Two men have been arrested in connection with the failed attempt on Leonardo Rizzuto's life in Laval, Que., in March.

Kevin Rochebrun, 32, and Steve Emmanuel Barthelemy, 34, made their first court appearance Monday.

"They are facing charges of attempted murder against the person of Leonardo Rizzuto," said Crown prosecutor Isabelle Poulin.

Son of Vito Rizzuto, Leonardo Rizzuto is considered a leading figure of the Montreal mafia's Sicilian clan, after the death of his father in 2013.

This is the second time the two men have been arrested in this case. One was arrested in April and the other in May, but they were released.

The shooting took place on March 15.

At about 4:30 p.m. that day, Rizzuto was travelling on Highway 440 near the intersection of Highway 13 in his black Mercedes when at someone opened fire from a nearby car.

Authorities said the occupant of a black Porsche Macan fired several times at the Rizzuto's car. The investigation showed that a second vehicle, a red Porsche Macan, could have been linked to the attempted murder as well.

Rizzuto, 53, was injured in the leg, but survived. A person accompanying him in the vehicle was also injured.

According to Sûreté du Québec (SQ) Sgt. Marc Tessier, the initial arrests of the suspects made it possible to advance the investigation.

The SQ had carried out searches on April 27 and May 1 at the homes of the two accused. Their homes were searched again on Monday morning. Rochebrun is from Mascouche, Que., and Barthélémy lives in Montreal's Rivière-des-Prairies.

According to Radio-Canada sources, Rochebrun is suspected of having opened fire, while Barthélémy allegedly acted as the driver.

And as it turns out, a mobster, now dead, may have been responsible for the whole thing.

Radio-Canada sources say Francesco Del Balso, suspected from the outset of having ordered the hit, rented the two luxury Porsche Macan vehicles that were used during the attempted murder.

Investigators have surveillance footage of Del Balso allegedly renting the vehicles himself, sources say. Del Balso, 53, left the country on the day of the attempted hit, sources say.

Later, police warned De Balso that a hit had been ordered on him. He attempted to flee the country, Radio-Canada says. The SQ intervened and confiscated his passport in March.

Then on June 5, Del Balso, was shot dead while leaving a gym in Dorval.

Antonio Nicaso, the author of more than 40 books on organized crime, said Del Balso once managed gambling for the Rizzuto crime family.

"He was a very powerful mobster," said Nicaso.

Nicaso said Del Balso specialized in illegal betting activities, but his efforts to carve out his own space in the field of gambling and extortion led to a clash with the Rizzuto clan.