Rocco Sollecito's shooting part of 'final cleanup' of Montreal Mafia's old guard

The brazen daytime shooting of a reputed high-ranking member of the Montreal Mafia represents "a kind of final cleanup of the old guard," says an expert on organized crime in the city.

Rocco Sollecito, 67,was gunned down while driving awhite BMW SUVin Lavalon Friday morning, in what local police plainly termed a "mob hit."

• Full story on the shooting:Rocco Sollecitokilled in Laval

Pierre deChamplain, author of a history of organizedcrime in Montreal, saidSollecito's death is part of an ongoing dismantling of the older generation of theRizzutocrime family.

"The history of Mafia teaches us that each time that the Mafia has gone through trouble it was often due to the purposeful conflict of the old generation versus the young generation, and today the Mafia of Montreal is a perfect example," de Champlain said in an interview.

Sollecito was an "influential figure" in the Mafia who acted as a consigliere to the new alleged leaders of the Mafia, Leonardo Rizzuto and Stefano Sollecito, he said.

'Not what it once was'

De Champlain said it's difficult to say who was behind the shooting, whether it was another crime family or an upstart gang,explaining thatalliances have become "totally fragmented."

"It's not what it once was," he said."It's been reduced to a simple gang."

• TIMELINE:TheRizzutofamily
• The end of theRizzutodynasty?

A power vacuum

Author and organized crime expertAntonio Nicasosays it's a guessing game as to where this challenge to the Rizzuto clan could be coming from Ontario, Quebec or within the same organization.

There is terror and fear on the street.There is no one from the old guard capable of a counter-attack.- Organized crime expert Antonio Nicaso

He says the crime family is dealing with a power vacuum.

"The major problem is replacing Vito Rizzuto,"Nicaso told CBC News.

"There is no one with the charisma who is capable of leading the organization. There is terror and fear on the street. There is no one from the old guard capable of a counterattack."

Nicaso thinks the violence on the streets will only get worse.

"Whoever is behind this murder is someone who wants to remove the Rizzuto crime family from the map," he said.

The downfall

The Rizzuto crime family, once considered one of the most powerful in Canada,has been in an extended period of upheaval.

The shooting comes three months after anotherRizzutolieutenant,Lorenzo(Skunk)Giordano,was gunned down.

Leonardo Rizzutoand Stefano Sollecitowere arrested in organized crime raidsin November.

They are both facing charges of committingan offence for a criminal organization and drug trafficking.

Turmoil nearing its end?

Leonardo's father,VitoRizzuto, longtimepatriarch of theMontreal Mafia,died of natural causes in 2013.

His brother Nick Jr. and grandfatherNicolowereshot dead in separate incidents in 2010.

SylvainTremblay,a formerinvestigator with theSretduQubec,said he doesn't necessarily expect to see retribution for Friday's shooting.

Given how many key figures are already dead or behind bars,Tremblay said the upheaval may be "reaching its end."