On October 4, 2018, 71-year-old Sylvester Zottola, a reputed associate of the Bonanno crime family, was fatally shot while waiting for a cup of coffee in his SUV at a McDonald's drive-thru in the Bronx, New York. The male victim was struck by multiple bullets in the head, chest, and shoulder and was pronounced dead at the scene. This brazen daytime shooting was the culmination of a year-long series of violent and ultimately failed attempts on his life, which he and authorities initially
suspected were mob-related.
The investigation, however, revealed a far more personal betrayal. The plot to murder Sylvester Zottola was orchestrated by his own son, Anthony Zottola Sr. The motive was to seize control of his father's lucrative real estate empire, valued at tens of millions of dollars. Anthony hired a Bloods gang member, Bushawn Shelton, to carry out the murder of both his father and his brother, Salvatore Zottola. Shelton, in turn, recruited others to help execute the plan. This led to a string of attacks that Sylvester Zottola managed to survive, including being clubbed over the head, targeted by a gunman, and stabbed in the neck. His son, Salvatore, also survived a shooting in front of his home just months before his father's death.
The final, fatal attack was carried out by a hitman named Himen Ross. Ross had tracked Sylvester Zottola to the McDonald's using a GPS device that had been placed on his car. After the shooting, text messages were exchanged between Ross, Shelton, and Anthony Zottola, confirming the murder had been completed. In one message to Anthony, Shelton asked, 'Can we party today or tomorrow?' Anthony replied, 'I have the cases of water in a day or so,' which was code for the $200,000 payment for the murder.
Following a six-week federal trial, a jury convicted Anthony Zottola Sr. and Himen Ross of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Another man, Alfred Lopez, who was accused of being the getaway driver, was acquitted of all charges. Both Anthony Zottola Sr. and Himen Ross were sentenced to mandatory life in prison, plus an additional 112 years. Bushawn Shelton pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire charges and was awaiting sentencing.
