Alleged Mafia Figure Convicted : Crime: The reputed underboss of the Milano crime family in Los Angeles is found guilty of attempted murder in the extortion-related shooting of a topless-bar owner.

Michael Anthony Rizzitello, reputed underboss of the Milano crime family in Los Angeles, was found guilty Wednesday by an Orange County Superior Court jury of attempted murder and mayhem in an extortion-related shooting of the primary owner of a Santa Ana topless bar.

It was the first conviction of Rizzitello, 62, since he and four other Milano family members were found guilty of racketeering in a Los Angeles trial 10 years ago.

Rizzitello had been tried in three separate cases since then, and each time was acquitted. One of those cases involved a charge of conspiracy to murder a government witness and the other two were racketeer-related fraud cases. His lawyers accused law enforcement officials of going after him as a “trophy” in the Orange County case because of those acquittals.

Rizzitello was accused of shooting Mustang Club investor William Carroll just after midnight on May 1, 1987, while in a car at a parking garage near the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Prosecutors argued that Rizzitello believed he had to eliminate Carroll before he could muscle in on profits from the lucrative topless dancer club, which is now defunct.

Just before pulling the trigger, according to Carroll’s testimony, Rizzitello said: “ ‘This is for not letting us eat.’ ”

Carroll, 57, survived three shots to the back of his head, but one of the bullets struck an optic nerve and left him permanently blind. For 18 months he refused to reveal who had shot him. But on Oct. 6, 1988, he agreed to talk to investigators. He identified Rizzitello as the shooter and Joseph Angeleno Grosso, 46, as the driver who held him down to prevent his escape from the car. Grosso was convicted of attempted murder in a separate trial in December.

Carroll’s change of heart came just 15 minutes after prosecutors reduced felony bank fraud charges against him to a misdemeanor with no jail time. Carroll told jurors that he waited until his case was over to name his assailants for fear that Rizzitello would have him killed if he had to go to jail in the bank case.

Rizzitello showed no reaction when the verdicts were read. But later, one of his daughters, Donna Smith of Palm Springs, said she was shocked and angry.

“My father is a kind, loving man,” she said. “He would never hurt anyone.”

Smith said her father had attempted to “go straight and do the right thing” after his prison term in the Los Angeles case. “But they won’t let him,” she said. “The FBI and the prosecutors are framing him just because of his name.”

Rizzitello--also known as Mike Rizzi--was prominently mentioned as a top hired gunman for the mob in “The Last Mafioso,” a best seller written by Aladena (Jimmy the Weasel) Fratianno, a mobster-turned-informant. Fratianno later testified against Rizzitello at two of his trials.

Rizzitello faces an automatic sentence of at least 27 years to life in prison with a possible three years added for the jury finding of great bodily injury. The mayhem count was added because Carroll was left blind.

Superior Court Judge John L. Flynn Jr. set sentencing for March 16.