THE BLACK HAND FORUM

To clarity, Tony Mokbel, one of Australia’s most notorious and prolific drug traffickers, just won bail ahead of an appeal for his 26 year sentence for drug trafficking. Victoria Police were alleged to have engaged in a joint criminal enterprise when they enlisted Mokbel’s lawyer against him.

So the short of it is this notorious gangster, one of the prime architects of the Melbourne Gangland War, has gotten out of jail a decade early because state police in Victoria fuuuuucked up in their efforts to stop the murders. Now there are swathes of cases from that era suddenly compromised.

Incidentally, Nicola Gobbo was also at various points legal rep. for both Garbo Barbaro and Frank the Fruit. There’s potential for their cases to be revisited.

Fuck, just checked the pics, Mokbel’s ages every one of those 18 years plus a decade or so. I heard he did his time hard but you didn’t hear much from him over the years, the occasional complaints. Getting bashed the way he did in 2019 was a dog act. You can see the scar from where those fcuken kids jumped on his head.
Shit, can you imagine sitting there in jail for nearly two decades knowing you can’t prove that your own lawyer was fucking you over. Dowsley and Carlyon broke the scandal of Australian legal history.

I’m not saying i particularly sympathise with Mokbel as a person, but the way they got him was supremely fucked up.

Nicola Gibbo really fucked everything about Purana’s legacy. I swear to God, Tomato Tins Pat is in with a chance, but I wonder how keen Mad Frank is to try his luck in an Italian jail..I don’t see any thing happening with one case without the other.

But then again nobody saw Mokbel coming. How many more Gobbo-Type double agents were really around…


*I know it’s not directly ‘ndrangheta related, but it is tangentially. Plus it’s Australian shit, there’s only a handful who care lol

Holy shit Mokbel got out. Haha!

AustraliaSteve wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 4:08 am Okay so recent info would indicate that the Sydney Commisso actually come from Gioiose Ionica, NOT from Siderno.

My source was very emphatically stating that. Whether he has his own agenda or not, I can’t say, but at this point I can confirm that Cosimo is brothers with Johnny Commisso, and that Cosmo’s immediate family is plugged into Comanchero and HA clubs through his son, Emilio.

Actually the Commisso (Siderno) & Aquino (Gioiosa Ionica) 'ndrine are quite close and connected to each others, so there is good chances Cosimo is connected to Siderno

Great find for confirming Cosimo & John are brothers (and for the rest obviously)

Okay so recent info would indicate that the Sydney Commisso actually come from Gioiose Ionica, NOT from Siderno.

My source was very emphatically stating that. Whether he has his own agenda or not, I can’t say, but at this point I can confirm that Cosimo is brothers with Johnny Commisso, and that Cosmo’s immediate family is plugged into Comanchero and HA clubs through his son, Emilio.

I can see that in 2015 Commisso was in a property dispute with his sister and his niece and son in law over a property he claimed was promised to his sister until her death, and the other relatives were living there after she died claiming that the house had been promised to them. After a heap of legal back and forth where the plaintiffs weren’t able to produce any documents backing their claim the property was granted to the NSW Trustee.

Interestingly, during the hearing the judge notes that millions in cash was seized from properties owned by Commisso, that he was barred from selling said house or others while under investigation and that he found Commisso to be an unreliable witness.

Also in 2006 his son Emilio was kidnapped and held for ransom by a crew of young Middpe Eastern crims, they demanded $100,000 from Cosmo, who called the cops on the kidnappers.

Here’s the newscorp article, has a few pics of the guy.

Revealed: Inside Australian Border Force official and alleged Sydney underworld figure’s intercepted conversations

A man accused of importing cocaine into Sydney with the help of a corrupt ABF official spoke intimately to her in intercepted conversations, telling her: “I’ve just got to get you a pair of high heels,” police allege.

Derrick Krusche
and
Madeline Crittenden
3 min read
March 12, 2025 - 9:55PM
A man with underworld links accused of importing cocaine into Sydney with the help of a corrupt Australian Border Force official spoke intimately to her in intercepted conversations, telling her: “I’ve just got to get you a pair of high heels” and promising her: “Together we’ll conquer the world – you can be my queen”, police allege.

Australian Federal Police allege in court documents Cosmo Commisso, 67, of Mount Pritchard, and ABF National Border Targeting Centre supervisor Rita Gargiulo, 50, of Oran Park, teamed up to exploit her access to the Department of Home Affairs’ computer systems to ensure a parcel containing 6.9kg of cocaine could be smuggled through the border.

Commisso and Gargiulo were arrested during a nationwide police investigation that also nabbed a Sydney father and son – accused of abusing their positions in customs control to smuggle two tonnes of illegal tobacco into the city – and a Melbourne man, accused of heroin trafficking with alleged links to a Sydney logistics worker, who was not charged but fired from his position.

