Prof/Dr Sergi, Welcome back!

[ANNAESSE]

The way things were measured in 1981 is fascinating but not correct. there's not the same organisation in Australia today than there is in Calabria, to say otherwise is just mythology to "reassure" Italian investigators. There are societies, in Australia, akin to locales, one in Griffith, at least two in Melbourne, at least two in Adelaide, one in Canberra, at least two in Perth and surrounding areas, at least one in Sydney/western suburbs, one in Mildura. But the only "real" locale remains that of Griffith and perhaps Mildura.

[AustraliaSteve]

I think, however, that this report was still focused on a US model of id, looking for “bosses” - I think the report was made before the dynamic nature of shifting alliances and short-term business dealings was properly understood.

The way things were measured in 1981 is fascinating but not correct. there's not the same organisation in Australia today than there is in Calabria, to say otherwise is just mythology to "reassure" Italian investigators.

Exactly! These old reports are great for showing where investigators were at the time, even if they show a poor understanding of ‘ndrangheta. It seems they were focusing more on individuals rather than groups and dynamics between said groups.

There are societies, in Australia, akin to locales, one in Griffith, at least two in Melbourne, at least two in Adelaide, one in Canberra, at least two in Perth and surrounding areas, at least one in Sydney/western suburbs, one in Mildura.

“Akin” to locales implies that they’re not the same kind of groups one would see in Calabria, yeah? So would you say they’ve evolved into their own sort of thing, or do the groups still maintain the similar structural characteristics to the mother country?
I would presume something like as follows;
Sergi/Barbaro - Griffith
Madafferi/Babrbaro and an old guard of Market families (Luppino, Benvenuto, etc) - Melbourne
Perre and Alvaro - Adelaide
Barbaro or Nirta for Canberra? Not 100% either way
Perth would be the group Vallelonga headed (I’m assuming the “older”’families ie; Italiano, Madafferi, etc) and the newer ones you reference in your book (which i suspect is Nirta-Strangio)
Sydney is the Alvaro/Carbone “New Plati” group
Mildura would be Romeo and Medici

Are any of these accurate? Is there even any point in trying to “label” these groups, as such?

But the only "real" locale remains that of Griffith and perhaps Mildura.

Interesting that you put Mildura in there, because it indicates they are bigger players than one would assume at first glance. It’s well known that Mildura played a massive part in the earlier years (annual meetings etc) and there are several dynastic families that reside in the Sunraysia districts, and cases such as Vincenzo Medici’s indicate strong links to Calabria.

[motorfab]

Hello, ANNAESSE

Glad you joined the forum and can share your expertise on the 'ndrangheta with us.

At the beginning of the 80s it was reported by a CI that a 'ndrina (or Locale, it depends who you ask) was created in France near Antibes under the leadership of Paolo De Stefano & Domenico Libri. A man named Vittorio Canale, officially a restaurateur, would have officiated as reggente/acting boss after the arrest of De Stefano and Libri would also have been the boss until his arrest in Marseille in 1992.

The 'ndrina is mainly known for the failed kidnapping of businessman Guy Pitoun in 1980 (the affair would almost be funny if it had not cost the life of a police officer), and the arrest of part of the Magnoli family in 2008/2009. Moreover, the Magnolis were also involved in the Pitoun affair.

In 1994, a pentito named Giovanni Bullà gave several names to 'ndranghetisti in France (I talk a little about it here viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8782)

What is your opinion on this 'ndrina/Locale in France. From what we know, it would be under the authority of the Locale of Liguria, but is this the case for everyone?

Is the Local/'ndrina still active and do the Italian authorities take them seriously?

I searched but couldn't find, is Vittorio Canale still alive and active?

[ANNAESSE]

I think, however, that this report was still focused on a US model of id, looking for “bosses” - I think the report was made before the dynamic nature of shifting alliances and short-term business dealings was properly understood.

The way things were measured in 1981 is fascinating but not correct. there's not the same organisation in Australia today than there is in Calabria, to say otherwise is just mythology to "reassure" Italian investigators.

Exactly! These old reports are great for showing where investigators were at the time, even if they show a poor understanding of ‘ndrangheta. It seems they were focusing more on individuals rather than groups and dynamics between said groups.

Indeed!

There are societies, in Australia, akin to locales, one in Griffith, at least two in Melbourne, at least two in Adelaide, one in Canberra, at least two in Perth and surrounding areas, at least one in Sydney/western suburbs, one in Mildura.

“Akin” to locales implies that they’re not the same kind of groups one would see in Calabria, yeah? So would you say they’ve evolved into their own sort of thing, or do the groups still maintain the similar structural characteristics to the mother country?

Somewhere in between I would say, but it's unlikely the same doti are maintained, also because there are not enough people.

