Man with Mafia ties shot dead at Claremont McDonald's drive-thru

<p>A man with reputed mafia ties was shot dead in their vehicle at a McDonald's on Webster Avenue Thursday afternoon, police say.</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 5, 2018, 10:21 AM

Updated 2,036 days ago

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A man with reputed Mafia ties was shot dead in a vehicle at a McDonald's on Webster Avenue Thursday afternoon, police say.
The victim was found dead in a car at the restaurant's drive-thru with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. The victim has been identified by police as 71-year-old Sylvester Zottola, a reputed Bonanno crime family associate.
Police received a call to respond to the shooting this afternoon. A massive police investigation got underway, with crime scene tape up over the parking lot and dozens of officers in the lot.
Law enforcement sources say the suspect, who remains at large, walked through the drive-thru while the victim was ordering food.
Police say the person fired multiple shots through the driver's side passenger window. The suspect then fled the scene.
The killing comes months after Zottola’s son Salvatore survived an attack at their Throgs Neck home, and nearly a year after another attempt at Zottola’s life was made miles from their home.
It is not known if these three incidents are related.
Police say no arrests have been made.
The Bonanno crime family has been written about extensively. Many Mafia historians have broken down timelines about how the family got started and where it stands today.
The Bonanno crime family is considered one of the "five families of New York," with ties dating back to the early 1880s.
The movie "Donnie Brasco" is about an FBI agent infiltrating the crime family.
In January, federal authorities took down the acting boss of the family, along with nine others. They were charged with racketeering and other crimes like loan-sharking and conspiracy to commit murder.


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