https://mafiainaustralia.wordpress.com/

[AustraliaSteve]

Some the younger LaTorre and Madafferi family members are apparently friends with Vincenzo Gattellari. As I understand atm, Vincent ran 888 Negroni with the support of some older family members.

[AustraliaSteve]

Giorgio Curcio wrote an article recently that explores a little about what might be going on in Melbourne atm, with these two suspicious fires on the back of the LaTorre hit;
https://www.corrieredellacalabria.it/2 ... melbourne/

On a historical note, Stefano Gattelari was arrested with Mr Lenin Alvaro in Sydney’s western suburbs at the start of 1970
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/art ... ro%20raids

[AustraliaSteve]

New developments in the effort to have Domenic Perre posthumously exonerated from involvement in the NCA Bombing, I’ll try and post the articles but newscorp continues to make it a pain to do so.

Alphonse Gangitano saw suspected head of Australia’s Italian Mafia before NCA bombing occurred

A leaked memo has revealed how Melbourne’s most notorious “hitmen” can be linked to the NCA bombing in Adelaide after the ‘Black Prince of Lygon St’ met with an Italian Mafia don.

Charles Miranda
Charles Miranda
Senior correspondent
3 min read
June 23, 2024 - 4:30AM
National News Network
Exclusive: Three of Melbourne’s most notorious “hitmen” visited the suspected head of Australia’s Italian Mafia before he later authorised the mail bomb murder of a police detective, an intelligence memo has revealed.

But despite evidence of the visit including by the so-called “Black Prince of Lygon Street” Alphonse Gangitano to Mafia don Bruno “the Fox” Romeo, detectives probing the bombing murder of the officer ruled it coincidental.

This was despite an unrelated police snitch also revealing a Mafia high council meeting confirmed discussions on Romeo having sanctioned a hit.

The evidence is contained in a trove of documents now being sorted to launch a pardon bid for Domenic Perre, the man convicted over the 1994 National Crime Authority bombing murder of detective sergeant Geoffrey Bowen.

In October 2022 Perre was sentenced to 37 years for the parcel bomb murder of Det Sgt Bowen and attempted murder of his NCA colleague lawyer Peter Wallis.

Watch the special video investigation above.

Adelaide NCA headquarters bombing victim Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and his infant baby son, Simon.
Adelaide NCA headquarters bombing victim Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and his infant baby son, Simon.
Domenic Perre who was found guilty for the NCA bombing.
Domenic Perre who was found guilty for the NCA bombing.

Perre died last year from a heart condition as he was preparing an appeal which was to include an alternate hypothesis of the alleged involvement of the Fox and Black Prince.

The alternate hypothesis of the bombing being a Mafia-led hit comes as reported yesterday new unrelated evidence emerging post-trial that casts doubt on Perre’s conviction.

Top Sydney silk Andrew Tokley KC who was leading the appeal and now a post-death petition for mercy (pardon), said the Fox evidence was compelling and in his view the wrong man was convicted.

Two documents emerged late in the Perre trial, including a message from WA Major Crime squad to South Australian counterparts about the visit by the Gangitano-led trio, categorised as “hit men”, with Romeo who was in Casuarina Prison in WA.

Such was the visit, police emphasised in their flash message in full-caps the fact one of the men was an expert with EXPLOSIVES.

The bomb explosion at the National Crime Authority (NCA) office on the 12th floor of the CPS Credit Union building in Waymouth Street, Adelaide in 1994. Picture: Supplied
The bomb explosion at the National Crime Authority (NCA) office on the 12th floor of the CPS Credit Union building in Waymouth Street, Adelaide in 1994. Picture: Supplied
The trio visited the prison with aliases and registered the visit with two criminal brothers who were associates of Romeo. What was discussed remained unknown. Gangitano, a feared Melbourne kingpin, was murdered during an unrelated incident in 1998.

The WA police missive on the brief visit was only revealed a day after the bombing as a potential lead as was a second unrelated memo from NCA’s own intelligence team which revealed an informant had told them the ‘Ndrangheta council held a meeting and confirmed Romeo had authorised the Bowen hit to be carried out by another named suspect.

