https://mafiainaustralia.wordpress.com/

[AustraliaSteve]

Speaking of Barbaros, this sort of feeds into the discussion of where the distinction between associates and members end. The Barbaros are probably the best known example of a family with links to both the ‘ndrangheta and bikie gangs, the latter of which falls into the distribution end of the Australian drug trade. As Operation Ironsides shows us, there is a very close working relationship between Australian ‘ndrina and the gangs like the Commoncheros. I highly doubt that the Barbaros are the only family whose younger members are more closely linked to the bikie gangs than the ‘ndrine. They are the bridge.

The “Tomato Tins” bust had Pasquale Barbaro, Frank Madaferri, Carmelo Falange and possibly Salvatore Zerrilli as the only members of the ring that could be properly considered members of the Calabrian mafia. They were overseeing a group that was at least 30 strong. How many more such syndicates are in operation now?

Anyway, I think the 5000 figure must refer to such groups. Fuck me, I’d kill to get a glimpse of some of those AFP files.

[AustraliaSteve]

*Saverio Zerilli. Not Salvatore.

[MSFRD]

Speaking of Barbaros, this sort of feeds into the discussion of where the distinction between associates and members end. The Barbaros are probably the best known example of a family with links to both the ‘ndrangheta and bikie gangs, the latter of which falls into the distribution end of the Australian drug trade. As Operation Ironsides shows us, there is a very close working relationship between Australian ‘ndrina and the gangs like the Commoncheros. I highly doubt that the Barbaros are the only family whose younger members are more closely linked to the bikie gangs than the ‘ndrine. They are the bridge.

The “Tomato Tins” bust had Pasquale Barbaro, Frank Madaferri, Carmelo Falange and possibly Salvatore Zerrilli as the only members of the ring that could be properly considered members of the Calabrian mafia. They were overseeing a group that was at least 30 strong. How many more such syndicates are in operation now?

Anyway, I think the 5000 figure must refer to such groups. Fuck me, I’d kill to get a glimpse of some of those AFP files.

The tomato tins case was an example I was going to provide earlier. Some of the major players in that bust were obviously not Italian let alone Calabrian. But those players were obviously key in the Australian drug trade, whether having links or influence at docks or distribution. Yes they would be considered associates but often you are seeing the Calabrians are simply hooking up with players with those significant links or influence in certain spheres.
I’d kill for those AFP files as well. My guess is they take their findings from investigations and embellish to get the headlines.

[CabriniGreen]

If we included all the networks that connect to the clans including bikies, mainstream criminals, lawyers, accountants, where does one group end and one begin? Are Italian OC groups who deal with Asian gangs part of their network or vice versa?

I think this is a good point.

How are they defining the '5000'. That number is stated by a journalist, whom uses the term 'membership'. This, to my knowledge was not a direct quote by the AFP.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.thegua ... police-say

"Police believe up to 5,000 mafia members are operating in Australia, in league with their colleagues in Italy."

So I think this cones down to a journalistic misuse of the term 'membership'. It's likey a term used to encompass the whole criminal network, anyone from a local street dealer to the guy sailing the boat, NOT Ndrine membership. One made Italian likely controls a network of 10-20 non Italian criminals, if not more.

It's simply unbelievable that there are 5000 made Italian Ndrangheta members. 2/300 is much, much more likely.

We are of the same mind Sonny! The Australian landscape isn’t even comparable to the US. I don’t think any Italian controls any number of associates. Groups work hand in hand to sell and distribute drugs and the like. I have no doubt Italians are at the top of the food chain but they are small compared to other groups.

Agree. Control = business relationship. Financial. Not at all like the US where associates are placed on record, kick up etc. Simply people associated (through business relationships) with the mafia.

Great convo here... Great points Sonny...

I just made a very similar observation about the crime groups in Messina..... carry on... this is great stuff here...

[AustraliaSteve]

Apologies if this has been posted, it’s an article from October that I missed. I’m certain the ageing godfather they’re referring to is Tony Madaferri. Unsure as yet to who exactly the violent one is. Interesting to note that even after the bust that nearly implicated Madaferri, he and others are still making their pilgrimage to Calabria.
The mention of figures from Perth ties into the information that came out after Tony Vallelonga’s meetings with Giuseppe Commisso we’re revealed in the 2009 Crimine documents, which spoke of a “Cosimo”, a restauranteur alleged to be the centre of a newly formed locale.

Godfather looking to hand over reins in face of police evidence bonanza

Australia’s Mafia bigwigs have met to discuss an evidence bonanza recently given to police, with Victoria’s Godfather now looking to hand over the leadership.

