2 Men Charged in Murder of Real Estate Agent With Ties to Mob, Illegal Bookie Ring
2 Toronto men have been charged with 1st-degree murder of a Hamilton real estate agent Giorgio Barresi in his driveway in Stoney Creek on March 2, 2020. He was shot multiple times and died at the scene.
Jamal Chemin, 41, and Sorossa Moude, 27, were charged with first-degree murder. They are both Toronto residents with ties to organized crime, police said.
Det. Sgt. Jim Callender released a statement that Barresi did not know either of his killers. The motivation for the crime is said to be "financially motivated".
At the time of his murder, police issued a statement: “The murder of Giorgio was planned. It is believed that the suspects were aware of his habits and routines which afforded the opportunity to confront Giorgio at his residence that night.
“Investigators believe that the actions of these suspects indicate that there are people within our community who know what happened to Giorgio that night and the events that led up to his murder.”
Barresi himself is believed to have had ties to the Musitano crime family. The Musitano crime family is a 'Ndrangheta organized crime family based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They were involved in murder, gambling, drug trafficking, smuggling, extortion and corruption.
The killings of Johnny Papalia and his lieutenant Carmen Barillaro in 1997, ordered by brothers Angelo and Pat Musitano, had effectively wiped out the family's remaining leaders in Canada. Angelo was killed in 2017 and, finally, Pat was killed in 2020.
The 42-year-old realtor was charged alongside a Mobster 20 years ago, but any recent connection with traditional organized crime is unclear. In 1999, Barresi pleaded guilty to bookmaking, along with several other people. Pat Musitano was among those initially charged in connection with the multimillion-dollar betting ring, but his charges were withdrawn.
"Our family is forever broken. A piece of our hearts is gone," Barresi's wife, Sonia Horta-Barres, said in a video made by Hamilton police in 2020.
A $50,000 reward is still being offered for anyone with information pertaining to the murder.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