A ‘Ndrangheta boss in Melbourne had reportedly told an undercover officer: “One of our guys had done the bombing in Adelaide because they had hit one of their guys (’Ndrangheta) hard.”

Bruno ‘The Fox’ Romeo, migrated to Melbourne with his family in 1951. Picture: Supplied
Bruno ‘The Fox’ Romeo, migrated to Melbourne with his family in 1951. Picture: Supplied
Alphonse Gangitano. Picture: Ben Swinnerton
Alphonse Gangitano. Picture: Ben Swinnerton
The order to murder Det Sgt Bowen came after Bowen had months earlier visited Romeo in jail to demand he co-operate with the NCA which had mapped out his Calabrian network and would be targeting them as part of their brief to smash the mafia.

“It makes quite compelling evidence,” Mr Tokley said.

“Putting those things together amount to, I think, not only a reasonable hypothesis consistent with (Perre’s) innocence but I think it fairly and squarely pointed at the involvement of the Calabrian mafia in the hit, it seems just too coincidental.”

Mr Tokley said the two police memos did emerge during Perre’s trial, but too late to cross examine witnesses on.


Romeo was behind large scale cannabis crops all over Australia and Papua New Guinea and was given the ‘Fox” moniker for having for 25 years evaded police including the NCA, AFP, NSW Police and Queensland Criminal Justice Commission.

The scene of the National Crime Authority building after the bombing.
The scene of the National Crime Authority building after the bombing.
He had set up his first criminal enterprise in Griffith NSW in the 1950s before moving to Sunraysia and Melbourne in Victoria and then South Post on the Gold Coast before settling in Adelaide.

More Coverage
‘Wannabe gangster’: Who Domenic Perre really was
‘Wannabe gangster’: Who Domenic Perre really was
Mafia don ‘The Fox’ and five missing pieces of evidence
Mafia don ‘The Fox’ and five missing pieces of evidence
After years on the run, he was arrested in a caravan in Lismore on the NSW north coast surrounded by a cannabis crop.


While awaiting trial in 1993 and according to an NCA affidavit, Romeo – who died in 2016 – was suspected of taking out contracts on two witnesses who were to testify against him in a drugs matter.

His mafia boss status was first cited by ASIO and the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence in 1965 and in 1981 was suspected of being behind Victoria’s biggest ever 5.8 tonnes cannabis busts. Perre was related to Romeo’s wife.




Articles are by Charles Miranda. Biggest take away for me was the new pic of Bruno Romeo I hadn’t seen before; it’s the one below.

[AustraliaSteve]

The “Melbourne Boss” they’re referring to here was Rosario Trimboli, and the statements he made to Marret and MacLaren during Operation Afghan.

[antimafia]

Anna Sergi has made her latest academic article "open access." You can even download a PDF for reading later.

‘Familiness’ diversification and recognition: intergenerational changes in mobile ‘ndrangheta families in Australia
https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 24-09537-1

[ANNAESSE]

New developments in the effort to have Domenic Perre posthumously exonerated from involvement in the NCA Bombing, I’ll try and post the articles but newscorp continues to make it a pain to do so.

Alphonse Gangitano saw suspected head of Australia’s Italian Mafia before NCA bombing occurred

A leaked memo has revealed how Melbourne’s most notorious “hitmen” can be linked to the NCA bombing in Adelaide after the ‘Black Prince of Lygon St’ met with an Italian Mafia don.

Charles Miranda
Charles Miranda
Senior correspondent
3 min read
June 23, 2024 - 4:30AM
National News Network
Exclusive: Three of Melbourne’s most notorious “hitmen” visited the suspected head of Australia’s Italian Mafia before he later authorised the mail bomb murder of a police detective, an intelligence memo has revealed.

But despite evidence of the visit including by the so-called “Black Prince of Lygon Street” Alphonse Gangitano to Mafia don Bruno “the Fox” Romeo, detectives probing the bombing murder of the officer ruled it coincidental.

