MONTREAL – Nicolo Rizzuto, the octogenarian reputed mob boss, pleaded guilty Thursday morning to two counts of tax evasion, less than two weeks after the charges were filed.
He was sentenced to pay a $209,000 fine for not reporting interest he made on $5 million found in Swiss bank accounts in 1994. The accounts were opened by people acting as fronts.
Rizzuto made a brief appearance before Quebec Court Justice Jean-Pierre Bonin and then exited the Montreal courthouse, but not before putting on one of his trademark fedoras.
Rizzuto’s defence lawyer Loris Cavalière would only say the case was settled to everyone’s satisfaction.
Prosecutor Yvan Poulin revealed that as part of an earlier settlement related to the case Rizzuto agreed to pay additional money to settle his problems with Revenue Canada.
Poulin said the other sum is confidential and would not disclose the amount involved.
Poulin said Canada Revenue pursued the charges after picking up a RCMP case that had been dormant for years.
That RCMP investigation caused Swiss authorities to arrest and detain Rizzuto’s wife in Lugano in 1994. She was held in custody for six months before being released and returned to Canada with no charges being filed against her.
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