Ontario police bust Mafia gang

[Wiseguy]

Ontario police bust Mafia gang
leader in Cuba
BY ADRIAN HUMPHREYS, POSTMEDIA NEWS
DECEMBER 18, 2014


The vicious cycle of gangland life is perfectly told in the muscular, tattooed form of Daniele Ranieri, named Wednesday by Canadian police as a wanted fugitive: He took his place as a police target after the murder in Sicily of his crime boss, a killer who, in turn, replaced a hulking mobster publicly gunned down in Toronto.

The deadly path to leadership of a Mob-backed crew hardly deters men like Ranieri, who was so enamoured of the underworld he had "Cosa Nostra" tattooed on his chest.

"In their world, being killed is not an abnormality. Eventually these guys meet their demise, they play a high stakes game," said Insp. Dieter Boeheim of York Regional Police intelligence bureau.

"He lives in that world, the world of The Godfather. Some of the guys need to get their hands dirty to progress."

Tuesday, when police raided six premises in Project Forza, the Italian word for "strength," their prime target was not found: Ranieri had left for Cuba two weeks before and is believed to still be there.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and police consider him "armed and dangerous."

Ranieri, 30, of Bolton, Ont., was featured in a lengthy expose in October about the murder in Sicily of two mobsters from Canada.

It was his visit to Sicily on July 6, 2012, that inadvertently revealed Juan Ramon Fernandez, allegedly Ranieri's boss, had moved there from Canada, sparking a large anti-Mafia probe.

Ranieri was under surveillance the moment he got off the plane in Palermo, with an officer in Sicily saying he stood out: "Typical of American gangsters - big muscles and tattoos."

Police say Ranieri took over leadership of the crew from Fernandez, after he was ambushed and his body burned outside Palermo in April 2013.

Fernandez, in turn, had seized control from Gaetano "Guy" Panepinto, a mobster who ran a discount coffin business before his own murder in 2000.

Ranieri's assuming control of the crew made him the next police target for investigation.

The men named alongside him Wednesday add to that colourful, violent cast of characters, described by police as a dangerous crime group that forged bonds in prison.

"They are a sight to behold," Insp. Boeheim said. Justin McPolin, 38, of Toronto, is a former professional hockey player, recruited into the Ontario Hockey League as an enforcer for the London Knights. He is charged with extortion, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and attempt to obstruct justice.

Lucas Day, 41, of Toronto, was not found when police moved to arrest him and is named as a fugitive. He has a manslaughter conviction and assaulted a prison guard while behind bars.

Danny Rubino, 44, of Vaughan, Ont., is a longtime subject of interest to York police and a close friend of Fernandez when the mobster lived in Ontario. He was frequently heard on wiretaps chatting with Fernandez and other criminals. He is charged with extortion and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

Also arrested were: Craig Hall, 38, of Toronto, charged with trafficking in cocaine and heroin; and Richard Maciel, 36, of Toronto, and Arkadiusz Bukinski, 38, of Milton, Ont., both charged with parole violation.

Fernandez 's murder prompted police in Canada to re-evaluate their investigation of the crew. It was always an important link because Fernandez was a key representative for Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto in Ontario.

"Is Ranieri less of a threat with Fernandez dead or is he more of a threat? We sat down as a team and assessed it and concluded he was more of a threat and we needed to do something about," said Supt. Keith Finn of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

York police Inspector Michael Slack said Ranieri surrounded himself with hard men with extensive criminal records for guns, drugs and violence.

http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Ontari ... story.html

[Laurentian]

Daniele Ranieri

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