Rocco Scavetta will go down in the yearly statistics as homicide No. 74.
But that’s not how he will be remembered.
He will go down as someone who gave up his life to protect others.
He will go down as a hero.
“There is no question about it,” said his cousin, Tony Scavetta. And no one is more deserving of the distinction.
“He was quite an amazing guy,” said Tony, who called his cousin “compassionate” and “caring.”
The 65-year-old manager of the Toronto West Flea Market selflessly protected a female vendor from a thug with a sawed-off shotgun. He ended up dead because of his bravery.
And it happened in desensitized-to-murder Toronto, which has had a disturbing 75 homicides so far in 2018.
The 75th victim was allegedly pushed from a balcony on Sept. 8 at a building in the Queen-Dufferin Sts. area. We still don’t know much about that one, including the dead man’s name.
But we certainly know the identity of Toronto’s 74th homicide victim — a guy who would be forgiving of tenants when they were behind in their rent or of shoplifters in dire straights.
He showed mercy to many. He received none.
The mood Saturday at the popular flea market on Old Weston Rd. was wonderful — as usual. Regular people participating in what makes Toronto so great.
A perfect Saturday afternoon.
Until a gun-toting creep showed up.
Scavetta’s family describe a scenario in which a 16-year-old punk — armed with a sawed-off shotgun — allegedly tried to rob a jewelry vendor.
“Rocco tried to protect people,” said Tony, who added he couldn’t bring himself to watch horrific video of the incident.
The video shows Rocco’s courage.
It was not the first time. That’s the kind of guy he was. The video, say family, shows he attempted to “tackle” the armed teen and after a melee was shot at close range.
It’s utterly disgusting. But this whole year has been exactly that. Innocent person after innocent person slain in cold blood for no good reason.
The list of murdered shooting victims for 2018 is staggering. The dead include: Ruma Amar, 29; Nnamdi Ogba, 26; Matthew Staikos, 37; Jenas Nyarko, 31; Reese Fallon, 18; and Julianna Kozis, 10. And don’t forget about those murdered in this summer’s van attack: Beutis Renuka Amarasingha, 45; Andrea Bradden, 33; Geraldine Brady, 83; Sohe Chung, 22; Anne Marie D’Amico, 30; Eddie (Chul Min) Kang; Ji Hun Kim, 22; Munir Abdo Habib Najjar, 85; and Dorothy Sewell, 80.
That’s far too many funerals — especially in a city we are repeatedly told is safe and the envy of the world. Forgive Rocco Scavetta’s family for not buying into that.
Yes, his name is added to this list of people who had their lives stolen from them and us. But because his alleged killer is just 16, we can’t even tell you his name. That doesn’t seem right to me.
Meanwhile, Toronto is on target for 100 homicides for 2018 and already has had 108 in the past 12 months.
All we hear from politicians is talk. They are still bowing to the politically correct and talking about banning legal guns while not bringing back a form of carding or a TAVIS-like program to help back up citizens like Rocco.
Mayor John Tory and others may have a lot to say but the gangsters are not listening. If there are 11 more homicides between now and the end of the year, Toronto will have tied its worst ever year — in 2005.
But remember that Rocco Scavetta was no number. He was a hero.
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