The true story behind the Anthony Zottola case on Who Hired the Hitman?

In the quiet neighborhoods of the Bronx, the wealth of a family masked deep divisions that grew into unimaginable violence. Anthony Zottola, a real estate manager, with a motive to control the multimillion-dollar portfolio of rental properties his family had built partly from illegal gambling operations, hired members of the Bloods street gang to execute a murder-for-hire plot on his father, Sylvester "Sally Daz" Zottola, a reputed associate of the Bonanno crime family.

Sylvester, who had somehow managed to survive several attempts on his life through stabbings and shootings for over 13 months, was finally gunned down in a brazen daylight hit outside of a McDonald's drive-thru in October 2018.

Anthony also tried killing his brother Salvatore, but he survived being shot in the head. Now, surveillance footage, phone records, and testimony from within the gang detail how it all unraveled as part of a son's betrayal for money.

This tale of greed and family fracture is explored in the new Investigation Discovery series, Who Hired the Hitman? The episode featuring Anthony Zottola is titled A Hard Man to Kill It in season 1, episode 4, and was released on November 25, 2025, on Investigation Discovery. 

Who Hired the Hitman? : The family of Anthony Zottola and hidden tensions

Sylvester Zottola, known locally as the mayor, was generous with neighbors, donating to community events. He also constructed a compound of large brick houses for his three adult children: Anthony, Salvatore and Deborah Ann.

As the low-level associate of the Bonanno crime family, Sylvester earned money through illegal activities, such as placing Joker poker machines in social clubs. This funded a legitimate real estate empire, valued at tens of millions of dollars, as per The New York Times.

Anthony Zottola, the eldest son, helped manage the day-to-day operations of these properties. He lived a comfortable life as a married father of three, but grew frustrated under his father's oversight. Salvatore handled the gambling side of the business, strengthening his ties to organized crime.

He began plotting in mid-2017, reaching out to Bushawn Shelton to recruit hitmen. This unusual alliance, bypassing traditional Mafia channels, stemmed from Anthony Zottola's need for deniability and low cost. Shelton assembled a team of gang associates totaling thousands of dollars, according to The New York Times.

A series of failed assassination attempts

The attacks on Sylvester Zottola were subtle at first, then quickly escalated from September 2017 to mid-2018. On September 4, 2017, an unidentified man punched Sylvester in the face outside his Bronx home in what was the first sign of targeted harassment.

Two months later, in November 2017, a gunman fired shots at Sylvester's vehicle while he drove on the Throgs Neck Expressway; the bullets missed. But on December 27, 2017, just after Christmas, three intruders used a kitchen entry code, given to them by Anthony Zottola, to break into Sylvester's home.

They pistol-whipped him, stabbed him multiple times in the torso, and slashed his throat. Sylvester fought back fiercely, surviving the 20-minute ordeal and calling 911 himself. He spent weeks recovering in the hospital.

In June 2018, another gunman approached Sylvester outside his home and attempted to shoot him at close range, but the weapon jammed, and he escaped, as per The New York Times. Anthony Zottola extended the plot to his brother Salvatore on July 11, 2018.

A gunman ambushed Salvatore outside his Bronx residence, shooting him in the head, chest, and hand. Salvatore survived emergency surgery and months of rehabilitation. All the while, Anthony Zottola employed GPS trackers on family vehicles and shared daily routines to guide the assailants, as NBC reported.

The fatal shooting at McDonald's

Frustrated by the string of failures, Anthony pushed for a more reliable execution. On October 4, 2018, Sylvester pulled into the drive-thru line at a McDonald's on Webster Avenue in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx, waiting for a cup of coffee.

Himen "Goldie" Ross, a Bloods associate recruited by Shelton, approached on foot. Ross fired multiple rounds through the SUV's window, striking Sylvester in the head, neck, and chest in an execution-style killing, as per the New York Times.

The whole incident lasted mere seconds and was captured through the restaurant's surveillance cameras. Sylvester died on the scene. Anthony Zottola went to his funeral, looking devastated in public with his family.

Behind closed doors, however, he continued running the properties and positioning himself to take control. The brazen nature of the attack, in broad daylight at a busy fast-food spot, drew immediate media attention and police scrutiny, according to The New York Times.

The investigation, trial, and justice served

The New York Police Department and FBI launched a joint probe immediately after the shooting, tracing a bloody trail of evidence. Surveillance videos from the McDonald's and prior attacks linked the gunmen to the Bloods.

Phone records and texts revealed Anthony's communications with Shelton, including payments tracked via cash and luxury goods. GPS data from devices on Sylvester's car pointed back to Anthony Zottola's circle. 

By June 17, 2019, officials arrested Anthony, Ross, and Shelton, along with seven others, for federal charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy, and firearms violations. The six-week trial in Brooklyn federal court began in September 2022.

Prosecutors presented videos, financial trails, and testimony from cooperating defendants. Shelton and five other defendants pleaded guilty, detailing the plot to receive reduced sentences, as per the New York Times. On October 19, 2022, after three days of deliberation, the jury convicted Anthony Zottola and Ross on all counts; one co-defendant was acquitted.

Sentencing occurred on April 14, 2023. U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez imposed mandatory life terms plus 112 years on both men. Shelton received 37 years in June 2023; four others got 16 to 20 years, according to The New York Times.

Anthony Zottola expressed regret only for missing his family. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace called it a campaign of terror. No successful appeals followed, closing the chapter on the Zottola saga.

Stay tuned for more news and updates on Who Hired the Hitman? Season 1 on Investigation Discovery.