NEVER GO AGAINST THE FAMILY

Son Convicted of Plot to Whack Mobster Dad at a McDonald’s Drive-Thru

Anthony Zottola wanted his father’s real estate business, prosecutors said. On Wednesday, he was found guilty of orchestrating his father’s murder and his own brother’s shooting.

In October 2018, Sylvester Zottola, known to the authorities as an associate of one of New York crime families, was shot once in the head and four times in the torso as he waited for a cup of coffee at a McDonald’s drive-thru in the Bronx. On Wednesday, his eldest son, Anthony Zottola, was convicted of orchestrating the messy murder-for-hire plot that led to his father’s slaying, as well as the shooting of his younger brother, Salvatore, who was left for dead outside his family’s compound in July 2018. Anthony Zottola had gone after his family members to get his hands on their multi-million-dollar real estate business, according to prosecutors, who said he worked with the Bloods street gang to carry out the assassination. Himen Ross, the hitman who finally caught up to Sylvester after months of the gang’s botched attempts, was convicted alongside Zottola on Wednesday. Both face mandatory life sentences, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. “Now, instead of living off his father's millions, his only payday will be federal prison,” said Michael Driscoll, a top FBI official.