Anthony Zottola case on Who Hired The Hitman? - A detailed case overview

Anthony Zottola was eventually convicted of having his own father murdered and is the first character in the tale of a family empire destroyed by greed in the quiet streets of the Bronx. Anthony hired members of the Bloods gang to kill his 71-year-old businessman father, Sylvester Zottola, and attempted to target his brother Salvatore as well, because he wanted to control a real estate and gambling machine company valued at more than $40 million.

Instead, what emerged was a year-long murder-for-hire plot that included several botched attempts on his life. But despite Sylvester's loose ties to the Bonanno crime family, the fatal bullets did not come from a rival mobster but an attacker hired by his own son. One October morning in 2018, Sylvester was ambushed and shot 10 times at a McDonald's drive-thru, simply ordering coffee.

The case is examined in detail in Who Hired the Hitman? season 1, episode 4, released on 25 November 2025, on Investigation Discovery. The episode includes interviews with detectives and prosecutors who pieced together the stunning betrayal of the Zottola family.

The family empire of Anthony Zottola and rising tensions

Sylvester Zottola began with residential properties in the Bronx and worked his way up to commercial real estate over the course of several decades.  More than two dozen buildings worth tens of millions of dollars were part of his portfolio by the 2010s.  In addition, he operated a successful Joker Poker business by setting up gaming machines in nearby eateries and bars.  

Sylvester was well-known as the mayor of Locust Point, giving to neighbors and participating in neighborhood activities.  His three adult children, Anthony Zottola, Salvatore Jr., and Deborah, lived in a nearby compound he built for them, while he lived alone in a waterfront house he designed, as per Oxygen.

Anthony, 42 at the time of the murder, assisted in the family business, handling property management tasks. His older brother, Salvatore Jr., oversaw the gaming machine installations, a role that brought steady income. On the surface, the Zottolas appeared united, sharing holidays and daily routines. However, underlying strains emerged as Sylvester controlled the assets tightly, leaving his sons with limited independence. 

Anthony Zottola, described by investigators as resentful, began viewing his father and brother as barriers to full ownership, as the NewYork Times reported. Anthony's motivation, according to federal prosecutors, was to inherit the empire outright.  Although he didn't have Sylvester's work ethic, he had similar goals, which made him look for shortcuts.  Anthony made contact with Bushawn Shelton, a senior Bloods gang member serving as a recruiter, in order to carry out his scheme.  

Shelton put together a group of eight accomplices and promised to pay more than $200,000.  Without raising any red flags, Anthony Zottola provided crucial information, such as Sylvester's routines and home access codes.  This coalition created the conditions for terror by bridging the gap between street-level violence and white-collar family conflicts.  Since there was no proof that the plot was connected to Sylvester's prior ties to the mob, attention was diverted to his own avarice, as per CNN. 

The escalating attacks on Sylvester Zottola

In September 2017, the violence against Sylvester started quietly.  He was approached on a Bronx sidewalk on September 8 by an unidentified young man who asked about job opportunities before punching him in the face, breaking a rib.  Although Sylvester reported the incident, he thought it was random.  On November 26, two months later, masked men attempted to kidnap him from his car close to his house.

He escaped by accelerating away, shaken but unharmed. Police noted the attackers' coordination, raising alarms, according to Oxygen. On December 27, 2017, the attacks became more intense.  Insider knowledge is suggested by the three intruders who broke into Sylvester's house without knocking on the door.  They demanded money while tying him up, slashing his throat, repeatedly stabbing him, and pistol-whipping his head.  

The neighbors called 911 after hearing screams.  The home security video was either lost or stolen, but Sylvester made it through surgery.   Because of his ties to Bonanno, he went into hiding despite the lack of evidence out of fear of mob retaliation, according to NBC News.  Another attempt was unsuccessful in June 2018 when a gunman attempted to shoot Sylvester outside his home, but the weapon jammed. 

After cooperating with authorities, the attacker, a Bloods associate, revealed plot details and $10,000 in payments.  Salvatore Jr. was the new target on July 11; he was shot in the head, chest, and hand after being ambushed outside his house.  He survived because of timely medical care.  The children were moved for safety, and the family, now protected by the police, lived in constant fear, as Oxygen reported.

Over the course of almost a year, these incidents featured increasing levels of brutality and accuracy.  After reviewing thousands of hours of surveillance, NYPD detectives first suspected organized crime.  A personal orchestrator was suggested by the pattern, lack of forced entries, jammed weapons, and precise timing.  According to CNN, Anthony Zottola kept up a front of concern while visiting hospitals and organizing security while providing Shelton with information.

The murder and the breakthrough investigation

On October 4, 2018, the plot succeeded. Sylvester, emerging from hiding for coffee, pulled into a McDonald's drive-thru on Boston Road in the Bronx. Himen Tony Ross, hired by Shelton days earlier, approached his SUV and fired 10 shots through the window at close range. Sylvester slumped dead inside, blood pooling on the pavement. Witnesses described the chaos as first responders arrived, according to CNN.

The next day, October 5, detectives discovered a GPS tracker in the vehicle's wheel well, activated just two days prior. This device, purchased by the conspirators, allowed real-time monitoring despite Sylvester's precautions. Tracing its signal led to Topping Avenue, where surveillance captured Shelton and Ross testing it on a similar car. Raids on their homes yielded burner phones with damning texts: Anthony Zottola providing schedules, Shelton confirming hires, and a post-murder message from Shelton to Anthony "Can we party today or tomorrow?" followed by payment assurances.

A multi-agency task force, including the NYPD's Bronx Gang Squad and the FBI, ruled out Mafia involvement after 1,000+ hours of footage review. The June shooter's testimony cracked the case, detailing Anthony Zottola's role as financier and coordinator. Arrests began in late 2018, with Shelton and eight others charged first. Anthony's June 17, 2019, indictment stunned investigators, revealing familial betrayal. 

Evidence showed he paid over $200,000, using cash and wires. The probe's speed from murder to arrests in months stemmed from digital trails, transforming a routine homicide into a conspiracy revelation, as per Oxygen. 

The trial, convictions, and lasting impact

The federal trial of Anthony Zottola began in 2022 in Brooklyn. Prosecutors presented texts, GPS data, and witness accounts that painted a clear picture of orchestration. On October 19, after three days of deliberation, the jury convicted him of murder-for-hire and conspiracy. Co-defendant Himen Ross was also found guilty, while five others pleaded earlier. Alfred Lopez was acquitted, according to CNN.

Sentencing happened on April 14, 2023. U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez gave Anthony Zottola life plus 112 years to represent Sylvester and Salvatore's ages, terming this a reign of terror. Ross and Shelton got 37 years each, according to The NewYork Times. The ripples from the case did not end there. Properties were left to Deborah and Salvatore, and some of these houses were sold to rebuild. Community mourning for Sylvester was contrasted with the shock of the betrayal.

Reviews of similar investigations were prompted by law enforcement's emphasis on it as an uncommon intra-family murder-for-hire.  A chapter on Bronx violence linked to greed was closed when no appeals were successful.  According to the NewYork Daily News, the Zottola saga is a cautionary tale about hidden rifts in wealthy families, and its inclusion in true crime history is guaranteed by media coverage.

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