NYC mobster’s son stands trial for hired murder of own father at McDonald’s drive-thru for $45M empire

The federal trial opened this week for an alleged New York City mob boss’s adult son charged with hiring an alleged gangbanger to execute his own father at a McDonald’s drive-thru so that he could then seize control of the purported mafia family’s estimated $45 million real estate empire. 

Federal prosecutors alleged that Anthony Zottola, Sr., allegedly had his Lucchese and Bonanno organized crime family-associated father, Sylvester “Sally Daz” Zottola, hunted for about a year by goons who stabbed and beat him several times in unsuccessful attempts on his life. 

That was until the alleged murder for hire plot went through without a hitch and accused Bloods gang member Bushawn Shelton shot and killed the elder Zottola while the 71-year-old was on a coffee run at a McDonald’s drive-thru in the Bronx. 

Salvatore Zottola, both the defendant’s brother and another son of the victim, was expected to be on the stand all day Wednesday as the federal trial in Brooklyn federal court continues for day two. 

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Zottola, Sr., is also on trial for the near-deadly shooting of his brother. Salvatore Zottola survived a July 11, 2018, shooting outside his Bronx waterfront apartment, N.Y. Daily News reported. The alleged gunman, Himen Ross, and his alleged get-a-way driver, Alfred Lopez, are also on trial. 

Salvatore Zottola testified that his father’s real estate business generated about $1 million in rental income per year and was worth an estimated total of $45 million, the New York Post reported. 

During Tuesday’s opening proceedings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Lash said that the elder Zottola was killed on what was his grandson’s birthday on Oct. 4, 2018, and text messages showed the defendant celebrating upon hearing news that his father was dead, N.Y. Daily News reported. 

“Can we party today or tomorrow?” Shelton texted Zottola, Sr., that day, according to Lash. 

To that, Zottola responded “tomorrow,” explaining: “It’s my lil man bday. I am taking him to his favorite place McDonalds (then) a movie. Lol. Like I eat that stuff. Thank you for being a great friend my man.”

Zottola Sr. allegedly paid Shelton $200,000 for the successful hit on his dad.