Montreal mayor’s former right-hand man took $300,000 in dirty money, Quebec corruption inquiry hears
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Former chairman of the city's
executive committee Frank Zampino leaves Quebec Provincial Police
headquarters after being arrested by the anti-corruption unit Thursday,
May 17, 2012 in Montreal.
MONTREAL — The City of Montreal’s
second most-powerful politician, after the mayor, was among a number of
corrupt municipal officials, according to bombshell testimony delivered
Monday.
That allegation was made at the Quebec corruption inquiry where, so far, very little of the testimony has implicated elected politicians.
But a witness from the construction industry said Monday that Frank Zampino, who was once the No. 2 at city hall and the right-hand man to Mayor Gerald Tremblay, was on the take.
Zampino, the former head of the city’s executive committee, has left politics. He was arrested earlier this year and now faces fraud charges.
The testimony against him was delivered by Elio Pagliarulo — a former construction-industry insider who said he ran a loansharking business in partnership with construction magnate Paolo Catania.
Pagliarulo said he personally delivered $300,000 in cash through a middleman, Catania, and the money was destined for Zampino. He said the payments were delivered in three installments of $100,000 and that he saw Zampino one of the times he brought Catania the cash, around 2006.
“I took [the cash] from my personal account,” Pagliarulo testified. “I knew in advance that these particular numbers were for Mr. Zampino.”
He said he was also aware of $200,000 in renovations done to Zampino’s home — specifically to his kitchen. Pagliarulo was testifying about the corruption, Mafia ties and bid-rigging he witnessed and participated in during his days working with the Catania construction empire.
He said he had a spectacular falling out with his old friends several years ago. He said he owed them money after a business deal went wrong.
He said he was kidnapped for three hours and beaten up. He said his teeth and face were so badly damaged that he needed facial-reconstruction surgery.
He told the inquiry that funeral flowers were also sent to his family home, as a message: pay, or else.
It wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed a violent attitude in the industry. He said that when he was on better terms with the Catanias, they discussed the possibility of torching a rival company’s vehicles.
As for corruption, Pagliarulo said bribes were rampant and in one case it consisted of paying down the mortage on the house of a municipal engineer.
An inquiry lawyer asked Pagliarulo how far the Catanias would go to maintain their position in the construction industry.
Pagliarulo referred to his own kidnapping and beating.
“If I was his best friend at the time, and look what he did to me, you can just imagine what he’d do to a stranger,” he said.
“In the community, you don’t mess around with these two people,” he said, referring to the father and son team that built the business. “They’re connected to a crime family.”
He also described lavish parties thrown by his old associates — including a birthday party he says was attended by Gloria Gaynor, best known for the disco hit, “I Will Survive.”
That allegation was made at the Quebec corruption inquiry where, so far, very little of the testimony has implicated elected politicians.
But a witness from the construction industry said Monday that Frank Zampino, who was once the No. 2 at city hall and the right-hand man to Mayor Gerald Tremblay, was on the take.
Zampino, the former head of the city’s executive committee, has left politics. He was arrested earlier this year and now faces fraud charges.
The testimony against him was delivered by Elio Pagliarulo — a former construction-industry insider who said he ran a loansharking business in partnership with construction magnate Paolo Catania.
Pagliarulo said he personally delivered $300,000 in cash through a middleman, Catania, and the money was destined for Zampino. He said the payments were delivered in three installments of $100,000 and that he saw Zampino one of the times he brought Catania the cash, around 2006.
“I took [the cash] from my personal account,” Pagliarulo testified. “I knew in advance that these particular numbers were for Mr. Zampino.”
He said he was also aware of $200,000 in renovations done to Zampino’s home — specifically to his kitchen. Pagliarulo was testifying about the corruption, Mafia ties and bid-rigging he witnessed and participated in during his days working with the Catania construction empire.
He said he had a spectacular falling out with his old friends several years ago. He said he owed them money after a business deal went wrong.
He said he was kidnapped for three hours and beaten up. He said his teeth and face were so badly damaged that he needed facial-reconstruction surgery.
He told the inquiry that funeral flowers were also sent to his family home, as a message: pay, or else.
It wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed a violent attitude in the industry. He said that when he was on better terms with the Catanias, they discussed the possibility of torching a rival company’s vehicles.
As for corruption, Pagliarulo said bribes were rampant and in one case it consisted of paying down the mortage on the house of a municipal engineer.
An inquiry lawyer asked Pagliarulo how far the Catanias would go to maintain their position in the construction industry.
Pagliarulo referred to his own kidnapping and beating.
“If I was his best friend at the time, and look what he did to me, you can just imagine what he’d do to a stranger,” he said.
“In the community, you don’t mess around with these two people,” he said, referring to the father and son team that built the business. “They’re connected to a crime family.”
He also described lavish parties thrown by his old associates — including a birthday party he says was attended by Gloria Gaynor, best known for the disco hit, “I Will Survive.”
Labels: Canada, Corruption, Crime, Crisis Politics, Democracy, Quebec
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