This was despite an unrelated police snitch also revealing a Mafia high council meeting confirmed discussions on Romeo having sanctioned a hit.

The evidence is contained in a trove of documents now being sorted to launch a pardon bid for Domenic Perre, the man convicted over the 1994 National Crime Authority bombing murder of detective sergeant Geoffrey Bowen.

In October 2022 Perre was sentenced to 37 years for the parcel bomb murder of Det Sgt Bowen and attempted murder of his NCA colleague lawyer Peter Wallis.

Watch the special video investigation above.

Adelaide NCA headquarters bombing victim Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and his infant baby son, Simon.
Adelaide NCA headquarters bombing victim Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and his infant baby son, Simon.
Domenic Perre who was found guilty for the NCA bombing.
Domenic Perre who was found guilty for the NCA bombing.

Perre died last year from a heart condition as he was preparing an appeal which was to include an alternate hypothesis of the alleged involvement of the Fox and Black Prince.

The alternate hypothesis of the bombing being a Mafia-led hit comes as reported yesterday new unrelated evidence emerging post-trial that casts doubt on Perre’s conviction.

Top Sydney silk Andrew Tokley KC who was leading the appeal and now a post-death petition for mercy (pardon), said the Fox evidence was compelling and in his view the wrong man was convicted.

Two documents emerged late in the Perre trial, including a message from WA Major Crime squad to South Australian counterparts about the visit by the Gangitano-led trio, categorised as “hit men”, with Romeo who was in Casuarina Prison in WA.

Such was the visit, police emphasised in their flash message in full-caps the fact one of the men was an expert with EXPLOSIVES.

The bomb explosion at the National Crime Authority (NCA) office on the 12th floor of the CPS Credit Union building in Waymouth Street, Adelaide in 1994. Picture: Supplied
The bomb explosion at the National Crime Authority (NCA) office on the 12th floor of the CPS Credit Union building in Waymouth Street, Adelaide in 1994. Picture: Supplied
The trio visited the prison with aliases and registered the visit with two criminal brothers who were associates of Romeo. What was discussed remained unknown. Gangitano, a feared Melbourne kingpin, was murdered during an unrelated incident in 1998.

The WA police missive on the brief visit was only revealed a day after the bombing as a potential lead as was a second unrelated memo from NCA’s own intelligence team which revealed an informant had told them the ‘Ndrangheta council held a meeting and confirmed Romeo had authorised the Bowen hit to be carried out by another named suspect.

A ‘Ndrangheta boss in Melbourne had reportedly told an undercover officer: “One of our guys had done the bombing in Adelaide because they had hit one of their guys (’Ndrangheta) hard.”

Bruno ‘The Fox’ Romeo, migrated to Melbourne with his family in 1951. Picture: Supplied
Bruno ‘The Fox’ Romeo, migrated to Melbourne with his family in 1951. Picture: Supplied
Alphonse Gangitano. Picture: Ben Swinnerton
Alphonse Gangitano. Picture: Ben Swinnerton
The order to murder Det Sgt Bowen came after Bowen had months earlier visited Romeo in jail to demand he co-operate with the NCA which had mapped out his Calabrian network and would be targeting them as part of their brief to smash the mafia.

“It makes quite compelling evidence,” Mr Tokley said.

“Putting those things together amount to, I think, not only a reasonable hypothesis consistent with (Perre’s) innocence but I think it fairly and squarely pointed at the involvement of the Calabrian mafia in the hit, it seems just too coincidental.”

Mr Tokley said the two police memos did emerge during Perre’s trial, but too late to cross examine witnesses on.


Romeo was behind large scale cannabis crops all over Australia and Papua New Guinea and was given the ‘Fox” moniker for having for 25 years evaded police including the NCA, AFP, NSW Police and Queensland Criminal Justice Commission.

The scene of the National Crime Authority building after the bombing.
The scene of the National Crime Authority building after the bombing.
He had set up his first criminal enterprise in Griffith NSW in the 1950s before moving to Sunraysia and Melbourne in Victoria and then South Post on the Gold Coast before settling in Adelaide.

