The son of New York murdered accomplice Sylvester “Sally Daz” Zottola has been found guilty of hiring assassins to kill him.
According to NBC New York, Sky News partner Anthony Zottola has been found guilty of conspiring to kill his father and brother in order to take over the family’s multi-million dollar empire of assets.
Zottola and Himen Ross, an accomplice, were convicted Wednesday, following a six-week federal trial over the 2018 murder of 71-year-old Sylvester at a McDonald’s in the Bronx of New York City.
Both face mandatory life sentences upon conviction.
Sylvester Zottola was shot multiple times in the head and torso at a fast food restaurant that police initially described at the time as a possible attack on a crowd.
Sylvester Zottola survived multiple attempts before being murdered in 2018
Prosecutors told jurors about a detailed plot between Anthony and Bloods gang leader Bushrise Shelton to carry out a series of attacks on his father and brother, Salvatore Zottola.
Ross was hired as a tortoise after a previous gun dealer, Ron Cabey, tried to kill Sylvester Zottola.
On the stand, Cabey described at least six attempts to kill the businessman over a period of several months.
Sylvester Zottola controlled a residential real estate portfolio worth tens of millions of dollars at the time of his death.
His son Anthony helped manage the business by maintaining the properties, collecting rent and helping run a maintenance company he co-owned with his brother.
The court heard he wanted to take control of the family business, so hired Bushrise Shelton to organize the murders of his father and brother.
The defense group has argued that the attack could have been attributed to Bronx Albanian gangs who were trying to claim part of the illegal slot machine racket that Sylvester Zottola is said to have run. .
Shelton pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder for hire. He is awaiting sentencing.
