Richard Blass
Encyclopedia
Richard Blass was an infamous Canadian
gang
ster and a multiple murderer. Born in Montreal
, he was nicknamed Le Chat, French
for The Cat, so nicknamed because of his luck in evading death after surviving at least three assassination attempts, a police shootout and escaping from custody twice.
as a way to channel his anger when he was a child. It was after a boxing fight that Blass would commit one of his first known crimes, as he attacked fellow boxer Michel Gouin once their fight was over. Having lost to Gouin, Blass attacked his victor with a knife
, then pleading guilty to assault
and spending one night in jail.
As time went by, Blass became more obsessed with the mafia
activity going on in New York city, south of Montreal. As obsessed as he was with the mafia, however, he was also known for his hatred of mafia organizations: resenting the fact that the Italian
mafia held a stronghold on Montreal's underworld business during the 1960s, Blass was involved in minor fights with many mafia members, particularly those related to Frank Cotroni and brothers Jos and Vincenzo DiMaulo, all of which received death threat
s by Blass.
He had also worked as hitman for notorious West End Gang
.
Richard Blass and Robert Allard were to ambush Frank Cotroni on May 7, 1968. But the ambush attempt was broken by a police
man who saw them act suspiciously and proceeded to try to investigate them by following them in his patrol car. Cotroni's life was saved by the policeman who was not able to arrest Blass or Allard as they escaped.
By then, Blass had a sizable number of members in his own criminal gang. Angered at the fact that they could not kill Cotroni, Blass and his gang then became more violent, committing a number of murders against Italians, some of whom had nothing to do with crime
. The first such killing took place on May 27, twenty days after the attempt against Cotroni's life, when Giuseppe Collizza was killed with five shots to the head
.
One of the persons that Blass and his group killed, Francesco Grado, however, had connections to the Italian mafia. Grado was a loan shark
for the mafia. He was murdered with multiple gun shots.
On August 24 of that year (1968), the first mafia attempt against Blass' life took place, when two hired gunmen entered a bar where Blass was enjoying some drinks. Although shot at multiple times, Blass was able to escape unscathed.
Two weeks later, Blass was tracked by the mafia in a motel
named "Le Manoir de Plaisance", in a Montreal suburb. The motel was set on fire
and three people died, but Blass escaped the blaze. Police investigation indicated arson
as the fire's cause.
On October 1968, Richard Blass was injured by bullet shots to the head and back
after being ambushed, alongside partner Claude Menard
, inside a garage
. The two were able to save their lives when Menard drove the car they were in through the garage's door, and Blass required hospital
ization for his wounds. He refused to identify his attackers, a fact which may have led him to earn respect among Canadian mafia members.
On January 1969, Blass and his gang tried to commit a bank
robbery
but the attempt failed before Blass shot a policeman as he was fleeing from the financial institution. Blass was consequently arrested, and sentenced to four consecutive terms of ten years in jail.
On October 16 of that year, Blass became a fugitive
for the first time, when he and other prisoners overpowered a jail guard and fled the van in which they were being transported to a court
. Already married
, Blass was caught after an anonymous caller informed the police that he was hiding in his wife's apartment.
Blass awaited five years, until 1974, for his second attempt at an escape. An unidentified woman
friend of his brought in some firearms during a visit, and Blass broke the jail visitor's window. Armed with various types of guns and rifles, he and other men were able to escape jail, in Blass' case, for the second time.
Blass wanted to kill Raymond Laurin and Roger Lévesque
, both of whom had participated in the 1970 bank robbery and testified against him. He found them both at a bar on October 30 and shot them to their deaths.
Convinced that he needed to kill all witnesses of the deaths of Laurin and Lévesque, Blass and gang partner Fernand Beaudet returned to the bar on January 21, 1975. They locked ten men and three women inside a bar locker, killing the thirteen persons.
What followed that act was one of Canada's largest manhunts in history. On January 24, at 4:30 AM EST, police opened the door to the room where Blass was staying. Blass fired at them, but he was hit twenty three times by police bullets, dying instantly.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
ster and a multiple murderer. Born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, he was nicknamed Le Chat, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for The Cat, so nicknamed because of his luck in evading death after surviving at least three assassination attempts, a police shootout and escaping from custody twice.
