‘Things are right up close, personal.’ Pat Musitano’s hitman shares tales of working for Hamilton mobster

Hitman Ken Murdock once told the Star that mobster Pasquale (Pat) Musitano ordered him to wipe out the top members of a rival crime family so that Musitano could become undisputed godfather of the Hamilton underworld.

That meant bursting into a coffee house near Barton Street East and Sherman Avenue North in Hamilton's east end, where leaders of the Luppino-Violi crime group met Thursday mornings, and machine-gunning them all, Murdock said.

Murdock said that he didn't say no to the plot, but didn't carry it out either, and eventually the scheme just fizzled out.

Murdock recounted the story in a surprisingly soft and polite voice a decade ago, and said he remained haunted at night by memories of the sights and sounds of the three murders he did carry out for Musitano.

Things are right up close, personal. The image doesn't leave you," Murdock said.

Now, Halton Regional police homicide investigators are trying to figure out who was the hitman who shot Musitano to death around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon on Plains Road East between King and Waterdown roads.

Another man, who has not been identified by police, was with Musitano on Friday and remained in serious condition in hospital Sunday.

Musitano's killer fled in a late-model, grey, four-door sedan, that's similar to an Infiniti Q50 with a sunroof, Halton Region police said, adding it would have fresh damage to the driver's side.

Murdock disappeared into a witness protection program a decade ago after agreeing to testify against Musitano and his younger brother Angelo, who were both charged with first-degree murder in the 1997 deaths of Hamilton crime boss Johnny (Pops) Papalia, and his Niagara Falls, Ont. associate, Carmen Barillaro.

The brothers pleaded guilty in 2000 to conspiracy to commit murder in Barillaro's death. As part of a plea deal, the charges relating to Papalia's death were withdrawn.

Meanwhile, Hamilton brothers Dominico and Giuseppe (Joey) Violi - who likely would have been murdered if Murdock carried out the order to machine gun the coffee shop - are in prison for drug trafficking.

To order a murder, Murdock said that Musitano would simply say someone has got to go," and leave the rest up to him.

Murdock said he made the decision to turn against his old boss after hearing that Musitano planned to kill him too.

Murdock said he had one strict personal rule: kill his victims away from their wives and children. You don't do that sort of stuff in front of the wife and kids," he said in the telephone interview.

He said the first murder he committed for Musitano was in 1985 when he was ordered to execute Stelco factory janitor Salvatore Alaimo, 53, for unpaid gambling debts to Musitano's father, Domenic.

The father-of-five was shot dead on Nov. 21, 1985 to send a message to other unlucky gamblers that excuses wouldn't be tolerated. That's a good incentive for them to pay," Murdock said.

Murdock said he dawdled with the Alaimo contract, once sitting with a loaded machine gun in a car outside a downtown Hamilton social club that the janitor frequented. When Alaimo finally walked by, Murdock said he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

Musitano sent him back to do the job at Alaimo's home with two other men, one of whom was a getaway driver.

Murdock said he was hoping to miss when he pressed the trigger of a Sten machine gun. I actually wasn't trying to shoot him. I was trying to shoot all around him. . . . When the thing goes off, it has a mind of its own."

Murdock said his next deadly job for Musitano was the execution of Hamilton mob boss John Papalia on May 31, 1997.

Murdock said he shot Papalia up close with a pistol to ensure there were no innocent bystanders between him and his target.

Murdock said he spoke with Papalia immediately before he shot him dead, and had no ill feelings as he squeezed the trigger.

Murdock said he didn't try to emulate the false friendship of some old-school hitmen, like the ones who murdered Paolo Violi, the father of Dominico and Giuseppe Violi of Hamilton, back in 1978.

Paolo Violi was invited to play cards in a Montreal social club, where a hitman from the Rizzuto crime family was waiting in the background with a short shotgun.

To me, that's sleazy," Murdock said. You think you're among friends. (But) nobody likes you. Next thing you know you're dead."

Just before he shot Papalia in the back of the head, Murdock said he lied to the elderly mobster, saying that he was about to take action against Pat Musitano because he was owed money.

He asked if it was going to be a good thing," Murdock recalled. I said, No, it's going to be a very bad thing.' "

He said, Do what you want to do. I'm not going to involve myself.' Basically he gave me a green light to shoot Pat."

Murdock said Papalia was targeted for murder by Musitano because Papalia had loaned $250,000 to cover another mobster's NFL gambling debts. Musitano and the other mobster reasoned it was cheaper to kill Papalia than to repay him.

Murdock said he was paid $3,000 and cocaine for the killings.

Murdock said his final hit was on July 23, 1997, when he went to Barillaro's upscale suburban home. Murdock said he sat down the street for hours, waiting patiently for Barillaro's wife and children to go on a shopping trip.

I sat down the street with binoculars, waited for the kids to leave," Murdock said. Waited for the wife to leave. I didn't want anybody in the house. A lot of guys wouldn't care."

Murdock later learned the family had gone to buy presents for Barillaro because the next day was his 53rd birthday.

Musitano and his brother Angelo were each freed from prison in October 2007 after serving less than seven years of their 10-year terms after pleading guilty to conspiracy to murder Barillaro.

Angelo Musitano, 39, was shot to death in his pickup truck in the driveway of his house in suburban Waterdown in 2017. His family was inside the home when he was shot dead.

A decade ago, Murdock said Pat Musitano was emboldened by his tightening ties to Vito Rizzuto, Montreal's mob boss. Musitano also felt he had the support of Toronto mobsters, who wanted to push into Hamilton, Murdock said.

Rizzuto then died of natural causes on Dec. 23, 2013 and Musitano's power plummeted as the power of the rival Violis-Luppinos rose.

Back in his hitman days, Murdock says long lines of cocaine helped him cope with job stress.

He said he also consoled himself with thoughts of the half-dozen killings he was ordered to do, but didn't carry out, including the attack on the Violis and Luppinos.

Murdock said he worked for Pat Musitano because of a promise he made to Pat's father Domenic, after Domenic learned he had life-threatening heart problems. Domenic Musitano died of a heart attack in 1995.

I promised to take care of his kids," Murdock said. That was the dumbest mistake I ever made."

Peter Edwards is a Toronto-based reporter primarily covering crime for the Star. Reach him by email at pedwards@thestar.ca