Alleged crime figure Cosmo Commisso, 67, is accused of giving Australian Border Force supervisor Rita Gargiulo, 50, cash, luxury goods and household items in exchange for help bypassing 6.9kg cocaine from ABF examination after it landed in Sydney.
Alleged crime figure Cosmo Commisso, 67, is accused of giving Australian Border Force supervisor Rita Gargiulo, 50, cash, luxury goods and household items in exchange for help bypassing 6.9kg cocaine from ABF examination after it landed in Sydney.
The arrests prompted senior police to label NSW as “ground zero for Australia’s illicit drug importations”, with more than half of substances trafficked into Australia funnelled into the state – mostly into Sydney.

Commisso and Gargiulo, who are being represented by high-profile Sydney solicitor Ahmed Dib, were both charged with bribery and drug importation and are yet to enter pleas.

When contacted on Wednesday about the case, Mr Dib declined to comment.

High profile Sydney solicitor Ahmed Dib is legally representing the pair.
High profile Sydney solicitor Ahmed Dib is legally representing the pair.
According to the police documents, Gargiulo has worked with the ABF for 10 years and in March 2024 was promoted to the role of Targeting Centre supervisor at the agency’s Mascot base, a position that gave her access to Home Affairs’ internal system, allowing her to look up cargo logs and also look up if certain parcels were flagged to be searched.

She eventually began to allegedly take bribes from Commisso – including Burberry and Louis Vuitton handbags – to ensure the airfreight parcel containing 6.9kg of cocaine would bypass ABF examination this month.

Rita Gargiulo (right) being arrested by police officers. She has worked with the ABF for 10 years.
Rita Gargiulo (right) being arrested by police officers. She has worked with the ABF for 10 years.
However, The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal police had been listening to the pair talk to each other – with sometimes intimate language – for weeks and knew where to look, seizing the cocaine and arresting them on Tuesday.

They were introduced to each other in late 2024 by an associate, with Commisso – who police allege has organised crime links – allegedly later saying that Gargiulo had “information about consignments coming into Australia and could tell if they were being watched”.

As Gargiulo began to assist Commisso, investigators from a newly established task force targeting “double agents” were listening in.

Commisso in handcuffs following his arrest.
Commisso in handcuffs following his arrest.
They eavesdropped for months as Gargiulo allegedly raved to a family member about how Commisso had changed their lives, and, as he called her “sexy”, they were also listening as she allegedly explained how ABF inspected packages and how to better hide illegal materials.

On one occasion, Commisso said: “I’ve just got to get you a pair of high heels – do you wear high heels?” to which Gargiulo said: “Yeah, but only for occasions”.

Commisso replied: “Sexy occasions – you can put the lingerie on”.

Another time, Commisso seemingly hinted he had future plans with Gargiulo after their alleged criminal enterprise, telling her: “Together we’ll conquer the world – you can be my queen”.

In another intercepted conversation, Gargiulo gushed to a family member about her relationship with Commisso, saying: “This guy wants to spend every cent he has got on me” and “he got me schnitz, cutlets, more cherries, he got me some anti-pasta stuff … I literally do not need to grocery shop.”

But their relationship involved more than gourmet groceries.

According to the intercepted messages, Gargiulo schooled Commisso about “massive, powerful” X-ray machines used to check consignments by the ABF and how illicit materials could be better concealed by lead, which is not easily X-rayed.

The Raptor Squad moving in on the home of one of the alleged offenders. Picture: AFP
The Raptor Squad moving in on the home of one of the alleged offenders. Picture: AFP
It is alleged the pair worked together for several months, partly to ensure the safe passage of the parcel and to provide information about “dummy run” of cosmetics that arrived in Australia from Malaysia last month.

The pair were arrested by the newly established AFP and NSW Police’s Multi Agency Strike Team that targets contractors, public and private officials who are allegedly on the payroll of organised crime.

Assistant Commissioner Micheal Fitzgerald speaks of an alleged incident were a boarder force officer has attempted to import illicit drugs into Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Thomas Lisson
Assistant Commissioner Micheal Fitzgerald speaks of an alleged incident were a boarder force officer has attempted to import illicit drugs into Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Thomas Lisson
Speaking generally, AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said the “double dealers” were “highly valuable” to organised crims and gangs.

“We used to call these offenders trusted insiders,” he said.

“However, what they really are (is) double agents or double dealers, by working for both sides.

“They are extremely valuable to organised crime, who will keep these insiders on their payroll for years to make it easier to import large properties of illicit drugs into this country.”

