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NYC Mob Boss Found Dead in Canada

Cops believe 'Sal the Ironworker' was trying to take over Montreal Mafia

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 25, 2011 12:54 AM CST

(Newser) – The criminal career of former New York City mob boss Salvatore Montagna came to an end in a frigid river in suburban Montreal yesterday. The body of the 40-year-old former chief of the Bonanno crime family, known as "Sal the Ironworker," was found after a witness said they heard gunshots and saw a man jump in the water. Police believe Montagna leaped into the river in a desperate attempt to elude his attacker, the Montreal Gazette reports. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Montagna, who was born in Canada but raised in Sicily, was deported back to his birthplace by US authorities in 2009 after he refused to testify before a grand jury on illegal gambling. Montagna was suspected of trying to shake down Montreal construction companies as part of an effort to fill a void in local Mafia leadership caused by recent killings and arrests, according to authorities. "Looks like it didn’t work," a police investigator says.

Montagna was in his 30s when he rose to power, leading tabloids to dub him the "Bambino Boss." (Police handout)

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NYC Mob Boss Found Dead in Canada

Cops believe 'Sal the Ironworker' was trying to take over Montreal Mafia

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