The Sixth Family (79 page)
Authors: Lee Lamothe
CHAPTER 24:
:
:
Information on Ireland’s Eye is from Memorial University’s Maritime History Archive and conversations with area residents and visitors. The Montreal Mafia’s involvement in Lebanon, Pakistan and Libya comes from interviews with former drug investigators, the Montreal police dossier and “Death Merchants” by William Marsden in
The Gazette
(Montreal), February 5, 1989. The
Charlotte Louise
case comes from interviews with former RCMP officers, including Michel Michaud, who helped search the boat; and police records. Marsden revealed the Table 6 yarn in “Mounties bug lamp but fate pulls switch,”
The Gazette
, December 19, 1990. The hashish smuggling fiascos come from interviews, contemporary media accounts and police files; Dupuis quotes come from his sworn affidavit filed in Quebec court and additional details on the case are from Jean Salois, Vito’s long-time lawyer, in correspondence with the authors.
CHAPTER 25:The Gazette
(Montreal), February 5, 1989. The
Charlotte Louise
case comes from interviews with former RCMP officers, including Michel Michaud, who helped search the boat; and police records. Marsden revealed the Table 6 yarn in “Mounties bug lamp but fate pulls switch,”
The Gazette
, December 19, 1990. The hashish smuggling fiascos come from interviews, contemporary media accounts and police files; Dupuis quotes come from his sworn affidavit filed in Quebec court and additional details on the case are from Jean Salois, Vito’s long-time lawyer, in correspondence with the authors.
Conversations between Manno and his co-conspirators come from extensive wiretap recordings in the United States and Canada, filed in
U.S.A. v. Domenico Manno, et al
(94-CR-6042, Southern District of Florida). The Mafia’s interests in Miami comes from the Pagano statements. Background on Manno comes from genealogical records, police files, court exhibits and his statements made in court; his cross-border travel comes from confidential border files. The Florida caper comes from copious evidence and testimony filed in the case, information from FBI Special Agent William Douglas, the case agent, and visits to the locations involved.
CHAPTER 26:U.S.A. v. Domenico Manno, et al
(94-CR-6042, Southern District of Florida). The Mafia’s interests in Miami comes from the Pagano statements. Background on Manno comes from genealogical records, police files, court exhibits and his statements made in court; his cross-border travel comes from confidential border files. The Florida caper comes from copious evidence and testimony filed in the case, information from FBI Special Agent William Douglas, the case agent, and visits to the locations involved.
The story of Girolama Sciortino’s cocaine blues comes from extensive interviews with police officers and prosecutors on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border, court records and the Agreed Statement of Facts for “Project Office” obtained under the Access to Information Act. His criminal record and some background information comes from the parole records, police files and municipal records; his son’s record from the Montreal police dossier.
CHAPTER 27:Pagano’s trips to Canada, meetings with Vito and involvement in the cocaine scheme come from his statements given to police as part of his cooperation agreement. Information on Venezuelan drug routes comes from “International Narcotics Control Strategy Report,” April 1993, Bureau of International Narcotics Matters, U.S. Department of State and statements from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. Prison information comes from interviews with an investigator and “Punishment Without Trial: Prison Conditions in Venezuela,” March 1997, by Human Rights Watch. The arrests in Puerto Cabello come from contemporary news accounts supported by police files. Information on Zbikowski’s troubles and the intervention of Quebec politicians comes from
Hansard
, the official record of the Canadian parliament. The arrests in Canada and the U.S. come from police files; Zbikowski’s business interests come from corporate press releases issued prior to his arrest and his criminal interests from National Parole Board records. Details on the Rizzuto childrens’ weddings comes from the
Amended Motion to Institute Proceedings
filed by Leonardo and Bettina Rizzuto against the authors in 2007 (500-17-033610-067, Quebec Superior Court).
CHAPTER 28:Hansard
, the official record of the Canadian parliament. The arrests in Canada and the U.S. come from police files; Zbikowski’s business interests come from corporate press releases issued prior to his arrest and his criminal interests from National Parole Board records. Details on the Rizzuto childrens’ weddings comes from the
Amended Motion to Institute Proceedings
filed by Leonardo and Bettina Rizzuto against the authors in 2007 (500-17-033610-067, Quebec Superior Court).
