VINCENT ZITO, 77, EXECUTED IN MOB STYLE HIT

It's been a wild year in New York for Mob related incidents.  We have talked at length about the attempted hit on Salvatore Zottola, then the actual hit on his father Sylvester Zottla, and yesterday Vincent Zito, alleged organized crime associate, and former loan shark was found executed with two shots behind the head at his home in Brooklyn, New York.

Vincent Zito, 77 was found dead in his home by his grandson in Sheepshead Bay around 3:15 p.m. on Friday.  Zito was found face up in the living room when police responded to a 9-1-1 call.  The shooting likely will be ruled a homicide according to the New York Post and law enforcement who were on the scene.

A gun, believed to have been used in the murder was found at the scene and police allege that this was a murder meant to look like a suicide, however there is no possibility that Zito could have shot himself twice in the back of the head. 

According to law enforcement, Zito had been arrested in the past for loan sharking, and was linked to the Lucchese crime family.  Zito's brother Anthony, 82, also allegedly has ties to the Lucchese crime family, and was sent to prison in 1971 for extortion.

It's been a busy few months for the FBI and the police as they are dealing with the ongoing attempted murder of Salvatore Zottola, and the murder of his father Sylvester Zottola, which both have been linked to different organized crime families, and the murder of Zottola being linked to an Albanian organized crime faction and the Bloods according to the press and to the D.A.  Whether or not the two incidents are related is not known, but it's not rocket science to figure out that the two are likely mob related.  I think the description of the crime scene itself, two gunshots to the back of the head signify a hit. 

ARE THEY RELATED? MAYBE

It's a stretch I think to relate the two, but you have to admit, for a city that has been dormant of mob violence since the 1980's for the most part, one attempted hit, and two murders is pretty circumspect at this point.  Nobody kills themselves shooting themselves in the back of the head twice.  It's impossible. Discussions in certain circles has been that another murder would come.  I say that because in anything that happens in the streets, be it to deflect culpability, or to grab an eye for an eye, I expect this, and I predicted this.  The streets has it's own way of amending problems, and it's not to say this is totally relatable, but if we were going to play probable odds, it fits without a doubt.

If we are to believe that everything the press and law enforcement has said, especially the situation and information coming out of the D.A.'s office, that the Zottola hit was legit, and came legitimately from the Albanians and Bloods, then we can ascertain a few things.  If the Zottola hit was sanctioned, then everyone would look to shut eyes, ears and mouths.  If it wasn't sanctioned, then I would expect retribution to come, and to come swiftly.  The Italians cannot under any circumstances allow the bloods or the Albanian's to do as they want in a city vastly controlled by  Italian organized crime.  What makes this particular case more interesting is that for the most part two elderly men were killed within a months time.   Could it be a message? Yes.  But it also could be just circumstance and coincidence.   I don't believe in coincidences. 

Whatever the reason, we will never likely know.  There isn't enough information out there about Zito to really make a solid case for retribution, and we also have to sorta look at Zito as an archetype.  Not many unmade guys in there late 70's are such a threat to anyone to justify this sort of reaction, and that's why I lean more towards this being an eye for an eye sort of thing.  There are a million different scenarios here, and the fact is, there is a lack of facts.  One thing is for sure though, and I can say this with 100% certainty. If anyone harmed Zottola or Zito without permission, and if both were connected which has been widely reported by law enforcement, and this was a move by a fringe group, this is just the beginning.  As I said, the Italians, cannot allow anyone to make a move like this on the street level without their being consequences.  It could also very well be an internal beef between two families. There is just too many variables to point one way, but one other point I want to make.  Let's pretend this was eye for an eye.  Why on earth with all the heat from the Zottola mess would anyone do this now?  You know the amount of heat this is gonna bring?  That's what leads me to say, and believe this is sorta related.