Mark Buttler
and
Anthony Dowsley
2 min read
October 10, 2022 - 6:00AM

Australia’s Mafia is under threat from a potential police evidence bonanza against its most powerful figures.

The Herald Sun has been told vital testimony and evidence has been given to police that could implicate senior players in Australia’s Italian organised crime world.

The development has been deeply troubling to top mafia bosses who are already under intense police pressure.

Some were left badly exposed by the Australian Federal Police’s Ironside operation, which damaged their illicit businesses activities and left them vulnerable to prosecution.

The Herald Sun has been told there was a meeting of key players in Perth recently to discuss the development.

Among those at the gathering were the man regarded as Victoria’s godfather and a member of a prominent business family.

The ageing godfather is said to be looking at handing over the reins as bad news starts to spread about him being potentially implicated in high-level criminal activity.

He had been a target of state and federal police for decades.

Another concerned figure is a violent high-level drug dealer who has been fighting deportation.

He is said to have reconsidered his position and wants to be sent overseas because of the risk of being given another long jail term.

Sources say the situation is being keenly monitored by members of the Tomato Tins drug ring, who are doing long jail terms.

They were arrested in 2008 over a failed $440 million ecstasy importation and subsequent doomed consignments which were made to cover their losses.

Some of those identities are fighting legal battles to be freed, arguing their convictions were unsafe because of their dealings with gangland lawyer Nicola Gobbo and Mafia solicitor Joe Acquaro.

It was revealed in June that the AFP would be making a major assault on Italian organised crime gangs bringing in billions of dollars in drugs and laundering dirty money.

The AFP has been investigating more than 50 suspected Italian crime families with a network of 5000 people, among them high-profile business players.

They are believed to travel to Italy annually for rituals but use the trips to meet those higher up the chain. AFP mapping of the Australian arm of the operation has found there are 14 syndicates from the Ndrangheta.

[scagghiuni]

who are these 50 italian clans? 14 are ndrangheta and the others? I dont think there are cosa nostra or camorra clans over there

[AustraliaSteve]

I’ve read reports that there is some Camorra money in real estate on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and some small operators selling drugs. But no, there is no organised Cosa Nostra in Australia to my knowledge. Gaetano Badalamenti’s son is believed to have possibly resided here for a period during his time in the run. And there was a Sicilian family in Perth that operated some gambling dens for a short period (look up Bert Tudori and Giuseppe Rispoli, although there are some reports that Rispoli is Calabrian).

The Censori family have been active for some time in standover rackets and drug trafficking, and have tangential links to the ‘ndrangheta, but iirc, the family hails from Abruzzo or possibly Bari…? I’ll have to double check that, that’s off the top of my head.

The ‘ndrangheta is the preeminent Italian-Australian criminal enterprise.

[davidf1989]

Was Frank benvenuto the Mafia boss in Melbourne until his murder?

[B.]

Fascinating stuff going on there. Completely over my head so I appreciate the info.

[motorfab]

Was Frank benvenuto the Mafia boss in Melbourne until his murder?

I could be wrong but I don't think so, I think it was already Tony Madaferri

[davidf1989]

Was Frank benvenuto the Mafia boss in Melbourne until his murder?

I could be wrong but I don't think so, I think it was already Tony Madaferri

Thanks and was Frank just an influential member of the Ndrangheta until his murder by Veniamin?

[motorfab]

Was Frank benvenuto the Mafia boss in Melbourne until his murder?

I could be wrong but I don't think so, I think it was already Tony Madaferri

Thanks and was Frank just an influential member of the Ndrangheta until his murder by Veniamin?

I think so yes. Just a correction regarding my previous post, Rosario "Ross the Boss" Gangemi was the alleged boss before Madefferi. If I remember correctly he took over after the murder of Giuseppe Arena in 1992 until his death in 2008.

[MSFRD]

Was Frank benvenuto the Mafia boss in Melbourne until his murder?

I could be wrong but I don't think so, I think it was already Tony Madaferri

Thanks and was Frank just an influential member of the Ndrangheta until his murder by Veniamin?

What is interesting is that if Frank was a high-level Victorian member of the ‘Ndrangheta, why was there no retaliation against Veniamin? The ‘Sunshine Crew’ led by Carl Williams were powerful yes, but they were very much the new kids on the block.
The Melbourne underworld war is still very murky as to alliances and the players concerned.

