Suspected target of fire that destroyed Laval strip mall has Mafia ties

A hair salon destroyed in a fire that gutted a commercial strip mall in the Vimont neighbourhood of Laval early Mondaymorning belongs to a woman with ties to the Montreal Mafia.

The fire began at a building onRen-LaennecBoulevard that housesStreakz Coiffure, bakery PtisserieVimont, a Boni-Soir dpanneur and an ice-cream parlour.

The building is a total loss, with damage conservatively estimated at $2 million, said Laval fireoperations chief Daniel Beaupr.

Tony Cerone, who owns the bakery, and another eyewitness who refused to be identifiedsay the fire began in thehair salon.

Laval police spokeswoman Sgt.GeneviveMajeurcould not confirmwhere the fire began nor whether an accelerant was used, but she did confirm another Streakzsalon wasfirebombedlast week and that both businessesare owned by the same person.

• MORE: Assassinations, firebombs on rise as mobsters fight to be crowned Montreal's next godfather

Links to Rizzutos

Quebec's business registry lists theowner of Streakzas Caterina Miceli.

The registry and court documents show Miceli lived at the same address as Carmelo Cannistraro, who was arrested in 2006 as part of theRCMP-ledcrackdown on the Mafia, dubbedProjectColise.

Radio-Canada confirmed thatMiceli is listed asCannistraro'swife on the notary deed for the property.

RCMPdocuments submitted to Quebec's Charbonneauinquirylist Cannistraro as an associate of Frank Arcadi, one of the Mafia bosses in the Rizzutoclan.

Cannistraropleaded guilty to gaming and having links to a criminal organization. He was sentenced in 2011.

Baker's livelihood destroyed

Ceronesaid he was on his way to work to start baking bread this morning, andhe followed a fire truck all the way in.

When he arrived, he realized the truck was going to the same place he was.

Wearing only running shoes on his feet, a red Canadiens tuque on his head but no gloves, Cerone stood in the street for hours, looking on as police and firefighters combed the scene.

"I have to live it. I have to go through the pain and live it," hesaid. "What do you want me to do?"

"Look, I'm speechless. It hurts, that's all. It hurts to see 13 years of sacrifice go up in flames."

Gas leak complication

When firefighters arrived at the building, it was already engulfed in flames,saidBeaupr.

Majeur saidthe fire was very intense and spread quickly, which led authorities to suspect arson.

The businesses were closed at the time, so the buildingdidn't need to be evacuated, he said. The roof of the building eventually collapsed.

A gas leak behind the building forced Hydro-Qubec to cut power to 400 clients in the area. A Gaz Mtropolitain crew at the scene had to dig up the street in order to cut the gas supply.

Firefighters then went through the wreckage to ensure the fire was out.

Forty people in nearby homes were forced to leave for a time, but were back in their houses by late morning.