For years anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, 62, has been preparing for an upcoming ‘historic’ trial against Italy’s infamous ‘Ndrangheta. Gathering together an enormous amount of evidence against hundreds of suspects. The first round of this court battle happened on Friday at a preliminary hearing in Rome. A case like this has not been seen since … [Read more…]
Giuseppe Fanara, 60, a former member of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra has bitten off and swallowed a prison guard’s finger. Fanara, who is serving a life sentence at Italy’s Rebibbia prison in Rome, was supposedly so upset that his prison cell was being inspected, bit off and swallowed the guard’s pinky finger. Fanara, whose new … [Read more…]
Former Canadian West End Gang member Ron “Big Ronnie” Mckinnon, 60, has died of cancer. Mckinnon was an enforcer in Quebec for the “Irish Gang” for 25 years, though he has not been involved in the gang or organized crime for at least a decade. Mckinnon used to work as a bodyguard for West End … [Read more…]
Lucchese crime family underboss Steven “Wonder Boy” Crea, 73, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for murder and racketeering. Crea and 18 other ‘made men’, associates, and other Westchester, NY residents were sentenced by for their crimes of murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, defrauding a hospital, drug trafficking, loansharking, and illegal gambling that … [Read more…]
Mobster turned rat Frank Cullotta has died Thursday morning at the age of 81. Cullotta was friends and right-hand man of mob boss Tony “The Ant” Spilotro since they were both teenagers in Chicago carrying out burglaries and murder. In 1979 Cullotta moved to Las Vegas to join Spilotro, who had been there since 1971 … [Read more…]
Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz, better known as “El Marro” (The Sledgehammer), leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, has been arrested by Mexican security forces in the state of Guanajuato. Formed in 2014, the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel wrought havoc and spread violence throughout the north-central parts of Mexico as they fought a … [Read more…]
Leonardo Badalamenti, 60, son of top 1970s Sicilian mafia boss, Gaetano Badalamenti, was arrested on Wednesday in Sicily. The Italian police said they were acting on a Brazilian international arrest warrant. Badalamenti is wanted by the Brazilian government for bank fraud and drug trafficking, crimes he committed in the country using an alias. He has … [Read more…]
Former acting Lucchese family boss Matthew Madonna and two associates, Christopher Londonio, 46, and Terrence Caldwell, were sentenced to life in prison on Monday. They were found guilty of murdering Michael Meldish, a gang member who refused to help them collect business ‘debts’. On November 15, 2013, Madonna, 84, ordered a hit on Meldish who … [Read more…]
Tony “The Beaver” Ascenzia, one of the few remaining members of the Grasso crew has died at the age of 61. It is reported that this Connecticut Mafioso suffered a sudden heart attack. During the 1970s and 80s, Ascenzia ran gambling rackets for the New England Patriarca crime family in the New Haven area, but … [Read more…]
A joint Italian and Swiss sting operation against the ‘Ndrangheta has resulted in the arrest of 75 suspects and the seizure of goods worth 169 million euros ($188 million USD). A further 83 suspects were placed under investigation but were not arrested at this time. Italy’s financial police said that the large operation involved 700 … [Read more…]
From the producers of “Don’t F**k With Cats”, one of the most shocking true crime documentaries ever, comes a new Netflix documentary called ‘Fear City: New York vs The Mafia’. This three-part documentary series, which will be available to stream on July 22, looks at the takedown of the New York Mafia in the 1970s. … [Read more…]
Infamous Canadian mobster Pat Musitano was shot to death in Burlington, Ontario on Friday. Calls came in reporting a shooting in a small shopping plaza at approximately 1 pm. Police arrived quickly on the scene where they found two victims on the ground. Musitano, 52, “succumbed to his” injuries” police said, “A second victim has … [Read more…]
Mexican mafia member Ramon Alvarez, 45, of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison on Monday. Alvarez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges and admitted to placing fellow inmates on “green light” or “hard candy” lists, essentially marking them for murder or assault while serving time within the Orange … [Read more…]
A picture-perfect Italian town in the foothills of Sicily’s picturesque countryside, Corleone has a ruthless past. Corleone consists of bell towers, ornate churches, and a breathtaking view of the valley below. A maze of narrow cobblestone streets leads to small family-run cafes and bakeries. Some of Cosa Nostra’s most notorious bosses were born in this … [Read more…]
20 members of Rome’s infamous Casamonica clan have been arrested and 20 million Euros ($22 million) worth of assets confiscated by 150 carabinieri – Italian military police – who conducted early morning raids on Thursday, after two of the clan members ex-wives tipped off the authorities. The Casamonica clan is known for its “Scarface-chic” – … [Read more…]