The Sixth Family’s drug scheme with the Big Circle Boys comes largely from testimony and other evidence filed in
U.S.A. v. Emanuele LoGiudice, et al
(97-CR-660, Eastern District of NY). The Project Onig details come from interviews with officers involved in the case, supported by private police files and public FBI records. William Zita’s statements are from his sworn court testimony. Ragusa’s personal history comes from genealogical records, police files and parole records; his family’s weddings are from the Montreal police dossier. Italy’s interest in Ragusa comes from Italian court records, particularly information prepared by the Guardia di Finanza, and the Tribunale Civile e Penale di Palermo in
Beddia + 12
, translated from Italian. Information on the FBI’s investigation of Ragusa comes from internal notes on the debriefing of Lino.
CHAPTER 29:U.S.A. v. Emanuele LoGiudice, et al
(97-CR-660, Eastern District of NY). The Project Onig details come from interviews with officers involved in the case, supported by private police files and public FBI records. William Zita’s statements are from his sworn court testimony. Ragusa’s personal history comes from genealogical records, police files and parole records; his family’s weddings are from the Montreal police dossier. Italy’s interest in Ragusa comes from Italian court records, particularly information prepared by the Guardia di Finanza, and the Tribunale Civile e Penale di Palermo in
Beddia + 12
, translated from Italian. Information on the FBI’s investigation of Ragusa comes from internal notes on the debriefing of Lino.
The visit to Lugano by Libertina Rizzuto and the movement of money through Swiss banks is documented in detail in the “Request for Urgent Judicial Assistance” by the Public Prosecutor from the Canton of Tessin, Switzerland, dated December 16, 1994 (Inc. MP n. 6129/94), translated from French; and the “Verbale Di Interrogatorio” of Rizzuto and Luca Giammarella, translated from Italian. Additional information comes from Salois, a Rizzuto lawyer. A visit to locations involved aided the story. Bank statistics come from
The Laundrymen
by Jeffrey Robinson (Simon & Schuster, London, 1998). Information on Operation 90-26C is assembled from interviews with Michaud, who worked undercover at the exchange counter; internal police documents; court files; other interviews and contemporary news stories. Particularly useful was a series of investigative stories by Andrew McIntosh for
The Ottawa Citizen
in June 1998. Vito’s interaction with Joe Lagana and Luis Cantieri are documented in the Montreal police dossier and with Nicolucci in parole board records. The Caruanas involvement in Switzerland and Liechtenstein comes from records filed in
R. v. Caruana, et al
. Police suspicions over transactions between American banks and Canadian companies come from secured diplomatic transmissions obtained by the authors. Questions by politicians come from
Hansard
transcripts and Vito being worried for his mother was recounted by Pagano.
CHAPTER 30:The Laundrymen
by Jeffrey Robinson (Simon & Schuster, London, 1998). Information on Operation 90-26C is assembled from interviews with Michaud, who worked undercover at the exchange counter; internal police documents; court files; other interviews and contemporary news stories. Particularly useful was a series of investigative stories by Andrew McIntosh for
The Ottawa Citizen
in June 1998. Vito’s interaction with Joe Lagana and Luis Cantieri are documented in the Montreal police dossier and with Nicolucci in parole board records. The Caruanas involvement in Switzerland and Liechtenstein comes from records filed in
R. v. Caruana, et al
. Police suspicions over transactions between American banks and Canadian companies come from secured diplomatic transmissions obtained by the authors. Questions by politicians come from
Hansard
transcripts and Vito being worried for his mother was recounted by Pagano.
Information on Rusty Rastelli and the rise of Joe Massino comes from FBI surveillance reports and files, photos, and Vitale’s testimony. The beef with Anthony Graziano was detailed by Vitale in testimony in
U.S.A. v. Patrick DeFillipo
(03-CR-0929, Eastern District of NY) in 2006. The DeCavalcante Family’s attendance at the Bono wedding comes from a study of photographs of the event. The carpet smuggling comes from both Vitale’s testimony and an interview with a Montreal gangster. Trips to Montreal by Bonanno representatives come from the court testimony and secret FBI debriefings of Lino. Historical scheduling of Major League Baseball games is from
www.baseball-reference.com
. Alfonso Gagliano’s background is from
Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1985
(Normandin, Ottawa, 1985) and
Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 2001
(Gale Group, Farmington Hills, 2002); concern in Canada’s parliament over Lino’s allegations is from
Hansard
and denials by Gagliano come from contemporary media reports. Amodeo’s departure from Canada comes from Immigration and Refugee Board records, interviews with family members,
Hansard
and contemporary reporting, including that of the authors. The new information on a claimed Mafia link to government comes from an unreleased Pagano debriefing. Sciascia’s interview by consular officials is transcribed in his immigration file.
