Biker Slayings were Military-like

[The Judge]

The Toronto Chapter Members each Waited for his Turn to Die
By JANE SIMS
Sat, July 18, 2009
LondonFreePress

They'd watched one biker brother die on the cold, concrete floor of Wayne Kellestine's barn. Over the next few terrifying hours, the Toronto Bandidos each waited for his turn. Leading them to their ends at the deadly "church" meeting was a twisted and erratic Wayne Kellestine, with a .22-calibre rifle in hands and executions on his mind.

Helping him, a biker-turned-informant testified yesterday, were other Bandidos who did nothing to stop the carnage.

When there were complaints, it was one of the men set to die reminding them all who they were. "We're bikers, we're not the f---ing Boy Scouts," said Toronto chapter president Frank Salerno. "Stop your whining."

The informant, a former Winnipeg biker who can be indentified only as M.H, told in a packed, hushed courtroom about the final moments of the eight men shot to death April 8, 2006. It was methodical, emotional testimony at the trial of six men, including Kellestine, who have pleaded not guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder.

M.H. had come to Elgin County in late March 2006 with the rest of the Winnipeg men to help Kellestine pull the patches of the No Surrender Crew.

M.H.'s composure -- rock-solid until yesterday, his fourth day on the stand -- cracked a few times as he described how the shootings were carried out like a military exercise.

At the back of the court, family members of the dead men sobbed quietly.

The patch-pulling would clear the way for the Manitoba chapter to have a full charter and Kellestine, who was on the outs with his former Toronto club, would be national president.

But before that would happen, there'd be plenty of bloodshed.

The first rounds of gunfire came in a flurry inside the barn. When it was over, Luis Manny (Chopper) Raposo was fatally wounded in the neck by Winnipeg Bandido president Michael Sandham, who was hiding in the loft.

M.H. and Dwight Mushey had been outside the barn with guns when they heard the shots and quickly joined Kellestine inside.

Kellestine grabbed a sawed-off shotgun near Raposo's body and demanded to know who shot first. "Was it f---ing Chopper, or was it you?" he said to Sandham.

An agitated Sandham said "Chopper shot first." His bullet-proof vest, he said, saved him.

M.H. said Kellestine insisted the Toronto bikers had more than three more guns. He ordered the men be searched, their property -- cellphones, ID, pocket change, knives -- placed on a deep freeze in the room.

Frank Mather and Marcelo Aravena were told to search their vehicles.

Later, Mather produced a blue duffle bag with a gun inside it.

The Toronto bikers sat in chairs placed around the room. Kellestine told Mushey he could "shoot Boxer if he moved from that f---ing spot."

"I'm here to pull your patches," he announced to them, and that they were "done by orders of the States."

He ordered victim Michael Trotta, already nursing a badly-injured eye after he was "butt-stroked" by Kellestine, to take down a list of Bandido property.

George Kriarakis, who prayed quietly in Greek, was wounded in the abdomen, M. H. said. Paul Sinopoli had a shot in his right thigh. Frank Salerno had small holes in his calf.

John (Boxer) Muscedere, the national president, begged Kellestine to get help for Raposo and checked his pulse. Kellestine said he was already dead.

Kellestine sang a German anthem and did a jig. When the Toronto group came together to say the Lord's prayer at Raposo's body, Kellestine dropped on one knee and joined in.

He saved his most savage ridicule for Jamie Flanz -- calling him a "f---king Jew" and "a police informant," hitting him and vowing to "save you for last."

Muscedere stood and defended Flanz and told Kellestine he wasn't an informant.

Flanz and Trotta were ordered to roll Raposo's body in a carpet and take it out.

It was clear to Muscedere what was going to happen. "Do me. Do me first. I want to go out like a man," he pleaded.

"John, come on, we're going to let you go," Kellestine assured him.

Sometimes, as the night wore on, the cellphones would ring, One rang more than another.

"Boxer said it was his wife phoning," M.H. said. "Wayne said answer it and 'don't say anything f---ing stupid.'"

Boxer told his wife "he'll be home in an hour or two," M.H. said. "We're just in church and that he loved her."

An emotional M.H. had to stop his testimony, wipe his eyes and drink water before continuing.

Muscedere did go first to execution, walking out of the barn behind Kellestine, with Frank Mather following and also holding a gun.

M.H. said he heard two to five "pops," then Kellestine and Mather returned.

Aravena joined them in the barn, carrying a baseball bat. He later had a gun in his hand to help guard the men while others were taken out.