I would presume something like as follows;
Sergi/Barbaro - Griffith yes
Madafferi/Babrbaro and an old guard of Market families (Luppino, Benvenuto, etc) - Melbourne - don't forget Di Pietro, Carbone etc
Perre and Alvaro - Adelaide yes
Barbaro or Nirta for Canberra? Not 100% either way - yes, San Luca people
Perth would be the group Vallelonga headed (I’m assuming the “older”’families ie; Italiano, Madafferi, etc) and the newer ones you reference in your book (which i suspect is Nirta-Strangio) yes
Sydney is the Alvaro/Carbone “New Plati” group yes
Mildura would be Romeo and Medici yes and Cufari!

Are any of these accurate? Is there even any point in trying to “label” these groups, as such?
it helps us analysts more than anything, but probably it's morphed into something new

But the only "real" locale remains that of Griffith and perhaps Mildura.

Interesting that you put Mildura in there, because it indicates they are bigger players than one would assume at first glance. It’s well known that Mildura played a massive part in the earlier years (annual meetings etc) and there are several dynastic families that reside in the Sunraysia districts, and cases such as Vincenzo Medici’s indicate strong links to Calabria.

Mildura is more important than many would think yes and yes to links with Calabria.

[ANNAESSE]

don't know why it got like that, couldn't do the right quoting!

[ANNAESSE]

Hello, ANNAESSE

Glad you joined the forum and can share your expertise on the 'ndrangheta with us.

At the beginning of the 80s it was reported by a CI that a 'ndrina (or Locale, it depends who you ask) was created in France near Antibes under the leadership of Paolo De Stefano & Domenico Libri. A man named Vittorio Canale, officially a restaurateur, would have officiated as reggente/acting boss after the arrest of De Stefano and Libri would also have been the boss until his arrest in Marseille in 1992.

The 'ndrina is mainly known for the failed kidnapping of businessman Guy Pitoun in 1980 (the affair would almost be funny if it had not cost the life of a police officer), and the arrest of part of the Magnoli family in 2008/2009. Moreover, the Magnolis were also involved in the Pitoun affair.

In 1994, a pentito named Giovanni Bullà gave several names to 'ndranghetisti in France (I talk a little about it here viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8782)

What is your opinion on this 'ndrina/Locale in France. From what we know, it would be under the authority of the Locale of Liguria, but is this the case for everyone?

Is the Local/'ndrina still active and do the Italian authorities take them seriously?

I searched but couldn't find, is Vittorio Canale still alive and active?

As far as I know that venture is over, especially as Paolo De Stefano and Domenico Libri had very different kinds of successor and are more inward looking now.Plus the ndrangheta of 30 years ago was linked to very different things.

There are of course ndrine in Francia, probably a Locale in Mentone/Nice due to proximity with Italy wouldn't know headed by whom

[PolackTony]

Ciao Dottoressa! As others have already said, we are very glad to have you here on the BHF.

I had posted recently in another thread about 1970s references to the Sidernese 'ndrangheta network having an apparent 'ndrina or locale in Chicago, as it did with other US cities, and a 1993 FBI report that cited Italian LE as claiming a redacted name as "head of Chicago-area 'Ndrangheta operations", with ties to Ontario and Albany.

I was wondering if you had any insight into this, or if you have happened to have come across any references to 'ndranghetisti with connections to Chicago in your own research. I have no idea at the moment the names of the individuals who may have been involved in this; while I've discussed a number of Calabresi in Chicago involved in narcotics and homicides in Chicago in the 1980s (and also connected to the local LCN Family), these men were all from Catanzaro province and I'm unsure if they had any connection to the alleged Siderno organization there.

To post an excerpt again from the FBI's 1993 report on Italian Organized Crime in Illinois. The report cites Italian LE intel identifying a redacted name as head of "Chicago-area 'Ndrangheta operations", with ties to the Stalteri 'ndrina in Ontario and a redacted name in the Albany, NY, area:



While I still have no idea who the men involved in the Chicago 'Ndrangheta, including the redacted figure here, actually were, it turns out that there was a deeper context to the 1993 claim (thanks to Motorfab for bringing this latter info to my attention).

In 1976, Canadian LE managed to flip a Toronto-based member of the Sidernese 'Ndrangheta. Interviews with this informant helped to confirm and flesh out other sources, and documented how the "Siderno group" had established formal locali with "branches" in a number of cities in both Canada and the US, including Chicago, in the years since 1958. As such, Chicago was named as one of the hubs of international activity by the Sidernese 'Ndrangheta, including narcotics, human trafficking, counterfeiting, contract killings, and infiltration of local businesses, stretching from Siderno Marino, Reggio Calabria, to North America and Australia, and including ties to American LCN Families. A 1977 Newsweek article (1977/06/19) discussed the then-current state of intel on the Sidernese mafia. Though "membership" in areas like NYC (Queens, Brooklyn, and Suffolk County) and Miami was estimated in the range of 150 to 250 "members", no further detail was provided on the Sidernese Chicago "branch", apart from its existence:





Excerpts from an interview with the above-noted 1976 informant from the Toronto locale were reproduced in the 1985 book Mob Rule: Inside the Canadian Mafia, by James Dubro (the informant was given the pseudonym "Joe"). Again, no detail is given about Chicago apart from confirming that Chicago had a "cell" of the North American network of the "Italian Honoured Society" (as "Joe" referred to it) answering to Carlo Archino in Siderno Marino. "Joe" also claimed that the locale in Albany was headed by relatives of the Archino family (the surname in Siderno is originally spelled Archinà).