More Coverage
Border Force officer accused of taking bribes from drug trafficker
Border Force officer accused of taking bribes from drug trafficker
What the texts and conversations revealed
What the texts and conversations revealed

There are Commisso in Sydney but I’ve never heard them linked to the bigger shit going on in Perth, but Fab’s right, circa Operation Seville John Commisso, brother in law to Mario Cannistra was arrested in 1983 with Cannistra, Cannistras two brothers, the Velardi brothers and 2 others after a raid at Cannistra Canley Vale home. They would later approach former AFP sergeant John Franklin and tried to bribe him for police protection for another crop. This was unsuccessful, and Joe Verduci would claim in interviews that Cannistra and Commisso were heavily involved in crop growing around rural ACT and NSW.

In 1985, Commisso pled guilty to the Canley Vale matter and received 8 years with a non-parole of 4. Cannistra fought the charges and got off. The following year he also plead guilty to a 1984 charge of supplying drugs after police found opium and weed in his car while he was out on bail for the Canley Cale charges. I’ll see if I can dig up a rap sheet and if these guys are related. The ages make him the right generation, and I recall Commisso having brothers. There was something that came up about the Commisso family during my recent episode with Uncle Pat Bevilacqua.

I was wondring the same as usually the Commissos from the Siderno Group are mostly active in the area of Perth. But there was a Giovanni "John" Commisso involved in Canberra back to the Operation Seville during the 1980s, so who knows. If my memory is correct he was a in-law of Mario Cannistra, so not sure John was from Siderno.

Anyway, yeah it would be great fo find out from where was this Cosmo Commisso

thanks for this - I have been off this site for a bit (lost my access!) and now catching up! Would Commisso be the crime figure they refer too? Meaning what exactly? But more relevant, this is NSW - was he acting alone? Strange.

Still early days on this one, but the name Commisso got my interest

An Australian Border Force (ABF) employee and an alleged crime figure have been charged with bribery and drug offences as part of a crack down on insider corruption.

Fifty-year-old ABF employee Rita Gargiulo and 67-year-old Mount Pritchard man Cosmo Commisso allegedly conspired to smuggle 6.9 kilograms of cocaine into Australia.

Authorities said Ms Gargiulo was paid in cash and luxury items to bypass security checks.

The pair were arrested in Sydney on Tuesday.

Both face multiple bribery and aiding drug importation charges.

Ms Gargiulo has been charged with receiving a bribe as a Commonwealth official, abuse of public office, unauthorised disclosure of information by Commonwealth officer, and aid and abet the importation of border controlled drugs.

The later offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said Ms Gargiulo worked as a supervisor, allowing her to search cargo and ABF systems to determine if parcels were flagged for examination.

Two men, aged 25 and 48, were also arrested and charged by police.

Team targeting insider corruption

The arrests were made as part of Operation Proctor, set up by the new Multi-Agency Strike Team.

The team is targeting officials who exploit their positions to help organised crime.

An older man in handcuffs stands next to a male police officer along a road as more officers stand in the background.
The ABF employee and a Mount Pritchard man allegedly conspired to smuggle cocaine into Australia.(Supplied: Australian Federal Police)
"Seven alleged offenders from three separate investigations have already been charged by the mast, including four people in Sydney yesterday," AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney told ABC News.

Deputy Commissioner McCartney said these "double dealers" were critical to drug networks.

"By targeting those double-dealing employees, we take away the secret weapons of organised crime. It also sends a strong message to all criminals that no one is invisible from law enforcement, especially those who are accused of acting corruptly," he said

Tmr88 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2024 3:52 pm Hey Steve, have you had a read of this yet? No names listed as of yet from what I can find, but it seems like they’re arresting well beyond just the crop sitters

https://amp.9news.com.au/article/a064b2 ... 9d5f5cc3de

Sorry man, I did catch that. Holy shit, you posted it last year. I get obsessed with projects and don’t check shit for ages.

Hey fellas. So not too much in recent news on the local front; apparently cops have put out a $1 million reward for info on the John Furlan case. Furlan was a Melbourne local with ties to a bunch of local scenes who was blown up in his car in 1997. One of the suspects was Domenico Italiano, the grandson of the Pope. One theory goes that Italiano blew him up because he feared the dirt Furlan had on him; apparently Furlan had become aware of rigged raffles that Italiano was running. Of course Italiano would die of a heart attack fucking a prostitute on day release from prison so kind of a dead end there.

The only other kind of adjacent news of really recent is Simon Overland recently spotted in Melbourne again after a stint with Tasmania Police. Overland “made his bones” as an up and comer during the investigation into the Winchester murder. Apparently he’s angling for work on a local council these days.

Hey Steve, have you had a read of this yet? No names listed as of yet from what I can find, but it seems like they’re arresting well beyond just the crop sitters

https://amp.9news.com.au/article/a064b2 ... 9d5f5cc3de