Brett Gardiner was in the barn then, having left his post in the house where he was listening to the police scanner. "Did you f---ing hear that. I should go check on Wayne," he said.

Mushey told him to go back to the house. Gardiner left.

The executions took on a repeated pattern. Kellestine would ask for each man by name to walk out of the barn, and for one of his associates to follow behind with a gun.

Kriarkis went next with Kellestine and Mushey.

Kellestine returned for George (Pony) Jessome. Kellestine again asked for someone to fall in behind Jessome. M.H. said he stepped up.

They walked to Jessome's tow truck -- Kellestine, Jessome and M.H.

Jessome was ordered by Kellestine to get in the truck's back seat. Kriarakis's body was already there.
"Wayne shoots him in the head, lifts his shirt, sticks the gun underneath and shoots him again," M.H said, his voice breaking.

On the way back to the barn, Kellestine was complaining. "He was bitching about having to do the wet work," M.H. said.

"Wet work" meant "killing."

Trotta and Flanz were ordered by Kellestine to clean the barn floor with buckets of water and Javex.

Sinopoli was led out by Kellestine and Sandham. M.H. heard more "pops". Then Salerno was told to follow Kellestine. As he walked past M.H., Salerno held out his hand. "He wants me to shake his hand," an emotional M.H. said. "I don't do anything. I don't shake his hand." Mushey did shake Salerno's hand before following him and Kellestine out of the barn. There were more "pops."

While waiting, Flanz talked to Sandham about his children.

Trotta was led out by Kellestine and Mushey. M.H. heard more "pops."

Then all of them, still armed, fell in behind Kellestine and Flanz and left the barn. Flanz was put into the back of Trotta's car where Gardiner had stuffed a variety of items including bedding and a child's mobile, M.H. said.

Sandham had a handgun that had been on Kellestine earlier and shot Flanz, but then struggled with the gun, complaining it had jammed. He and Mushey went into the house to fix it.

Mushey came back out, got in the car and shot Flanz again. Meanwhile, Kellestine had retrieved some gas cans after Mather said Flanz's Infiniti needed gas. Mather and Gardiner were trying to shut the SUV's hatch where Sinopoli was shot. M.H. said Mather tried to push Sinopoli's body in with his feet.

Kellestine was antsy, M.H. said. "He said, 'Come on, come on guys, gotta get going, gotta get going.'" Wayne told Mather to go to the Kitchener-Waterloo area. He unlocked the gate.

M.H. drove the tow truck with Raposo's Volkswagen hitched to the back and followed Mather with Gardiner as a passenger in the Infiniti.

Mushey, with Aravena, drove Trotta's car behind him. Sandham followed with his GMC Jimmy. They were on Hwy. 401 briefly but plans changed. M.H. followed Mather to a rural road where he ditched the SUV in a field. The others left their vehicles and headed back with Sandham to Kellestine's property. Kellestine was confused when they returned so soon. "Wayne's going, 'How f---ing far did you guys go?' "he asked Mather.

Mather said he was running out of gas and "had to leave them where they were."

The men all stripped their clothing at the door of the house. The guns were disassembled and wiped down. Kellestine put them back in a bag and took them away.

M.H. said he and Kellestine went through the dead men's personal property. He put the change in his daughter's Potty Mouth Jar for when anyone swore, and offered a wad of bloodied bills to Sandham as a joke for the trip back to Winnipeg.

He kept Kriarakis's Harley-Davidson baseball cap and a knife.

Sandham and M.H. started a pit fire, burning clothes, a couch and the ID.

Then there was a quick Bandido meeting. Gardiner, who was staying behind with Kellestine and Aravena, were promoted to club prospects.

"Wayne's going to keep forming the London chapter and Winnipeg is going to keep moving forward, expanding," M.H. said.

Sandham was concerned about two Toronto Bandidos supposedly in Winnipeg to kill him. Kellestine told him, " 'Well, do them when you get back there.' "

Then Sandham, Mushey, Aravena and M.H. left for the trip back to Winnipeg.

The trial continues Tuesday.
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THE ACCUSED
Six men have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder -- Wayne Kellestine, 60, and Frank Mather, 35, of Dutton-Dunwich; Brett Gardiner, 24, of no fixed address; and Michael Sandham, 39, Marcelo Aravena, 33, and Dwight Mushey, 41, of Winnipeg.

THE DEAD
The shooting victims were George Jessome, 52, George Kriarakis, 28, John Muscedere, 48, Luis Raposo, 41, Frank Salerno, 43, Paul Sinopoli, 30, Jamie Flanz, 37, and Michael Trotta, 31.