I suspect that the redacted Albany name cited in the 1993 FBI report was one of the Archinos, possibly Frank Archino (though he was arrested in 1977 and apparently admitted his membership in the Albany locale to LE, I'm not sure if he was considered an outright rat) or his brother Joseph Archino, a longtime Albany tavern owner and member of LIUNA Local 190 who died in 2008 (the Archinos had addresses in both Albany and neighboring Altamont, as the redacted name Albany-area name did in the 1993 report). Given the sparse info at hand, it is unclear to me if the Chicago "branch" of the Siderno Group was (is?) its own locale, or an 'ndrina under the Albany or another locale.

Obviously, the Siderno Group and relevant LE investigations will be well-known to those who focus on 'Ndrangheta networks in North America and Australia, but the fact that they also had a Chicago "branch" seems to have largely escaped notice. Hopefully, someone else will be in the position to add some further detail or insight here.

[AustraliaSteve]

As it’s a US concern regarding ‘ndrangheta activity, I’ve got no horse in this race, but i want to add a hearty “fuck yeah” Tony. Salud’.
Well thought out, informed questions like this one are the exact reason I asked the good Professor to return to the forum.

Im looking forward to her response.

[ANNAESSE]

Phenomenal question indeed. I have never looked at Chicago (but that might change soon as I am planning a book on the Italian-American mafia in the East Coast..). The thing that stands out for me is the misspelling of the surname Archino which not only is not a frequent surname but it's not Calabrian at all. Could it be Archinà perhaps? That said, I have no doubt that there was a connection between the Siderno Group in Chicago that in NYC and that of the border areas, don't forget Detroit and Niagara down the line. I would however warn against the belief that this Chicago base was significant in any way. It might have been given the time completely absorbed into other mafia-type groups in the city, and the Calabrians in there as it had happened in Canada and in NYC at some point, became part of the bigger Italian mafia (Sicilian born) phenomenon, which is why you don't find info - there are none specific to give? But I will see if I stumble across anything else. Thanks"

[CabriniGreen]

As it’s a US concern regarding ‘ndrangheta activity, I’ve got no horse in this race, but i want to add a hearty “fuck yeah” Tony. Salud’.
Well thought out, informed questions like this one are the exact reason I asked the good Professor to return to the forum.

Im looking forward to her response.

While we're at it... how about the recent emergence of the Comito- Corigliano in Glen Cove?

[ANNAESSE]

I would assume it's the usual "seeking business opportunity" https://icalabresi.it/rubriche/new-york ... sa-nostra/ - but their mafia status is highly debatable,

[DonPeppino386]

Welcome, Dr. Sergi! Glad to have you here!

[PolackTony]

Phenomenal question indeed. I have never looked at Chicago (but that might change soon as I am planning a book on the Italian-American mafia in the East Coast..). The thing that stands out for me is the misspelling of the surname Archino which not only is not a frequent surname but it's not Calabrian at all. Could it be Archinà perhaps? That said, I have no doubt that there was a connection between the Siderno Group in Chicago that in NYC and that of the border areas, don't forget Detroit and Niagara down the line. I would however warn against the belief that this Chicago base was significant in any way. It might have been given the time completely absorbed into other mafia-type groups in the city, and the Calabrians in there as it had happened in Canada and in NYC at some point, became part of the bigger Italian mafia (Sicilian born) phenomenon, which is why you don't find info - there are none specific to give? But I will see if I stumble across anything else. Thanks"

Thanks for the response. Please do let me know if you come across any related info in the future.

And yes, the Archino family in Albany were originally Archinà in Siderno, but changed the spelling of the surname after immigrating to the US.

[motorfab]

Speaking of the Archinà family, there was a Francesco Archinà from Siderno in Colorado who killed his in-laws (name of the in-laws, Macri). According to James Dubro, Francesco was the brother of Rocco Archinà who was arrested at the Montalto summit in 1969. According to the "Joe" interviewed in Mob Rules, Rocco Archinà was the boss after Antonio Macri's murder (not sure he's right on this point).

Anyway, yes you're right Tony. Frank Archinà in Toronto who was supposed to testified against Domenico Racco was also named Archino. Archino was arrested later in Albany for a labor union case

[Angelo Santino]

Welcome Anna Sergei! Amazing to have you here. I would like to DM you a question if that would be ok.