David Love
A joint police forces probe penetrated unusually deep into the highly secretive Mafia organization, “mapping its hierarchy and structure, which could signal trouble ahead for the wider organization burrowed into the Toronto area since the 1950s” reported the National Post today. “Police say two of the men at the heart of their probe were the bosses of two separate clans of the ’Ndrangheta, the proper name of the Mafia formed in the Calabria region of Italy.”
The police force hit Montreal several months ago, and now take the mob ring down in Toronto with 25 search warrants that involved many different police forces - 260 officers from eight different police forces and agencies including the Hamilton Police Services andRCMP. In total, nineteen high ranking gangsters were arrested, smashing their mafia drug trafficking ring.
The three men are charged with drug and firearms offences with a total of 8.5 kilograms of cocaine, seven kilograms of marijuana, cash and five vehicles. “The list of those arrested includes Antonio Agresta, 43, Adam D'Andrea, 58, and Carlo Fazzari, 41, all from Hamilton,” reported CBC News.
“Organized crime brings an element of criminality to our communities that is unacceptable and undermines the safety of our citizens,” said Insp. Mike Slack of York Regional Police. “Criminals involved in conspiracies, drug and gun trafficking and extortion brings to our communities unwanted violence.”
The ’Ndrangheta is the brand of the Mafia that was born in Italy’s southern region of Calabria. It is similar but separate from the better-known Mafia of Sicily, called the Cosa Nostra that has featured in most of the Hollywood representations of Italian mobsters.
Police say two of the big mob bosses in their investigation were the bosses of two separate clans of the ’Ndrangheta, the proper name of the Mafia formed in the Calabria region of Italy. Pino Ursino, 62 was arrested at his home in an early morning raid by Ontario police. He has direct connection to the leadership in Calabria of the ’Ndrangheta clan of the same name.
This ’Ndrangheta brand of the Mafia is similar but separate from the better-known Mafia of Sicily, called the Cosa Nostra, that we see so often featured in Hollywood’s Italian mobsters. A US diplomat estimated that the organization's drug trafficking, extortion and money-laundering activities accounted for at least 3 percent of Italy's GDP. Since the 1950s, the organization has spread towards the north of Italy and worldwide. The 'Ndrangheta is currently the most powerful criminal organization in the world with a revenue that stands at around 53 billion Euros annually (72 billion U.S. dollars - 44 billion British pounds).
