Blood money: Texts reveal gang plot against Bronx men

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Bushawn Shelton wore a shirt and tie to work on Long Island every day, an employee at People Ready--an organization that does job recruiting.

But off-duty, federal prosecutors say Shelton, known as Shelz, was a leader in the Bloods gang and dressed the part--picking up criminal jobs from the son of a Bonanno crime family associate in the Bronx. The son allegedly wanted his father and brother dead.

That's a synopsis of the dramatic, federal trial going on now in the Eastern District of New York at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn.

Anthony Zottola, 44, is accused of paying Bushawn Shelton $200,000 to organize the rub-outs of his father, Sylvester, and his younger brother, Salvatore. The plot played out over the course of a year, according to text messages between Bushawn Shelton, a host of Bloods associates, and Anthony Zottola. More than ten Bloods members were charged in the murder for hire case, and Bushawn Shelton is among those who have pleaded guilty.

Sylvester Zottola was targeted five times, beginning in 2017, surviving a beating and a slashing--before he was ultimately gunned down in his maroon Acura, as he waited to pick up a cup of coffee at the McDonald's on Webster Avenue in the Bronx, near Belmont Street.

Prosecutors said Zottola was an associate of jailed Bonanno crime family boss, Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano, and Basciano became part of the case. The prosecutors played several, recorded phone calls between Basciano (in prison) and Salvatore Zottola, after Sylvester Zottola started getting assaulted.

"Your father's a good person! Your father's the salt of the earth," Basciano said. "He helped out everybody. I don't know who's got this f--ing problem."

Salvatore Zottola said he was hoping police would catch the attackers.

"It's somebody that he knows," Salvatore Zottola theorized. "It's somebody who knows his routine. I just don't know who it is."

Sylvester Zottola was killed on October 4, 2018, by a group that used cars to pin his Acura behind the McDonald's on Webster Avenue and then shot him at close range. He had survived five attempts to kill him before then

Assistant United States Attorney Kayla Bensing displayed a series of text messages this week dating back to 2017 from the admitted Bloods member, Bushawn Shelton.

FBI Special Agent Michael Zoufal talked about the wealth of evidence he found on Shelton’s multiple cell phones.

In one text, Agent Zoufal said Shelton wrote to an associate known as Taliban, “My old Italian dude hit me and needs one of his tenants beat up. He usually gives me a stack,” referring to money.

In another text from August 15, 2017, Zoufal said Anthony Zottola sent a text to his Bloods contact stating, “I do have a picture of that mechanic. I’ll get it to you in a day or so.”

In another text, Bloods member Shelton said to another associate , “I need this old dude mashed out bad on Hobart Avenue.”

Sylvester Zottola had multiple properties and lived in a massive, waterfront estate in the Locust Point section of the Bronx.

The prosecutor presented multiple text messages that span more than a year, revealing Bushawn Shelton’s outreach to various Bloods members.

One video showed a surveillance done on Hobart Avenue from Shelton’s phone, and other texts reveal gang members’ frustration when they missed Sylvester Zottola outside his house.

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District said Anthony Zottola wanted his father Sylvester and brother Salvatore dead, so he could control the family’s $45 million dollar real estate empire.

On September 8, 2017, a text was sent from Bushawn Shelton’s phone to Anthony Zottola, telling him “I passed your house and there’s a lot of police out front. Just making sure you’re okay.”

The September 8th incident involved a beating Sylvester Zottola survived.

But prosecutors said future text messages revealed Anthony Zottola was gunning for his brother, too.

Bushawn Shelton sent one message to associate Brandon Peterson saying, “2005 Hobart Avenue. Bronx, New York 10461. Sal. Red Acura truck.”

When PIX11 News tried to speak to Salvatore Zottola about the texts, when he left court Thursday evening, he sprinted away.

Back on July 11, 2018, Salvatore Zottola was ambushed by a gunman near his car outside the family home. He rolled around on the ground and managed to avoid a serious brain injury, when one bullet just grazed his head. But he was seriously wounded, with the first bullet hitting him in the chest

Less than three months later, his father was assassinated while picking up coffee at the McDonald’s drive-thru.

Anthony Zottola is now on trial with the accused McDonald’s gunman, Himan Ross, and another alleged Bloods associate, Al Lopez.

One of the most galling texts Salvatore Zottola saw on Thursday was an alleged message his brother Anthony sent to the Bloods member, Bushawn Shelton.

“Maybe someday we can get the wives together and have some dinner,” the text said.