CHAPTER 31:U.S.A. v. Patrick DeFillipo
(03-CR-0929, Eastern District of NY) in 2006. The DeCavalcante Family’s attendance at the Bono wedding comes from a study of photographs of the event. The carpet smuggling comes from both Vitale’s testimony and an interview with a Montreal gangster. Trips to Montreal by Bonanno representatives come from the court testimony and secret FBI debriefings of Lino. Historical scheduling of Major League Baseball games is from
www.baseball-reference.com
. Alfonso Gagliano’s background is from
Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1985
(Normandin, Ottawa, 1985) and
Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 2001
(Gale Group, Farmington Hills, 2002); concern in Canada’s parliament over Lino’s allegations is from
Hansard
and denials by Gagliano come from contemporary media reports. Amodeo’s departure from Canada comes from Immigration and Refugee Board records, interviews with family members,
Hansard
and contemporary reporting, including that of the authors. The new information on a claimed Mafia link to government comes from an unreleased Pagano debriefing. Sciascia’s interview by consular officials is transcribed in his immigration file.
Plans to kill Sciascia were recounted by Vitale in both FBI debriefings and court testimony, particularly in
U.S.A. v. Patrick DeFillipo
in 2006. Massino’s involvement and the “dolls” code come from a summary of Massino’s “302” information—his FBI debriefings. Spirito’s admissions are from his court appearance and plea in 2005 in
U.S.A. v. John Spirito
(03-CR-929, Eastern District of NY). The discovery of Sciascia’s body and its condition come from police reports, crime scene photos and the medical examiner’s report, obtained by the authors. Massino’s entreaty to Vito to be made
capo-regime
was told by Vitale and supported by confidential police files. The strength of the Montreal contingent under Violi was revealed in the Reggio Bar recordings. The end of the tribute from Montreal to New York comes from a private RCMP briefing. The statements from Vito about Montreal being “our own little family” were revealed by Vitale in
U.S.A. v. Vincent Basciano
on March 1, 2006.
CHAPTER 32U.S.A. v. Patrick DeFillipo
in 2006. Massino’s involvement and the “dolls” code come from a summary of Massino’s “302” information—his FBI debriefings. Spirito’s admissions are from his court appearance and plea in 2005 in
U.S.A. v. John Spirito
(03-CR-929, Eastern District of NY). The discovery of Sciascia’s body and its condition come from police reports, crime scene photos and the medical examiner’s report, obtained by the authors. Massino’s entreaty to Vito to be made
capo-regime
was told by Vitale and supported by confidential police files. The strength of the Montreal contingent under Violi was revealed in the Reggio Bar recordings. The end of the tribute from Montreal to New York comes from a private RCMP briefing. The statements from Vito about Montreal being “our own little family” were revealed by Vitale in
U.S.A. v. Vincent Basciano
on March 1, 2006.
:
The Pizza Hut troubles come from interviews with police investigators, a former senior company manager and the former franchise owner, who was not anxious to revisit these events. The bombing details come from contemporary news accounts with additional details from an interview with an investigator. Corporate information comes from contemporary company press releases that were unrelated to the events recounted here. Salois’s rebuttal comes from his correspondence with the authors. Penway shenanigans are from
Campbell v. Sherman
(30594/88, Ontario Court of Justice). Vito’s tax woes are from
Vito Rizzuto v. The Queen
(98-2497-IT-G, Tax Court of Canada), the undisclosed settlement from a well-placed government source (later confirmed by Vito) and the lawyer’s quote from
The Gazette
. The suspicion by John Williams is contained in Canada’s parliamentary “Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers (No. 3),” October 2, 2002. The family’s “war chest” to fund the tax fight is revealed in sworn statements of account presented in court but not made public and information on the Papalia twins comes from interviews, police files and Securities and Exchange Commission records. The Marcos gold affair comes from an interview with a former Montreal police officer and the counterfeiting case comes from
U.S.A. v. Joseph Baghdassarian
(95-CR-209, Northern District of NY) and contemporary news accounts.
