Brazen daytime murder of ‘Bobby the Greek’ not unusual: Montreal organized crime expert

Police continue to investigate the shooting of 'Bobby the Greek,' who an expert describes as an organized crime contract broker.

While police continue to investigate Charalambos “Bobby the Greek” Theologou’s brazen murder at a Laval, Que., Starbucks in broad daylight, a wide perimeter remains around the cafe on Highway 440.

Video footage has been circulating on social media showing two hooded men quickly walking towards Theologou, shooting him and leaving as panicked customers duck and seek safety.

“It’s not new,” said organized crime reporter Daniel Renaud from the French-language daily La Presse.

“Just remember, during the mob war, some people tried to kill two guys in restaurant, and the guys took the waitress for a shield in 2019. Salvatore Scoppa was killed in the lobby of a hotel in Laval, and in 2022 another guy from organized crime, Bernard Cherfan, was killed when he was dining in a restaurant in front of many people.”

Police locate burned vehicle in Montreal

Renaud said that when a professional killer sees an opportunity to do the job, they will follow the victim and act.

Video of the murder on Wednesday shows the two gunmen running towards a corner booth and opening fire, leaving little chance for the victim to escape. Two other people sitting next to Theologou were hit and injured, but authorities say they will survive.

No arrests have been made in the killing that is being investigated by the Quebec provincial police (SQ) organized crime squad.

However, police confirmed they found a torched vehicle that is believed to be linked to the shooting. The vehicle was found at 3 a.m. on Avenue Joliot-Curie in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies neighbourhood.

Who was Bobby the Greek?

Theologou, Renaud said, was a well-known organized crime contract broker, organizing contracts for extortion, fire bombings, shootings or killings.

“Every group knew who was Bobby le Greque,” he said. “There’s a lot of emerging groups in Montreal, and the group of Bobby le Greque was one of them, but there are some others who make contracts for organized crime.”

Renaud said that some of his sources said Theologou may have been in conflict with other groups, including Ontario Hells Angels chapters.

Is there a mob war?

Renaud said it is too soon to say whether there is an ongoing mob war.

“We will understand that and we will see that, if there are some other killings,” he said. “But for now, I can’t say that there is now a new mob war.”

Former Montreal police detective Pietro Poletti said there is no central figure or group in organized crime in Montreal, and a traditional mob war is unlikely.

“It’s all clans today,” he said. “There’s not one leader. The last leader of traditional organized crime was Mr. [Vito] Rizzuto who passed away in 2012-2013. So what we’ve created now is a vacuum and we have so many gangs today ... There are just street gangs that have access to weapons and very little repercussions from the law.”