More Coverage
‘Wannabe gangster’: Who Domenic Perre really was
‘Wannabe gangster’: Who Domenic Perre really was
Mafia don ‘The Fox’ and five missing pieces of evidence
Mafia don ‘The Fox’ and five missing pieces of evidence
After years on the run, he was arrested in a caravan in Lismore on the NSW north coast surrounded by a cannabis crop.


While awaiting trial in 1993 and according to an NCA affidavit, Romeo – who died in 2016 – was suspected of taking out contracts on two witnesses who were to testify against him in a drugs matter.

His mafia boss status was first cited by ASIO and the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence in 1965 and in 1981 was suspected of being behind Victoria’s biggest ever 5.8 tonnes cannabis busts. Perre was related to Romeo’s wife.




Articles are by Charles Miranda. Biggest take away for me was the new pic of Bruno Romeo I hadn’t seen before; it’s the one below.

Thanks for posting it all. The motive here is completely unconspicuous. If there was an interest by Bruno Romeo it was to allow Perre to carry out the hit, if anything, not to punish Bowen because he asked him to flip. Makes zero sense.

[AustraliaSteve]

No prob. Yeah, I was chatting with Miranda, this isn’t the first time that Romeo’s name has been linked to the bombing, and regardless, Perre sent the bomb. It’s a moot point, but apparently the son is set on clearing his father’s name and laying it at the feet of the Fox.

I see what you meant when you said you were working on intergenerational relationships. That paper is fascinating.

[AustraliaSteve]

I’ve been back and forth on posting this one because I’m getting conflicting reports. Original sources cited no organised crime links, but subsequent articles have dropped that as they confess the belief that he’s been murdered. I personally have a source that says Adrian in involved in some illegal shit, another that claims the opposite. I’ll post it, and stay on top of it. If I’m wrong on this, I’ll own it.

Homicide squad appeals for information in suspected murder of Melbourne man Adrian Romeo
Posted Yesterday at 2:55am
Adrian Romeo has a bald head, a black beard and moustache and wears a black tshirt.
Adrian Romeo was reported missing by his family in February after going to see friends in Greenvale.(Supplied: Victoria Police)
Detectives from the Homicide Squad are appealing for information as they continue to investigate the suspicious disappearance of Craigieburn man Adrian Romeo.

Mr Romeo was last seen by his family about 5.30pm on Saturday, February 10, leaving his Dempster Drive home in Melbourne's north.

The 43-year-old told his parents he was going to Greenvale to visit friends, driving away in his father's gold 2004 Toyota Camry sedan.

Police said they were confident he attended the Greenvale property where he spoke to a number of people.

Mr Romeo and the vehicle have not been seen since.

Dean Thomas wears a dark suit, white shirt and striped tie and stands in front of a blue screen with the Victoria Police logo.
Detective Inspector Dean Thomas says there is nothing in Mr Romeo's past to suggest what may have happened to him.(ABC News)
Mr Romeo's family said his disappearance was out of character.

Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from the Homicide Squad said he was "very confident" that Mr Romeo had not disappeared of his own accord.

"Adrian has more than likely met with foul play and is now deceased," Inspector Thomas said.

Inspector Thomas said Mr Romeo had a close circle of friends and was very close to his family.

"It's a very, very tight group," he said. "There has been no activity on his phone or his bank accounts.

"He has just disappeared and there was nothing going on in Adrian's life at that time that we are aware of that gives any reason for him to go missing."

Inspector Thomas said Mr Romeo did not have any links to criminal groups.

A gold coloured Toyota Camry
Adrian Romeo was driving his father's car when he disappeared.(Supplied: Victoria Police)
Detectives have spoken with a large number of Mr Romeo's friends and associates and reviewed a "significant" amount of CCTV footage, but investigations have not been able to shed any light on his whereabouts.

They said Mr Romeo's father's car may have been dumped or sold.

