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| Vincenzo "Jimmy" Di Maulo |
| Vincenzo "Jimmy" Di Maulo, Jos' older brother, was born in 1938. He became very successful and, by the 1960s, owned a tavern, the Di Maulo '67, and a night club, the Le Petit Baril. The Di Maulo brothers played an important role in the Mafia's war against Richard "Le Chat" Blass and his violent band. On May 4, 1968, Blass henchmen were Gilles Bienvenue and Albert Ouimet were shot to death by asked gunmen after exiting Jimmy's night club. Three days later, on May 7, Roger Larue, a member of Blass' gang who had vowed revenge for the death of his comrades, had a heated argument with the Di Maulo brothers at the Le Petit Baril night club. Larue was murdered hours later. |
| Next came Robert Allard, recognized as Blass' right-hand man. On May 6, 1969, Vincenzo Di Maulo, Joseph Armini, and Nicola Leo pumped a dozen bullets into Allard in front of a bar. Dozens of people witnessed the killing and the three were arrested. Di Maulo, who had no criminal record, pled guilty to first degree murder in April 1970 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Armini and Leo fought the charge but were also convicted. Di Maulo was paroled in May 1981 and began to build a financial empire that the RCMP would evaluate at 15 million dollars. He established eighteen companies, including a condominium complex, as well as several properties. Through his businesses, police claim, he laundered large sums of cash for many mobsters, including members of the Dubois Clan and Richard "Dick" Foley, an influential member of the West End Gang. He also socialized with businessmen, lawyers, and politicians and made many generous contributions to charities, including an annual golf tournament where profits went to a Saint-Laurent hospital. Di Maulo was among the 57 underworld figures arrested on August 30, 1994, the results of a 4 year RCMP undercover sting. The Mounties established a phony money-change house at the corner of Peel street in 1990 that succssfully lured some of Montreal's top criminals. 558 kilos of cocaine was also seized in the operation. Di Maulo was charged with 46 counts of money laundering and drug trafficking. With Jimmy Di Maulo facing a lengthy prison sentence, loyal friends did what they could to help him. On July 4, 1995, Fernando De Francesco approached police officer Jocelyn Chagnon and promised him $100,000 if he could convince the prosecutor to reduce from 12 years to 8 years the sentence he was pursuing. Chagnon feigned interest and met with De Francesco and Ricardo Di Massimo several times. All the meetings were filmed by police. The negotiations concluded with Micheline Kemp, Di Maulo's wife, delivering $15,000 as a down payment. Police arrested Kemp, De Francesco, Di Massimo, Valentino Morielli, and Jimmy's brother Jos on August 17, 1995, on bribery charges. The proof against Jos Di Maulo and Valentino Morielli was paper thin and the two were released for lack of evidence. Kemp pled guilty on June 26, 1997 and was liberated on "time served". De Francesco and Di Massimo received 18 month prison sentences. Jimmy Di Maulo admitted on March 12, 1996 to laundering more than $10.5 million from 1990 to 1994 through the RCMP's phony money-change house. He also recognized his role in a operation to import 2500 kilos of cocaine from Columbia into the country. He was sentenced to 12 years. |