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44-574: Girolamo Commisso was a sgarrista in the 'Ndrangheta in Siderno , making him a mid-ranking figure, until his murder in 1948. Girolamo Commisso left behind a widow and three sons Rocco Remo, Cosimo and Michele who vowed to avenge their father. In 1961, the Commisso brothers moved to Canada , settling in Toronto , but did not forget their father. The murder of Girolamo Commisso was never solved, but it

88-864: A bakery on St. Clair Avenue West, which became the beginning of a chain of bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream parlours owned by him. Racco maintained close contacts with the Luppino crime family in Hamilton, Ontario and with the Cotroni crime family in Montreal . By 1962, Racco established a crimini and Camera di Controllo in Canada with the help of Giacomo Luppino and Rocco Zito . Salvatore Triumbari and Filippo Vendemini were also co-founders until Racco sanctioned their murders in 1967 and 1969 respectively, due to disputes. Racco had been urged to start

132-405: A defense lawyer and described him as "the cruelest looking person I have ever seen". McMurtry stated that Racco was a stereotypical gangster straight out of a Hollywood film in every respect, saying he gave off a strong sense of malevolent power. Racco was aggressive in denying the existence of organized crime, once telling a journalist "What is this Mafia? You really believe it exists?" Racco

176-524: A half years and 21 years, respectively. The judge who sentenced the three Commisso brothers in 1982, Justice Gregory Evans, stated: "This is a gangster case. It is a contract killing case and we can feel little clemency or mercy with those involved in this case." During his time at the Kingston penitentiary, Rocco Remo Commisso worked in the prison library and was considered to be one of the more well read and intelligent prisoners at Kingston. Antonio Commisso

220-418: A meeting to discuss ways to help his son beat the charges, and invited Johnny Papalia of Hamilton to attend the meeting. The journalist Adrien Humphreys wrote: "That Mike Racco, the pre-eminent immigrant Italian criminal, invited Canadian-born Johnny to this important family meeting was a mark of great respect". Roy McMurtry , the future Ontario Attorney-General met Racco in 1975 while he was still serving as

264-455: A wire, Kirby went to the house of Rocco Remo Commisso on 16 May 1981 to tell him: "Volpe, he's dead...I just killed him a hour ago". In fact, Volpe and his wife were in hiding at the RCMP's Toronto office. Commisso asked for proof that Kirby had indeed killed Volpe, leading him to produce Volpe's wallet with his driver's license in it, which Kirby said he had taken from his corpse. After looking over

308-552: A year, Antonio Commisso was arrested at his residence on June 28, 2005 in Woodbridge, Ontario , on an extradition warrant issued in Canada at the request of the Italian government. The federal government was already taking steps to have Commisso permanently deported from the country. In April 2014, Cosimo Commisso was linked to Laborers' International Union of North America Local 183. Antonio Coluccio of Richmond Hill, Ontario

352-606: Is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria , Calabria , southern Italy , about 3 kilometres from Locri . Siderno Marina is the newer town located on the Ionian coast . It is a destination for both Italian and foreign tourists and has a bathing beach. Siderno Superiore is the old town, higher up on the flank of the coastal mountain range. It has historic palaces, old buildings and very narrow streets. Its population has largely relocated to

396-599: Is home to one of the 'Ndrangheta's biggest and most important clans, the Commisso 'ndrina , heavily involved in the global cocaine business and money laundering. Several clans moved to Canada , in particular the Greater Toronto Area , home to what Canadian law enforcement call the Siderno Group , which has been here since at least the 1950s. "The criminal minds of Siderno are in Canada", according to

440-547: The Canadian Pacific Railway . Half of Schreiber's 2,000 residents trace their roots to Siderno. Siderno is a tourist resort on the Ionian coast of the province of Reggio Calabria, with wide, sandy beaches, and a clear sea . The Siderno area is a center of production of bergamot orange , a citrus fruit that is used as an essence and fundamental ingredient in cosmetics, for its wound healing properties in

484-684: The Toronto Star , "Commisso was related to "The Quail" of Siderno, Italy, who has had relations in Ontario, is considered by police to be a "'Ndrangheta organized crime boss". The National Post reported that Cosimo Ernesto Commisso, while not a known criminal, "shares a name and family ties with a man who has for decades been reputed to be a Mafia leader in the Toronto area". Siderno Siderno ( Calabrian : Sidernu or Siderni ; Greek : Σιδέρνο , romanized :  Sidérno )

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528-488: The 'Ndrangheta). The initiation ceremony was raided by the police and Racco was warned not to attend the meeting. During another wire-tapped phone call to an American gangster, Racco was heard to say: "Jesus Christ, I really can't go into details here. You know, um, 'Ndrina." Racco initially answered to the Buffalo crime family , but after the death of Stefano Magaddino in 1974, he established close ties with Paolo Violi ,

572-853: The 1970s, the Commissos had put together a criminal enterprise that "rivalled the best of the Sicilian Mafia structures existing in the United States and which was, in terms of pure muscle and audacity, one of the most powerful mafia groups in Canada". They "controlled a criminal organization that imported and distributed heroin with the Vancouver mob and the Calabrian Mafia in Italy, fenced stolen goods across North America, printed and distributed counterfeit money throughout Canada and

