Mob murder probe stepped up

Mob murder probe stepped up: Killer's confession not enough to close file

Lisa Marr / Hamilton Spectator

Regional police are continuing their hunt for suspects in a
series of high-profile mob murders.

Police Chief Ken Robertson said yesterday that Project Expiate, the
task force responsible for the conviction of Ken Murdock last month
in the contract killings of underworld crime boss Johnny (Pops)
Papalia, Carmen Barillaro and Salvatore Alaimo, will continue until
the end of the year.

The continued probe is a surprising announcement, considering
Murdock's conviction and the subsequent first-degree murder charges
laid against Pasquale (Pat) and Angelo Musitano in Papalia's murder.

Angelo was also charged in connection with Barillaro's death.

Project Expiate is a five-agency task force set up in 1997 to
investigate the mob murders in the 1980s of Alaimo and Ronald
MacNeil.

Police say Murdock's conviction and the subsequent arrests are a
major coup. But Robertson doesn't want it to end there. He's says
more work is needed and is pulling together a proposal for a
permanent joint forces unit to tackle organized crime.

And although Project Expiate's staff has been reduced to 16 from
21, its mandate will continue.

Robertson said, "Our investigators have asked us not to comment.''

It's clear that police are still sorting out who is behind a web of
Mafia murders that began in the mid-1980s.

Antonio Nicaso is a journalist and author of nine books on
organized crime.

He said, "I think Murdock's testimony leaves some questions. He
may have been mandated to kill Alaimo but I don't think the people
who sent Murdock to kill him were the Musitanos.''

"There are many other (suspects) missing in this investigation.''

During his trial, the court heard Murdock was approached by two
unnamed men in 1985 who asked him to kill Alaimo.

Neither Pat nor Angelo Musitano has been charged in connection with
Alaimo's death.

MacNeil's murder remains unsolved.

Nicaso said it's likely that mobsters in Toronto and
Montreal were involved in ordering the hits on one or any of the
victims.

"Investigators should be clearing up the scenario behind these
murders.''

Nicaso admitted it's a tall order for the police, but Robertson
aims to continue the police force's efforts to eradicate organized
crime from the city.

This fall, Robertson will propose the establishment of a permanent,
formal joint forces unit to combat organized crime in the Hamilton
and Golden Horseshoe area.

He said he's had preliminary discussions with the RCMP and OPP and
they are "supportive'' of the plan.

Robertson was a member of a special team of investigators on a
joint forces unit set up to combat organized crime from 1977 to
1992.

He said there has been a joint forces unit working on organized
crime on a more informal, case-by-case basis since 1992.

Robertson said a formal, permanent unit to address organized crime
would be "more efficient, both administratively and tactically.''

He said he would like to see the JFU be comprised of OPP, RCMP,
Halton, Niagara and Hamilton-Wentworth officers.

Hamilton councillor Tom Jackson, who chairs the police services
board says: "On the surface, I would support it.'' Jackson said
history has shown that resurrecting a joint forces unit time and
time again would not serve as well as a permanent joint forces unit.

But Jackson said he would not want the establishment of a permanent
joint forces unit to be established at the expense of the police
forces' day-to-day operations.

Robertson said four other joint forces units targeting biker gangs,
illegal gambling, weapons and auto theft would continue.

Robertson said he is hopeful funding for the new JFU could be found
between the various agencies. "It saves money for all of us.
Fighting organized crime is very expensive ... (But) this provincial
government has been very supportive of this squad.''

Matt Bajer, spokesman with the Ontario Ministry of the
Solicitor-General, said while he's unsure of the political support
for Robertson's initiative, the Harris government last year injected
millions into a new task force aimed at biker gangs and has been
supportive of similar projects.

And yesterday police in the Greater Toronto Area announced they
were revamping their multi-force unit on organized crime to improve
efficiency and communications between various agencies.

Nicaso said a permanent task force to target organized crime is not
a luxury, it's a necessity.

He said a permanent JFU would not only pool knowledgeable officers,
but to have regular contacts for informants.

He said governments must take action against the surge in organized
crime across the country.

Jan. 6, 1999