Michele Racco

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==Early life== ==Early life== Racco was born in Siderno Marina, Calabria, Italy on December 12, 1913, into a poor family.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} He joined the [['Ndrangheta]] as a young man and was already considered to be a senior leader when he immigrated to Canada in 1952.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} He first settled in Port Arthur (modern [[Thunder Bay]]) and moved to [[Toronto]] in 1953.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} He opened a bakery on St. Clair Avenue West, which became the beginning of a chain of bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream parlours owned by him.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} Racco was born in Siderno Marina, Calabria, Italy on December 12, 1913, into a poor family.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} He joined the [['Ndrangheta]] as a young man and was already considered to be a senior leader when he immigrated to Canada in 1952.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} He first settled in Port Arthur (modern [[Thunder Bay]]) and moved to [[Toronto]] in 1953.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} He opened a bakery on [[St. Clair Avenue]] West, which became the beginning of a chain of bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream parlours owned by him.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}}

=="The Godfather of Toronto"== =="The Godfather of Toronto"== Racco maintained close contacts with the [[Luppino crime family]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario]] and with the [[Cotroni crime family]] in [[Montreal]].<ref name=crimini>{{cite book|last=Schneider|first=Stephen|date=15 October 1998|title=Canadian Organized Crime|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y0hBDwAAQBAJ&q=siderno+group+canada&pg=PA178|location=Toronto|publisher=Canadian Scholars' Press Inc.|page=178|isbn=1773380249|access-date=5 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304140605/https://books.google.ca/books?id=y0hBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA178&dq=siderno+group+canada&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwik66y_o4XiAhUMKa0KHUq4BYAQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=siderno%20group%20canada&f=false|archive-date=4 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1962, Racco established a ''[[crimine|crimini]]'' and ''[[Camera di Controllo]]'' in Canada with the help of [[Giacomo Luppino]] and [[Rocco Zito]].<ref name=crimini/><ref name=life>{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2016/01/30/the-life-and-death-of-rocco-zito|title=The life and death of Rocco Zito|publisher=torontosun.com|date=30 January 2016|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102075702/http://www.torontosun.com/2016/01/30/the-life-and-death-of-rocco-zito/|archive-date=2 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=style>{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/youd-never-guess-he-was-a-mafia-chieftain-longtime-toronto-mob-boss-rocco-zito-killed-in-violent-attack|title=You'd never guess he was a Mafia chieftain': Longtime mob boss killed in violent attack in Toronto home|publisher=nationalpost.com|date=30 January 2016|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219043401/http://news.nationalpost.com/news/youd-never-guess-he-was-a-mafia-chieftain-longtime-toronto-mob-boss-rocco-zito-killed-in-violent-attack|archive-date=19 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=schneider310>Schneider, ''Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada'', pp. 310</ref> Salvatore Triumbari and Filippo Vendemini were also co-founders until Racco sanctioned their murders in 1967 and 1969 respectively, due to disputes.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} Racco had been urged to start the Canadian operation by [[Antonio Macrì]], the undisputed boss of Siderno until he was killed in January 1975. Racco maintained close contacts with the [[Luppino crime family]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario]] and with the [[Cotroni crime family]] in [[Montreal]].<ref name=crimini>{{cite book|last=Schneider|first=Stephen|date=15 October 1998|title=Canadian Organized Crime|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y0hBDwAAQBAJ&q=siderno+group+canada&pg=PA178|location=Toronto|publisher=Canadian Scholars' Press Inc.|page=178|isbn=1773380249|access-date=5 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304140605/https://books.google.ca/books?id=y0hBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA178&dq=siderno+group+canada&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwik66y_o4XiAhUMKa0KHUq4BYAQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=siderno%20group%20canada&f=false|archive-date=4 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1962, Racco established a ''[[crimine|crimini]]'' and ''[[Camera di Controllo]]'' in Canada with the help of [[Giacomo Luppino]] and [[Rocco Zito]].<ref name=crimini/><ref name=life>{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2016/01/30/the-life-and-death-of-rocco-zito|title=The life and death of Rocco Zito|publisher=torontosun.com|date=30 January 2016|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102075702/http://www.torontosun.com/2016/01/30/the-life-and-death-of-rocco-zito/|archive-date=2 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=style>{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/youd-never-guess-he-was-a-mafia-chieftain-longtime-toronto-mob-boss-rocco-zito-killed-in-violent-attack|title=You'd never guess he was a Mafia chieftain': Longtime mob boss killed in violent attack in Toronto home|publisher=nationalpost.com|date=30 January 2016|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219043401/http://news.nationalpost.com/news/youd-never-guess-he-was-a-mafia-chieftain-longtime-toronto-mob-boss-rocco-zito-killed-in-violent-attack|archive-date=19 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=schneider310>Schneider, ''Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada'', pp. 310</ref> Salvatore Triumbari and Filippo Vendemini were also co-founders until Racco sanctioned their murders in 1967 and 1969 respectively, due to disputes.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} Racco had been urged to start the Canadian operation by [[Antonio Macrì]], the undisputed boss of Siderno until he was killed in January 1975.