616-594: The Baker", was an Italian-Canadian gangster, regarded as the founder of the Siderno Group . Racco was born in Siderno Marina, Calabria, Italy on December 12, 1913, into a poor family. He joined the 'Ndrangheta as an young man and was already considered to be a senior leader when he immigrated to Canada in 1952. He first settled in Fort Arthur (modern Thunder Bay ) and moved to Toronto in 1953. He opened

660-518: The Canadian immigration officials at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport , and the Canadian authorities had no choice but to admit him because he had been granted permanent residency status in Canada in 1974, when he was 18. According to the Siderno police force, "the criminal minds of Siderno are in Canada". After being on the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy , living in Canada for more than

704-486: The Canadian operation by Antonio Macrì , the undisputed boss of Siderno until he was killed in January 1975. Racco had a criminal conviction in his native Italy, but was never convicted of any crime in Canada. In the 1960s, most of Racco's bakeries were burned down in cases of arson. The police initially thought he was being targeted by rival gangsters, but concluded that Racco was burning down his own bakeries to collect

748-942: The Court of Appeal of Naples acquitted Commisso in a review process "for not having committed the offense", releasing him immediately. On 13 December 2019, Commisso was arrested in the "Core Business" operation, accused of mafia association for the period in which he was under house arrest since 2015 in Perugia . On 30 January 2020, Commisso was definitively acquitted of the murders by the Supreme Court of Cassation . On 9 August 2019, several former Greater Toronto Area residents were arrested in Calabria, including Francesco Commisso and Rocco Remo Commisso. By that time, police in Italy and in Canada were convinced that "the 'Ndrangheta's Canadian presence has become so powerful and influential that

792-571: The Gourmet were a dozen men from Toronto with links to the three Commisso brothers. One of the men present at the Gourmet, Vincenzo "Jimmy" DeLeo, upon his return to Canada visited the Commisso brothers being held at the Kingston penitentiary; he denies that he discussed the murder of the man who killed their father with them. In the 1980s, the Commisso were challenged by the Costa 'ndrina over

836-457: The Marina which offers more job opportunities and services. The early history of the town is unknown. The old town in the hilly inland was probably founded in the 10th century by some people from Locri , who had fled to the area to defend themselves from Saracen incursions; in the following century it became a hamlet of the county of Grotteria and was home to various feudal lords. Siderno Marina

880-698: The Siderno police force. One of them, Antonio Commisso , was arrested in June 2005. Individuals related to the so-called Siderno Group were still active in Southern Ontario in 2018. Donisi ( Greek : Διονυσση , romanized :  Dionyssi ), Vennerello, Mirto ( Greek : Μυρτώς , romanized :  Myrtos ), Campo, Lucis, Zammariti, Pellegrina, Arona, San Filippo, Leone, Grappidaro, Gonia ( Greek : Γωνιά , romanized :  Ghonià ), Pergola, Lamia. Michele Racco Michele Racco (December 12, 1913–January 4, 1980), known as "Mike

924-458: The Toronto 'Ndranghetisti Michele "Mike" Racco , but moved closer to another 'Ndranghetisti Rocco Zito during the 1970s; Zito was a pallbearer at Racco's funeral in 1980. Zito was known as an advocate of closer ties with the Montreal underworld, a stance shared by the Commisso brothers, while Racco wanted to keep a distance from the Montreal underworld. Racco sat on La Camera di Controllo ,

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968-534: The United States, ran a vast extortion network in Ontario, arranged insurance and land frauds in the Toronto area, and engaged in contract killings and contract-enforcement work across Canada and the United States – the whole gamut of violent criminal activities one usually associates with the Mafia". The Satan's Choice MC hitman Cecil Kirby who worked for Cosimo Commisso in Canada from 1976–81 wrote in his 1986 autobiography Mafia Enforcer : "Cosimo wasn't tough-he

1012-481: The authorities the most powerful Camorra group that is still active. Both organizations are allied in the trafficking and sale of cocaine and marijuana from South America, via the Netherlands. In 1993, Cosimo Commisso was arrested, and later convicted of five murders and three attempted murders between May 1989 and July 1991, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998. After 26 years in prison, on 9 January 2019,

1056-432: The board north of Toronto has the authority to make decisions, not only in relation to Canada's underworld, but also abroad, even back in Siderno". The three Commisso brothers arrived in Toronto in 1961, but the police first began to pay attention to them in 1970 when Rocco Remo Commisso was accused of using intimidation to win orders for a bakery owned by one of his uncles. The Commisso brothers were at first associated with

1100-402: The board that governed 'Ndranghta activities in Toronto, making him one of the most important 'Ndranghetisti in Canada. During visits to his hometown of Siderno in 1971 and again in 1972, Rocco was the target of assassination attempts, being fired upon during both visits. By 1976, Cosimo Commisso was considered by the police to be a capo bastone (underboss) in the Siderno group. By the end of