Biography
Born in the Montreal neighbourhood of Rosemont, Blass would turn to amateur boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
as a way to channel his anger when he was a child. It was after a boxing fight that Blass would commit one of his first known crimes, as he attacked fellow boxer Michel Gouin once their fight was over. Having lost to Gouin, Blass attacked his victor with a knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
, then pleading guilty to assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and spending one night in jail.
As time went by, Blass became more obsessed with the mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
activity going on in New York city, south of Montreal. As obsessed as he was with the mafia, however, he was also known for his hatred of mafia organizations: resenting the fact that the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
mafia held a stronghold on Montreal's underworld business during the 1960s, Blass was involved in minor fights with many mafia members, particularly those related to Frank Cotroni and brothers Jos and Vincenzo DiMaulo, all of which received death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s by Blass.
He had also worked as hitman for notorious West End Gang
West End Gang
The West End Gang is one of Canada's most influential organized crime groups. Active since the early 1900s, their rise to notoriety did not begin until the 1960s when they were known simply as the "Irish gang". Their criminal activities were focused on, but not restricted to, the west side of...
.
Richard Blass and Robert Allard were to ambush Frank Cotroni on May 7, 1968. But the ambush attempt was broken by a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
man who saw them act suspiciously and proceeded to try to investigate them by following them in his patrol car. Cotroni's life was saved by the policeman who was not able to arrest Blass or Allard as they escaped.
By then, Blass had a sizable number of members in his own criminal gang. Angered at the fact that they could not kill Cotroni, Blass and his gang then became more violent, committing a number of murders against Italians, some of whom had nothing to do with crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. The first such killing took place on May 27, twenty days after the attempt against Cotroni's life, when Giuseppe Collizza was killed with five shots to the head
Human head
In human anatomy, the head is the upper portion of the human body. It supports the face and is maintained by the skull, which itself encloses the brain.-Cultural importance:...
.
One of the persons that Blass and his group killed, Francesco Grado, however, had connections to the Italian mafia. Grado was a loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
for the mafia. He was murdered with multiple gun shots.
On August 24 of that year (1968), the first mafia attempt against Blass' life took place, when two hired gunmen entered a bar where Blass was enjoying some drinks. Although shot at multiple times, Blass was able to escape unscathed.
Two weeks later, Blass was tracked by the mafia in a motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
named "Le Manoir de Plaisance", in a Montreal suburb. The motel was set on fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
and three people died, but Blass escaped the blaze. Police investigation indicated arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
as the fire's cause.
On October 1968, Richard Blass was injured by bullet shots to the head and back
Human back
The human back is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck and the shoulders. It is the surface opposite to the chest, its height being defined by the vertebral column and its breadth being supported by the ribcage and shoulders...
after being ambushed, alongside partner Claude Menard
Claude Ménard
Claude Ménard was a French athlete who competed mainly in the high jump.He competed for a France in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands in the high jump where he won the bronze medal....
, inside a garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
. The two were able to save their lives when Menard drove the car they were in through the garage's door, and Blass required hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
ization for his wounds. He refused to identify his attackers, a fact which may have led him to earn respect among Canadian mafia members.
On January 1969, Blass and his gang tried to commit a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
but the attempt failed before Blass shot a policeman as he was fleeing from the financial institution. Blass was consequently arrested, and sentenced to four consecutive terms of ten years in jail.
On October 16 of that year, Blass became a fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
for the first time, when he and other prisoners overpowered a jail guard and fled the van in which they were being transported to a court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
. Already married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, Blass was caught after an anonymous caller informed the police that he was hiding in his wife's apartment.
Blass awaited five years, until 1974, for his second attempt at an escape. An unidentified woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
friend of his brought in some firearms during a visit, and Blass broke the jail visitor's window. Armed with various types of guns and rifles, he and other men were able to escape jail, in Blass' case, for the second time.
Blass wanted to kill Raymond Laurin and Roger Lévesque
Roger Levesque
Roger Levesque is an American soccer player who currently plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....
, both of whom had participated in the 1970 bank robbery and testified against him. He found them both at a bar on October 30 and shot them to their deaths.
Convinced that he needed to kill all witnesses of the deaths of Laurin and Lévesque, Blass and gang partner Fernand Beaudet returned to the bar on January 21, 1975. They locked ten men and three women inside a bar locker, killing the thirteen persons.
What followed that act was one of Canada's largest manhunts in history. On January 24, at 4:30 AM EST, police opened the door to the room where Blass was staying. Blass fired at them, but he was hit twenty three times by police bullets, dying instantly.