied to the Lucchese and Bonnano families, was murdered in a McDonald's drive-through, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the younger Zottola ordered the murder so he could inherit his father's holdings, which produce $1M per year in rental income.
“The defendant wanted that control,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Lash reportedly said during the trial Tuesday.
The younger Zottola also arranged for the murder of his older brother, Salvatore Zottola, but that hit was ultimately unsuccessful, prosecutors said.
The real estate portfolio was the primary source of income for the elder Zottola, who also ran an illegal "Joker Poker" vending machine business, according to the elder brother.
Attorneys for the defendants, who also include two co-conspirators who were allegedly hired to carry out the hit of the elder Zottola, said the prosecution's case rests on members of a street gang who aren't credible.
