Crime Figure. One of Canada's most notorious gangsters, he was nicknamed "Le Chat" ("The Cat") for his narrow escapes, from police and would-be assassins alike. Starting out as an amateur boxer, one of his earlier crimes was when he stabbed a fellow boxer after losing a fight to him. He also hated the mafia for doing business in Montreal, and had many run-ins with members of the reputed mafia crime family run by Frank Cotroni. In May 1968 he attempted to kill Cotroni in an ambush; two mafiosi were gunned down, but the mob boss escaped. Blass subsequently survived three attempts on his life by the Cotroni gang. In 1969 he killed a policeman during a failed bank robbery. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to four ten-year terms. Nine months later, he and some fellow prisoners escaped; he was captured and returned to prison. In 1974, he arranged to have guns smuggled in during a prison visit and was able to escape once again. His next two intended murder victims were his co-defendants, Ray Laurin and Roger Levesque, who had testified against him. He shot both of them to death at a bar in October 1974. He then decided he had to eliminate everyone who had witnessed the murders of Laurin and Levesque. On January 21, 1975, he and a fellow gang member returned to that bar, forced ten men and three women into a back room, and killed them. This launched the largest criminal manhunt in Canadian history. Three days later the police caught up with Blass at a motel and shot him to death.
Crime Figure. One of Canada's most notorious gangsters, he was nicknamed "Le Chat" ("The Cat") for his narrow escapes, from police and would-be assassins alike. Starting out as an amateur boxer, one of his earlier crimes was when he stabbed a fellow boxer after losing a fight to him. He also hated the mafia for doing business in Montreal, and had many run-ins with members of the reputed mafia crime family run by Frank Cotroni. In May 1968 he attempted to kill Cotroni in an ambush; two mafiosi were gunned down, but the mob boss escaped. Blass subsequently survived three attempts on his life by the Cotroni gang. In 1969 he killed a policeman during a failed bank robbery. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to four ten-year terms. Nine months later, he and some fellow prisoners escaped; he was captured and returned to prison. In 1974, he arranged to have guns smuggled in during a prison visit and was able to escape once again. His next two intended murder victims were his co-defendants, Ray Laurin and Roger Levesque, who had testified against him. He shot both of them to death at a bar in October 1974. He then decided he had to eliminate everyone who had witnessed the murders of Laurin and Levesque. On January 21, 1975, he and a fellow gang member returned to that bar, forced ten men and three women into a back room, and killed them. This launched the largest criminal manhunt in Canadian history. Three days later the police caught up with Blass at a motel and shot him to death.
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