SOUTHLAND : Reputed Crime Figure Convicted
An alleged member of the Milano crime family was convicted today of trying to kill the owner of a topless nightclub in a scheme to take control of the business.
After one day of deliberations, a Superior Court jury in Santa Ana voted 12 to 0 to convict Michael Rizzitello of attempted murder and mayhem in the May, 1987, shooting that left William Carroll blind.
Rizzitello, 62, is reputed to be a top lieutenant in the Los Angeles-based Milano crime family, state prosecutors said.
Late last year, an associate, Joseph Grosso, was also convicted of participating in the shooting in Carroll’s car inside a Costa Mesa parking garage.
Prosecutors argued that Rizzitello fired three shots into the back of Carroll’s head while Grosso held down his legs in the front seat.
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