5 arrests in alleged Mafia boss's slaying

Quebec provincial police have madefivearrests in connection withthe death of alleged Mafia boss Salvatore Montagna of New York.

One of the peoplearrested was Raynald Desjardins, 59, a close associate of Montreal's reputed Mafia don, Vito Rizzuto.

Montagna'sbody was fished outof the Assomption River on Nov. 24 in Charlemagne, northeast of Montreal. He had been shot.

U.S. authorities said he once headed New York's powerful Bonanno crime family.

Vittorio Mirachi, 34, Felice Racaniello, 27, and two other unnamed suspects were also arrested.

A sixth person police are linking to Montagna's death, Jack Simpson, is already in prison for a parole violation.

Simpson rents the home in le Vaudry, northeast of Montreal, where Montagna was shot.

The suspects police named willbe charged with first-degree murder. The other two will face lesser charges related to the shooting death.

Sixteen search warrants were carried out.

Desjardins was the suspected targetof a shooting in Laval in mid-September. He escaped with non-life-threatening injuries.

The arrests were carried out by Quebec provincial police, with the help of the RCMP and the Montreal, Laval and Longueuil police forces.