CHAPTER 33:Campbell v. Sherman
(30594/88, Ontario Court of Justice). Vito’s tax woes are from
Vito Rizzuto v. The Queen
(98-2497-IT-G, Tax Court of Canada), the undisclosed settlement from a well-placed government source (later confirmed by Vito) and the lawyer’s quote from
The Gazette
. The suspicion by John Williams is contained in Canada’s parliamentary “Notices of Motions for the Production of Papers (No. 3),” October 2, 2002. The family’s “war chest” to fund the tax fight is revealed in sworn statements of account presented in court but not made public and information on the Papalia twins comes from interviews, police files and Securities and Exchange Commission records. The Marcos gold affair comes from an interview with a former Montreal police officer and the counterfeiting case comes from
U.S.A. v. Joseph Baghdassarian
(95-CR-209, Northern District of NY) and contemporary news accounts.
The Hells Angels interaction with the Sixth Family comes from interviews with former Montreal city and Quebec provincial police officers, police files, the diaries of biker turncoat Dany Kane (filed in
R. v. Sebastien Beauchamps
and
R. v. René Charlebois
in Quebec Superior Court) and author interviews with an underworld source. Information on the Gervasi family troubles comes from an interview with former police commander André Bouchard and the RCMP’s “Criminal Intelligence Brief Vol. 9, No. 2,” dated April 2, 2002, obtained under the Access to Information Act. This brief, as well as interviews with several police officers in 2001, was also helpful on the murder plot against Vito. There are a number of recent books of substance exploring the biker war, including
The Biker Trials
by Paul Cherry (ECW, Toronto, 2005),
Hell’s Witness
by Daniel Sanger (Viking, Toronto, 2005) and
The Road to Hell
by Julian Sher and William Marsden (Knopf, Toronto, 2003).
CHAPTER 34R. v. Sebastien Beauchamps
and
R. v. René Charlebois
in Quebec Superior Court) and author interviews with an underworld source. Information on the Gervasi family troubles comes from an interview with former police commander André Bouchard and the RCMP’s “Criminal Intelligence Brief Vol. 9, No. 2,” dated April 2, 2002, obtained under the Access to Information Act. This brief, as well as interviews with several police officers in 2001, was also helpful on the murder plot against Vito. There are a number of recent books of substance exploring the biker war, including
The Biker Trials
by Paul Cherry (ECW, Toronto, 2005),
Hell’s Witness
by Daniel Sanger (Viking, Toronto, 2005) and
The Road to Hell
by Julian Sher and William Marsden (Knopf, Toronto, 2003).
:
The Sixth Family’s overtures in Ontario come from author reporting from 2001 to 2005, including interviews with: former Detective-Constable Bill Sciammarella, who retired in May 2006 from the Toronto police force after years of chasing some of the most significant mobsters; Detective-Inspector Paul Sorel, the officer in charge of York Regional Police’s investigative services; other York police officers; RCMP Chief Superintendent Ben Soave; former Detective-Sergeant Mike Davis, of the Toronto homicide squad; Sergeant Robert Thibault, of the organized crime investigations unit of the Sûreté du Québec; Detective Inspector Larry Moodie, with the Ontario Provincial Police’s illegal gaming unit; a mob-linked career criminal in Toronto; a Toronto mobster; a biker friend of Panepinto’s who attended his funeral; the manager of a Toronto-area gym that Panepinto invested in; and a longtime trusted associate of an active Mafia family in Hamilton, Ontario. Interviews were supported by multiple police files. The spate of Mafia murders in Ontario come from author interviews and research from 1997 to 2006. The meeting between Vito and the Musitanos is from the Montreal police dossier. OMG’s corporate information comes from documents filed in
Corporacion Americana de Equipamientos Urbanos S.L. v. Olifas Marketing Group Inc., et al
(03-CV-252398CM1, Ontario Superior Court) and registration papers filed with the Ontario government in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006. Giacinto Arcuri and Giancarlo Serpe’s contact with Enio Mora is from
R. v. Arcuri
and the subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada (2001 SCC 54, File No. 27797). Information on OMG lobbying comes from the Public Registry of Lobbyists and an interview with the lobbyist; City of Toronto’s involvement with OMG comes from interviews with city staff, corporate documents and internal correspondence. The CFSEU assessment of the power of the Sixth Family comes from secret police intelligence reports obtained by the authors.
