Reputed New Montreal Mob Boss Says His Life Is Not in Danger

Francesco "Chit" Del Balso, 46, wrote that "he feels his life is not in danger even though his close friend, and fellow leader in the Rizzuto organization, Lorenzo "Skunk" Giordano, 52, was fatally shot on March 1.
"Chit" wants out of prison -- he's certain that no assassins are going to kill him.
The parole board decided to agree with him.


One of the last surviving members of an exclusive group of Rizzuto loyalists -- that very same group that someone seems to be systematically killing, apparently thinks he has nothing to fear but fear itself -- and wants out of prison posthaste.

Francesco "Chit" Del Balso, 46, wrote to the Parole Board of Canada last week, informing them that "he feels his life is not in danger even though his close friend, and fellow leader in the Rizzuto organization, Lorenzo "Skunk" Giordano, 52, was fatally shot in Laval on March 1," the National Post reported. (It was recently revealed that Giordano's wife was sitting in the car next to him when he was shot to death.)

Giordano and Del Balso both recently reached their statutory release dates following their Project Colisée prison time. (Project Colisée, a Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigation, was a years-long probe, running from 2003-2006, into the Montreal Mafia led by Vito Rizzuto.)






Days after Giordano was killed, Del Balso was arrested and sent back to the penitentiary. The Correctional Service of Canada suspended his release, fearing for his life.

Giordano was shot to death in March. His wife
was seated beside him.


Then finally last week, the parole board agreed that Del Balso should be released. That decision was made exactly one day prior to the murder of Rocco Sollecito, 67, who was described by Canadian law enforcement as "a senior leader in the Rizzuto organization."

In response to Del Balso's note, the parole board wrote a summary -- for the Montreal Gazette -- regarding why it decided to release the mobster:

The summary notes the parole board asked Del Balso how he "could be so sure" to note "that [he] knew for a fact that [his] own life was not in danger." The authorities remain puzzled over the source of Del Balso's certainty. 

The summary also mentioned that Giordano's wife was sitting beside him when he was shot to death in his car -- as well as the fact that "information was received to the effect that (Del Balso) was next on the execution list.”

The board ordered that no changes be made to the conditions of Del Balso's release date, which had been determined back in February. This means that a requirement that he spend the end of his sentence in a halfway house also still stands.

The Post noted:

Giordano and Del Balso were the young leaders in the organization and appeared to have earned a certain amount of independence from its older leaders like Nicolo (Zio Cola) Rizzuto, the father of Vito Rizzuto. Del Balso and Giordano even had their own headquarters, a café in Laval, while they were under investigation. Both of the Rizzutos are now deceased and the organization was severely weakened by Project Colisée. Because of their past, Del Balso and Giordano were seen as potential candidates to assume the top position in the group.

Well, folks, wtf is going on here?






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