Réal Simard

Réal Simard (born January 7, 1951), is a French-Canadian from Montreal known for being a hitman for Frank Cotroni of the Cotroni crime family.

In Simard's early days, he robbed banks with childhood friend Raymond Martel, but Martel was caught in a heist, while Simard avoided arrest. Another bank-robbing accomplice of Simard, Jean-Paul Saint-Armand, was arrested and turned informant, which sentenced Simard to six years in prison. Simard is the nephew of Armand Courville, a long-time associate of Frank Cotroni's older brother Vic Cotroni. While Simard was in prion, he met leader of the family, Frank Cotroni, acting for his brother who was ill with cancer; he would become Frank's driver and eventual hitman upon their release in 1979. Simard considered Frank an uncle figure.

Simard's first hit was on Michel Marion in January 1980, who was ripping off Frank's rackets. Simard killed Marion while he was eating breakfast at a diner, giving the coup de grâce on Frank's order. Simard carried out another hit later that year. In June 1981, Simard murdered Giuseppe Montegano, a low-level cocaine dealer in Montreal, at Frank's son Francesco's private club, as he was suspected of being police informant and had hostilities with Francesco. Simard then killed Michel Pozza in September 1982, who was a reputed money launderer for the Crotroni family, but could no longer be trusted after shifting allegiance to the Sicilian Rizzuto crime family.

In July 1983, Simard moved to Ontario where he met with Johnny Papalia in Hamilton on behalf of Frank Cotroni. Simard seized the Ontario market, bringing Quebec strippers to Toronto clubs, where he allowed Papalia to put his pinball machines in his clubs. In November 1983, Simard and associate Richard Clément killed Mario Héroux, but unknowingly only severely wounded Robert Hétu, in their Toronto hotel room after they conspired to kill Clément. Hétu testified against Simard and Simard was arrested and convicted, until he became informant against Frank Cotroni and the family; this resulted in an eight-year sentence for manslaughter against Frank, Francesco and two associates in 1987 for the Montegano murder.

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