"I ask anyone who sees this (story) that they please take time to walk outside their house or walk outside their business and look down both sides of the street to see if that car is there," Inspector Thomas said.

"I'm very surprised that we've been unable to find it."

Family refusing to give up hope

Mr Romeo's cousin Charlie joined police to appeal for information, saying Mr Romeo's father and two brothers were too distraught to speak.

He said they were still waiting for Mr Romeo to walk back through the door.

"There's always hope but it doesn't look good," he said.

Charlie wears a black cap, white long sleeve shirt and jeans and sits with his hands clasped at the Victoria Police Centre.
Mr Romeo's cousin Charlie says his family knows of no reason why someone would hurt him.(ABC News)
"It's very strange that Adrian hasn't used his phone or bank account which tells us there's been foul play."

He said Mr Romeo was very caring and would never do any harm to anyone else.

He said the former concreter and security officer was a hard worker and was surrounded by loving family and friend.

"I just can't understand how anyone could harm him."

Anyone with any other information about Mr Romeo's disappearance or the missing car is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

[AustraliaSteve]

Okay, yeah. As this progresses, I’m hearing rumblings about these “associates”. Apparently police may be investigating their version of events? Also something about nearby chop shops able to strip down a car in hours.

Like I said, I’ll keep an eye on it. If it comes back as not-OC related than I’ll remove the post again.

[AustraliaSteve]

Okay, latest article from the Herald Sun says Romeo was known to police over minor matters, but is not believed to be involved in organised crime. Having said that, Detective Inspector Thomas of VICPOL also made a statement saying that there have been anonymous tips telling police what happened to him, and appeals for the anonymous tipsters to come forward again.

It’s an odd situation. I’ll post if more come out.

[AustraliaSteve]

Charles Miranda, who’s been across the Perre appeals, just published an article this morning on a law enforcement official apparently meeting with mafia bosses.

Four year probe fails to prove top law enforcer was Mafia mole

A secret four-year investigation into whether a top Australian law enforcer was an Italian Mafia mole has handed down its findings.
Charles Miranda
Charles Miranda
Follow
2 min read
July 24, 2024 - 5:00AM
National News Network
AA
Stills from Italian state video of police arresting 163 alleged members of Notorious Italian Mafia Gang 'Ndrangheta.
Stills from Italian state video of police arresting 163 alleged members of Notorious Italian Mafia Gang 'Ndrangheta.
A top federal law enforcer was suspected of “providing tip offs” to Italian organised crime, the same group he was tasked with investigating for most of their extensive career.
But the alleged Mafia mole has been allowed to quietly retire, after a covert four-year multi-agency investigation was unable to substantiate corruption allegations and instead charged him with misconduct.

According to a secret “final report” handed to federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on June 30, 2023, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI), first launched a probe in 2015 after another police agency identified the law enforcer meeting with suspected senior Mafia figures.


It is understood ACLEI, tasked with weeding out corruption, was joined by three other law enforcement agencies including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and a state police force in a covert investigation dubbed Operation Imperial.

Attorney-General and Cabinet Secretary Mark Dreyfus at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
Attorney-General and Cabinet Secretary Mark Dreyfus at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
The task force found the law enforcer had displayed “selective or under-reporting” of a relationship he had with the suspected criminal entity, the ’Ndrangheta mafia in Australia, that created “a significant corruption risk”.

Some of those identities operated across multiple states and were suspected of large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering at the direction of figures in Calabria.

But it could not prove corrupt conduct, specifically listed as “providing tip offs to a criminal entity about law enforcement activity” and instead he was given a formal warning about his failure to declare human sources and conflicts of interest.

However in 2018 and again in 2019 evidence of misconduct was referred back to law enforcement agencies including his own when he was again spotted in a restaurant with senior criminal suspects.

Police in Italy arresting dozens of alleged members of notorious Italian Mafia gang 'Ndrangheta, many linked to Australia.
Police in Italy arresting dozens of alleged members of notorious Italian Mafia gang 'Ndrangheta, many linked to Australia.
A probe has now found he had breached the Australian Public Service code of conduct on six occasions. He retired a short time later and now works for another Commonwealth agency.

