De Cotiis

In the Press

De Cotiis family at odds again

By Keith Fraser & Elaine O'Connor

Dec. 11, 2005

A long-running feud in a family whose name is tied to some of Vancouver's biggest real-estate developments has once again spilled into B.C. Supreme Court.

This time, it comes complete with allegations of threats, assaults, intimidation - and even of a contract to kill a family member.

In an unusual civil suit, Donato De Cotiis, 44, is seeking a court injunction and damages to protect himself from eight family members named in a statement of claim.

The lawyer representing those named as defendants says the allegations are "unfounded, untrue and have no substance."

In the late 1980s, there was a falling out of four De Cotiis brothers who came to Canada from Italy in the 1950s and over the years built a huge real-estate development business.

Donato's father, Marcangelo, and Donato sued Marcangelo's three brothers and eventually settled for about $25 million, said Donato's lawyer, Daniel Barker.

Several years ago, that lawsuit was reopened and Donato claims he has faced a series of threats and assaults since then, including a threat on his life, according to the new suit.

He alleges that on or about March 2003 he was informed by Det. Gerry (sic) Sparks - who may in fact be Det. Gary Sparks - of the Vancouver police that someone had put out a contract to have him killed.

Police interviewed several members of the family, including Michael De Cotiis and the late Amalio De Cotiis, the brother and business partner of Michael De Cotiis, and Marcello De Cotiis, the son of Amalio, the writ says.

The allegations in the suit have not yet been proven in court. No statements of defence have yet been filed.

Other allegations include:

In February 2003, Paolo De Cotiis approached Brandon Hughes, the nephew of Donato De Cotiis, at a nightclub on Granville, and threatened "to get" his family.

In February 2003, at a nightclub at Hastings and Burrard, Paolo De Cotiis threatened to kill Donato.

In September 2003, Giulio De Cotiis threatened Donato at a restaurant, saying "you had better drop the lawsuit if you know what is good for you."

In October 2004, Donato De Cotiis' Hummer was defaced while parked outside the Italian Cultural Centre for a boxing event.

On or about March 24, 2005, Donato De Cotiis was punched numerous times in the head after stepping into an elevator on the way to paying his last respects to his uncle Amalio De Cotiis in St. Paul's Hospital.

Last month, Donato De Cotiis was warned if he did not leave an Italian businessmen's charity lunch, he would be physically assaulted.

David Church, the lawyer for the De Cotiis family members named as defendants in the suit, dismissed the allegations.

"This is another effort by [the plaintiff to obtain] money from their uncles and cousins. For the last three years, they have been making groundless attempts to use the court process," Church said, speaking for the eight family members.

"My clients have had no personal or business relationship with [the plaintiff] for a number of years and have no intention of having any kind of relationship with them."

Contacted by The Province, Det. Gary Sparks declined to comment.

VPD spokesman Const. Howard Chow could not confirm what, if anything, Sparks told De Cotiis.

Two other men named as defendants in the suit were Damiano and Rocco Dipopolo.

The suit alleges that the eight De Cotiis family defendants "have engaged, hired or employed the defendants Rocco Dipopolo and Damiano Dipopolo to assault, threaten and/or intimidate the plaintiff as an integral part of efforts to intimidate the plaintiff, to interfere in the business, commercial and leisure activities of the plaintiff and to injure the plaintiff."

Chow confirmed that in the past year, police investigated an incident between Donato De Cotiis and the Dipopolos. No charges were laid.

Chow also confirmed that Damiano is suspected by police to be a full member of the Hells Angels' East End Chapter.

In an unrelated incident, police arrested and charged him in 2004 with counts of threatening, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and assault.

Chow said Rocco is suspected by police to be a former Hells Angels prospect who is no longer affiliated with the club.

The brothers are also business owners. Rocco runs the EuroSport Caffe on East Hastings; his brother Damiano established the Digstown clothing store in North Burnaby and one in Kelowna, and a coffee bar on Commercial Drive, Caffe Bella Napoli.

Rocco has worked as a longshoreman on the Vancouver docks.

Reached by The Province yesterday, Damiano said he had not been properly served with the suit and did not want to know the contents of the suit before he was served. He declined to make his brother available for comment.

The lawyer for the De Cotiis family members named in the suit, David Church, said any inference and allegations as to any connections to Hells Angels was "nonsense."

Vancouver businessman Marcello Leone was also named in the suit, but not as a defendant.

Donato alleged that Leone advised him Lillianna De Cotiis had threatened that the Dipopolo brothers would assault him if he attended a benefit fashion show Oct. 30 of this year.

Donato further alleged that Lillianna De Cotiis, a relative, had threatened Leone that the family would not donate to the charity if Donato attended.

Leone told The Province the statement was "completely untrue."

"I am not aware of that in any form," he said. "These are some very strong statements."

"I believe there are some longtime family arguments between the De Cotiis family," Leone added.

The De Cotiis family is known locally for its massive development holdings, including the Onni Group of Companies, Pinnacle International and Amacon. It also contributes heavily to local charities, including the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation Golf Classic and Athletics for Kids.

source: http://www.primetimecrime.com/Recent/Organized%20Crime/VP20051211DeCotiis.htm

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

By Martin Stolz, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

June 1, 2005

East Village in downtown San Diego will have a park on J and 14th streets under an agreement reached by the city and the developer of two condominium towers on the block.

At nearly three-quarters of an acre, the park is to have a tot lot and a grove of trees but mostly lawn, a rare sight downtown. The park must have public restrooms – another rarity – and a small coffee shop or restaurant at the corner of East Island and 14th streets, which officials said would be "eyes on the park" for security.

Details of landscape architect Marty Poirier's design are to be completed after two more public workshops. The deal must also be approved by the City Council.

The board of the Centre City Development Corp., the downtown redevelopment agency, has approved a contract with Pinnacle International, which plans to build two towers for 619 condominiums with 800 off-street parking spaces and two smaller buildings for townhouses and street-level shops.

The agreement, reached May 26, obliges the developer, Pinnacle chief executive Michael De Cotiis, to construct and maintain the park in perpetuity. It gives him three years to show CCDC proof that the park and his project are progressing.

The city gets the park at no cost, even if Pinnacle's tower projects are stalled.

The blocks between 14th and 15th streets are so-called superblocks because they are twice the size of typical downtown blocks. The city owns one-quarter the block, which sits above an earthquake fault and cannot be developed. The block has warehouses on it.

De Cotiis will pay the city $5 million for the city's property, though it is forever restricted to park uses. But the development rights to the parkland and airspace above it have been transferred to the two towers, of 31 stories and 39 stories, on 15th Street.

The park is a welcome change for this block, said Brenda Kayzar, president of the the East Village Community Action Network, a neighborhood group.

The agreement is "a really innovative way to get public spaces and a public good in an area that's been overlooked," she said.