CHAPTER 35:Corporacion Americana de Equipamientos Urbanos S.L. v. Olifas Marketing Group Inc., et al
(03-CV-252398CM1, Ontario Superior Court) and registration papers filed with the Ontario government in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006. Giacinto Arcuri and Giancarlo Serpe’s contact with Enio Mora is from
R. v. Arcuri
and the subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada (2001 SCC 54, File No. 27797). Information on OMG lobbying comes from the Public Registry of Lobbyists and an interview with the lobbyist; City of Toronto’s involvement with OMG comes from interviews with city staff, corporate documents and internal correspondence. The CFSEU assessment of the power of the Sixth Family comes from secret police intelligence reports obtained by the authors.
The Sixth Family’s stumbles in Ontario come from many of the above noted sources. The family’s appearance in Project Omertà comes from the Crown’s disclosure filed in
R. v. Caruana, et al
. For further details on the rise and fall of the Caruana-Cuntreras, read
Bloodlines
by Lee Lamothe and Antonio Nicaso (HarperCollins, Toronto, 2001). The Siderno Group is documented in
Vincenzo Candido + 23
from the Tribunale di Reggio Calabria (Judgement No. 230/01, June 27, 2001). The death of the Calabrian fugitives comes from interviews with both homicide and organized crime investigators and the attendance of the Sixth Family at Panepinto’s funeral from author observation. The gambling pinch comes from the arrest sheets at the time of the raids. Juan Fernandez’s background comes from interviews with sources noted for Chapter 31, as well as documents filed in
R. v. Fernandez
(Ontario Court of Justice, 2004), parole records and author observation of Fernandez. His involvement with José Guede, informant testimony and the wiretap transcripts come from
R. v. Guede
in Quebec court and
R. v. Fernandez
in Ontario court. The car dealer scenario comes from confidential police files and an interview with the dealer involved, whom the authors have chosen not to name as he appears to be more a victim than anything. The police corruption conversations come from the Project R.I.P. recordings; the soundtrack of Fernandez’s arrest was also captured by police over an audio probe secretly placed in his SUV. Vito’s appearance in the OMG Jeep comes from the Montreal police arrest report; the fallout from it comes from author interviews with company officials and letters and affidavits filed in the OMG suit. Quotes from Vito come from “Alleged Mobster: No City Link” by George Christopoulos,
Toronto Sun
, February 4, 2003 and the statement that the new owners of OMG’s assets have no links to organized crime comes from documents and letters sent by the company’s lawyers in response to a telephone inquiry.
R. v. Caruana, et al
. For further details on the rise and fall of the Caruana-Cuntreras, read
Bloodlines
by Lee Lamothe and Antonio Nicaso (HarperCollins, Toronto, 2001). The Siderno Group is documented in
Vincenzo Candido + 23
from the Tribunale di Reggio Calabria (Judgement No. 230/01, June 27, 2001). The death of the Calabrian fugitives comes from interviews with both homicide and organized crime investigators and the attendance of the Sixth Family at Panepinto’s funeral from author observation. The gambling pinch comes from the arrest sheets at the time of the raids. Juan Fernandez’s background comes from interviews with sources noted for Chapter 31, as well as documents filed in
R. v. Fernandez
(Ontario Court of Justice, 2004), parole records and author observation of Fernandez. His involvement with José Guede, informant testimony and the wiretap transcripts come from
R. v. Guede
in Quebec court and
R. v. Fernandez
in Ontario court. The car dealer scenario comes from confidential police files and an interview with the dealer involved, whom the authors have chosen not to name as he appears to be more a victim than anything. The police corruption conversations come from the Project R.I.P. recordings; the soundtrack of Fernandez’s arrest was also captured by police over an audio probe secretly placed in his SUV. Vito’s appearance in the OMG Jeep comes from the Montreal police arrest report; the fallout from it comes from author interviews with company officials and letters and affidavits filed in the OMG suit. Quotes from Vito come from “Alleged Mobster: No City Link” by George Christopoulos,
Toronto Sun
, February 4, 2003 and the statement that the new owners of OMG’s assets have no links to organized crime comes from documents and letters sent by the company’s lawyers in response to a telephone inquiry.
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