ACLEI has since been subsumed into a newly created corruption watchdog body, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

A NACC spokesman confirmed the corruption probe had now been concluded.

“As this matter was finalised prior to the commencement of the National Anti-Corruption Commission on 1 July 2023, this investigation was not carried over into the NACC and this is all the information we are able to provide,” they said.

It is understood the same officer was stood down more than two decades ago for the same offences of consorting with high-level Mafia identities where he was accused of pushing his way into cases and/or asking for information not related to cases he was working on.

The case was dropped back then after he declared the consorting was part of undercover intelligence gathering and nothing could be proven otherwise. Federal law and intelligence agencies were reportedly left stunned by the unexplained “failure” of some of their cases at that time.

It is understood the former officer’s career spans numerous law enforcement agencies including as far back as providing analysis into the 1989 assassination of AFP assistant commissioner Colin Winchester.

More Coverage

Australia an ‘offshore state of the Italian mafia’

Australian judge a suspected mafia mole
Originally published as Four year probe fails to prove top law enforcer was Mafia mole

[AustraliaSteve]

The officer, who appears to have worked for the AFP at one time before either moving to another Federal agency, was being investigated over these links over 20 years ago. Reports state that he was known to push his way into investigations that were not his remit, and is alleged to have had a hand in scuttling investigations by federal law and intelligence agencies.

[AustraliaSteve]

An arrest in the Romeo case. A 34 year old man arrested on several charges, including drugs and firearms offences. I’m still keeping an eye on it.

Man charged after search for body of Adrian Romeo at property in rural Victoria
The 43-year-old was last seen in February after telling his parents he was going to visit friends.
Lucy Mae Beers
By Lucy Mae Beers

Craigieburn man Adrian Romeo, 43, was last seen on February 10 when he told his parents he was going to Greenvale to visit some friends.
Craigieburn man Adrian Romeo, 43, was last seen on February 10 when he told his parents he was going to Greenvale to visit some friends. Credit: Supplied/ AAP


A man has been charged after police conducted a search on a rural property in Victoria’s northwest for the body of a man who has been missing for more than five months.

Craigieburn tradesman Adrian Romeo, 43, was last seen on February 10 when he told his parents he was going to Greenvale to visit some friends.

He has not been seen or heard from since, and hasn’t used his phone or bank cards and on Sunday, police said they now believed Romeo was murdered.


A warrant was executed on Tuesday at a rural property in Wildwood.

Adrian Romeo
Adrian Romeo, 43, has not been seen or heard from since February. Credit: Victoria Police/AAP

More than 100 emergency services workers, including homicide detectives and the SES, and cadaver dogs were involved in Tuesday’s search.

They searched dwellings and dams on the property and allegedly seized a firearm, ammunition, drugs and four stolen cars.

A 34-year-old Wilwood man was arrested at the property and interviewed by police in relation to the items that were found.

He was later charged with prohibited possession of a firearm, cartridge ammunition, an imitation firearm and drugs of dependence and handling stolen goods.

He was remanded to appear before Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

[AustraliaSteve]

One last thing that I’m looking at in Brisbane. Billy Lee Bornstein entered a plea today over his role in the murder of Lachlan Griffiths. What’s interesting to me is one Francesco Sebastian Giorgi was present for Griffiths’ torture, but was deemed not the principal offender and only sentenced to an extra 2.5 years on top of 800+ days served. Giorgi was in attendance for 47 minutes, apparently having travelled into Brisbane from the Gold Coast.

One of Bornstein’s co-accused had been murdered in prison earlier this year. I don’t know about this one, the name popped out at me. One more I’ll keep an eye on.

[motorfab]

There was an Antonio Giorgi killed in 1970 in Woodville, NSW. Giorgi is a fairly common name in Calabria, so maybe not related, but it's striking to always see the same names appear in Australia (Giorgi, Romeo, etc...) https://crimestopperssa.com.au/media-re ... io-giorgi/