[AustraliaSteve]

As I understand it, Frank wasn’t particularly well-liked by the rank-and-file, and mainly held interests in the Queen Victoria Markets and suspected of financing drug operations. I’ve heard him described as obnoxious and the completer opposite of his father, who ruled with “quiet dignity.”

Frank was the son of Liborio Benvenuto, who was recognised as the boss of a locale preceded by The Pope, Domenico Italiano. Liborio took over after the Pope and the Toad died, and Vincenzo Angilletta started his La Bastarda splinter faction which attracted some members of the Medici family who kept this seperate faction going some 15 years after Angiletta was murdered.

Informant Joe Rossi, who acted as an enforcer for Benvenuto, would claim Benvenuto ordered the murders of Rocco and his mate Giuseppe Furina (the guys who were fished out of the Murrumbidgee River with their ears cut off. Matteo Medici was also convicted of murdering his father Marco, I think a brother but possibly a cousin of Rocco Medici [earless river guy] which an informant claimed was committed to “regain the family’s honour” after siding with the Angiletta faction. Matteo’s brother Vincenzo would go on to be charged in Operation Decollo that saw four Calabrian-Australian men convicted in absentia of mafia association in Italy.

Sorry, massive tangent, but yeah. As I understand, Joe Arena was supposedly named by Liborio as his successor, but factions aligned with Rosario Gangemi and Tony Madaferri are suspected of his murder. Another suspect is a relative of Modestino Spada, who possibly had an affair with Arena’s wife and was subsequently shot by Arena in 1976, who served 27 months for manslaughter. Investigators looking into Arena’s murder have cited opposition from Arena’s social circle, including Cosimo Luppino, an associate who admitted to have been holding on to a pistol for Arena at the time of his death, his friend Gesualdo Maggiore, with whom Arena travelled with to Mildura shortly before his death to visit with financier Antonio Cufari, who is implicated in some of Arena’s suspected money laundering operations, as well as lawyer Micheal Lanteri, whose firm helped handle some of the transactions through its company trust.

Sorry for the wall of text. Honestly, shit’s still murky as hell up to about 40 years ago, still. FOIA documents cost and arm and a leg, and are often so redacted as to be nearly pointless. That goddamn Mediterranean diet means these guys live forever, and can’t be named due to the way libel laws work in Australia.

[davidf1989]

As I understand it, Frank wasn’t particularly well-liked by the rank-and-file, and mainly held interests in the Queen Victoria Markets and suspected of financing drug operations. I’ve heard him described as obnoxious and the completer opposite of his father, who ruled with “quiet dignity.”

Frank was the son of Liborio Benvenuto, who was recognised as the boss of a locale preceded by The Pope, Domenico Italiano. Liborio took over after the Pope and the Toad died, and Vincenzo Angilletta started his La Bastarda splinter faction which attracted some members of the Medici family who kept this seperate faction going some 15 years after Angiletta was murdered.

Informant Joe Rossi, who acted as an enforcer for Benvenuto, would claim Benvenuto ordered the murders of Rocco and his mate Giuseppe Furina (the guys who were fished out of the Murrumbidgee River with their ears cut off. Matteo Medici was also convicted of murdering his father Marco, I think a brother but possibly a cousin of Rocco Medici [earless river guy] which an informant claimed was committed to “regain the family’s honour” after siding with the Angiletta faction. Matteo’s brother Vincenzo would go on to be charged in Operation Decollo that saw four Calabrian-Australian men convicted in absentia of mafia association in Italy.

Sorry, massive tangent, but yeah. As I understand, Joe Arena was supposedly named by Liborio as his successor, but factions aligned with Rosario Gangemi and Tony Madaferri are suspected of his murder. Another suspect is a relative of Modestino Spada, who possibly had an affair with Arena’s wife and was subsequently shot by Arena in 1976, who served 27 months for manslaughter. Investigators looking into Arena’s murder have cited opposition from Arena’s social circle, including Cosimo Luppino, an associate who admitted to have been holding on to a pistol for Arena at the time of his death, his friend Gesualdo Maggiore, with whom Arena travelled with to Mildura shortly before his death to visit with financier Antonio Cufari, who is implicated in some of Arena’s suspected money laundering operations, as well as lawyer Micheal Lanteri, whose firm helped handle some of the transactions through its company trust.

Sorry for the wall of text. Honestly, shit’s still murky as hell up to about 40 years ago, still. FOIA documents cost and arm and a leg, and are often so redacted as to be nearly pointless. That goddamn Mediterranean diet means these guys live forever, and can’t be named due to the way libel laws work in Australia.

Thanks for your message and the interesting information. Wasn't Alfonso muratore murdered?