Racco had a criminal conviction in his native Italy, but was never convicted of any crime in Canada.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} In the 1960s, most of Racco's bakeries were burned down in cases of arson.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} The police initially thought he was being targeted by rival gangsters, but concluded that Racco was burning down his own bakeries to collect the insurance money as it became apparent that the arsonists were entering his bakeries with suspicious ease.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} The closest thing he came to being charged was an incident where the Toronto police found $25,000 in counterfeit money in one of his bakeries, but were unable to lay charges as the police had no evidence that Racco knew of the counterfeit money in his bakery, which he insisted had been brought into the store by a dishonest employee.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} Racco had a criminal conviction in his native Italy, but was never convicted of any crime in Canada.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} In the 1960s, most of Racco's bakeries were burned down in cases of arson.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} The police initially thought he was being targeted by rival gangsters, but concluded that Racco was burning down his own bakeries to collect the insurance money as it became apparent that the arsonists were entering his bakeries with suspicious ease.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} The closest thing he came to being charged was an incident where the Toronto police found $25,000 in [[counterfeit money]] in one of his bakeries, but were unable to lay charges as the police had no evidence that Racco knew of the counterfeit money in his bakery, which he insisted had been brought into the store by a dishonest employee.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}}

By 1971, Racco was considered to be the most powerful gangster in Toronto, which led him to limit the amount of extortion-related violence in Toronto's [[Little Italy, Toronto|Little Italy]] district, which was attracting too much media attention.{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}} On March 20, 1971, during a wire-tapped phone call, Racco was heard discussing the "youth of honors" (including his own son) who would be allowed to join "the Honored Society" (a euphemism for the 'Ndrangheta).{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}} The initiation ceremony was raided by the police and Racco was warned not to attend the meeting.{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}} During another wire-tapped phone call to an American gangster, Racco was heard to say: "Jesus Christ, I really can't go into details here. You know, um, 'Ndrina."{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=312}} Racco initially answered to the [[Buffalo crime family]], but after the death of [[Stefano Magaddino]] in 1974, he established close ties with [[Paolo Violi]], the de facto boss of the Cotroni family of Montreal.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} Racco was also a very close ally of [[Paul Volpe (mobster)|Paul Volpe]].{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} By 1971, Racco was considered to be the most powerful gangster in Toronto, which led him to limit the amount of extortion-related violence in Toronto's [[Little Italy, Toronto|Little Italy]] district, which was attracting too much media attention.{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}} On March 20, 1971, during a wire-tapped phone call, Racco was heard discussing the "youth of honors" (including his own son) who would be allowed to join "the Honored Society" (a euphemism for the 'Ndrangheta).{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}} The initiation ceremony was raided by the police and Racco was warned not to attend the meeting.{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}} During another wire-tapped phone call to an American gangster, Racco was heard to say: "Jesus Christ, I really can't go into details here. You know, um, [['Ndrina]]."{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=312}} Racco initially answered to the [[Buffalo crime family]], but after the death of [[Stefano Magaddino]] in 1974, he established close ties with [[Paolo Violi]], the de facto boss of the Cotroni family of Montreal.{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}} Racco was also a very close ally of [[Paul Volpe (mobster)|Paul Volpe]].{{sfn|Edwards|Auger|2004|p=196}}

Racco was greatly worried about his drug addict son, Domenic Racco, who was considered to be reckless and violent.{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}} On July 19, 1971, Domenic Racco shot three men in a Toronto shopping mall following an argument over a cigarette; he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for attempted murder and was released on parole in 1978.{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}}{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}}<ref name=racco>{{cite news|url=http://thespec-reports.com/2014/11/20/chapter-2-settling-scores-2/|title=Chapter 2 – Settling scores|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |publisher=thespec.com|access-date=27 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513113713/http://thespec-reports.com/2014/11/20/chapter-2-settling-scores-2/|archive-date=13 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Racco called a meeting to discuss ways to help his son beat the charges, and invited [[Johnny Papalia]] of Hamilton to attend the meeting.{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}} The journalist Adrien Humphreys wrote: "That Mike Racco, the pre-eminent immigrant Italian criminal, invited Canadian-born Johnny to this important family meeting was a mark of great respect".{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}} [[Roy McMurtry]], the future Ontario Attorney-General met Racco in 1975 while he was still serving as a defense lawyer and described him as "the cruelest looking person I have ever seen".{{sfn|McMurtry|2013|p=107}} McMurtry stated that Racco was a stereotypical gangster straight out of a Hollywood film in every respect, saying he gave off a strong sense of malevolent power.{{sfn|McMurtry|2013|p=107}} Racco was greatly worried about his drug addict son, Domenic Racco, who was considered to be reckless and violent.{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}} On July 19, 1971, Domenic Racco shot three men in a Toronto shopping mall following an argument over a cigarette; he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for attempted murder and was released on parole in 1978.{{sfn|Schneider|2009|p=314}}{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}}<ref name=racco>{{cite news|url=http://thespec-reports.com/2014/11/20/chapter-2-settling-scores-2/|title=Chapter 2 – Settling scores|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |publisher=thespec.com|access-date=27 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513113713/http://thespec-reports.com/2014/11/20/chapter-2-settling-scores-2/|archive-date=13 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Racco called a meeting to discuss ways to help his son beat the charges, and invited [[Johnny Papalia]] of Hamilton to attend the meeting.{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}} The journalist Adrien Humphreys wrote: "That Mike Racco, the pre-eminent immigrant Italian criminal, invited Canadian-born Johnny to this important family meeting was a mark of great respect".{{sfn|Humphreys|1999|p=207}} [[Roy McMurtry]], the future Ontario Attorney-General met Racco in 1975 while he was still serving as a defense lawyer and described him as "the cruelest looking person I have ever seen".{{sfn|McMurtry|2013|p=107}} McMurtry stated that Racco was a stereotypical gangster straight out of a Hollywood film in every respect, saying he gave off a strong sense of malevolent power.{{sfn|McMurtry|2013|p=107}}