1144-615: The clan. The Commissos are one of the 'Ndrangheta's biggest and most important clans, involved in the global cocaine business and money laundering. They were members of Camera di controllo , a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta formed at the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in September 1991, to avoid further internal conflicts. The Commissos are known to have links with the Secondigliano Alliance , considered by

1188-523: The command of Siderno. The Costas had returned from Toronto . By 1991, the feud – that spilled over to Toronto as well – ended in a victory for the Commisso clan. Officially, there were 28 dead among the Costas and eight among the Commissos. Cosimo Commisso was sentenced over the vendetta and his cousin Antonio Commisso, also known as l'avvocatu ("the lawyer"), succeeded him as the acting boss of

1232-501: The de facto boss of the Cotroni family of Montreal. Racco was also a very close ally of Paul Volpe . Racco was greatly worried about his drug addict son, Domenic Racco, who was considered to be reckless and violent. On July 19, 1971, Domenic Racco shot three men in a Toronto shopping mall following an argument over a cigarette; he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for attempted murder and was released on parole in 1978. Racco called

1276-410: The insurance money as it became apparent that the arsonists were entering his bakeries with suspicious ease. The closest thing he came to being charged was an incident where the Toronto police found $ 25,000 in counterfeit money in one of his bakeries, but were unable to lay charges as the police had no evidence that Racco knew of the counterfeit money in his bakery, which he insisted had been brought into

1320-476: The late 1970s, he asked for Papalia to look after his son and keep him away from cocaine. Papalia took this request seriously, but he found that Domenic Racco was a hothead incapable of taking advice. Papalia complained with disgust that Domenic Racco, when eating dinner with him at Rooney's restaurant in Toronto, would rush off to snort cocaine in the restroom as he had no self-control when it came to cocaine. Racco died of cancer on January 4, 1980. He had one of

1364-402: The most influential in the 'Ndrangheta . The hitman Cecil Kirby in his 1986 autobiography Mafia Enforcer described Francesco Commisso as the father of Cosimo Commisso. Giuseppe Commisso ( u mastru ) is also an influential figure in Siderno. In 1982, Alberti returned to Siderno and was promptly murdered while eating at the patio terrace of the Gourmet restaurant. Amongst the patrons eating at

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1408-408: The pharmaceutical industry, and for flavouring in the food industry. The town is home to the 'Ndrangheta , a Mafia -type criminal organization based in Calabria. Several powerful criminal clans originate from the town. Siderno was the fiefdom of Antonio Macrì , the undisputed local boss until his demise in January 1975. Several of the criminal clans are sometimes involved in bloody feuds. The town

1452-603: The plot was foiled when Kirby turned Royal Canadian Mounted Police informant. Volpe, who had a reputation for being devious and treacherous, had involved the Commissos in a real estate deal and cheated them, causing them to vow vengeance. During a conversation on 31 March 1981, Commisso told Kirby that he needed the approval of an unnamed higher authority before he could give the orders to kill Volpe. When Kirby asked "What about Volpe?", Commisso replied: "I'm waiting for an answer, OK?" On 23 April 1981, Commisso told Kirby that Scarcella could not be killed until he received permission from

1496-502: The seeming object of their affection, and Kirby was disturbed by the number of times Commisso told him that he was almost family to him and his brothers. As a result of Kirby's testimony, Rocco Remo and Cosimo Commisso were convicted of conspiracy to murder, counselling to commit murder, possession of property obtained by crime, conspiracy to commit extortion, counselling another person to commit an indictable offence, causing bodily harm, and conspiracy to commit fraud, and sentenced to 14 and

1540-523: The store by a dishonest employee. By 1971, Racco was considered to be the most powerful gangster in Toronto, which led him to limit the amount of extortion-related violence in Toronto's Little Italy district, which was attracting too much media attention. On March 20, 1971, during a wire-tapped phone call, Racco was heard discussing the "youth of honors" (including his own son) who would be allowed to join "the Honored Society" (an euphemism for

1584-413: The unnamed authority, but he had the approval to kill Volpe. Commisso stated: "Ah, Scarcella, forget about it for now. Just don't worry about it for now", leading Kirby to ask "For how long?". Commisso replied: "A month, two months, we don't know yet. There's another guy". When Kirby asked "What the fuck is going on?", Commisso answered: "There's another guy I want you to take care of instead of him." Wearing

1628-438: The wallet, Commisso was finally satisfied that Kirby had killed Volpe. After complaining that he should not have come to his house, Commisso paid Kirby $ 1,000, and said he would have more money for him soon. Commisso repeatedly assured Kirby that he and his brothers "would take care" of him. In organized crime, excessive displays of affection and loyalty are often a sign that those displaying the sympathy are in fact planning to kill

1672-532: Was believed to have been the work of two assassins, Salvatore Scarfo and Michale Alberti, both of whom fled to Argentina afterwards. Siderno was the fiefdom of Antonio Macrì the undisputed boss at the time. In January 1975, Macrì was killed in the First 'Ndrangheta war . His right-hand man – who was wounded in Macrì's killing – Francesco Commisso, known "Cicciu I quagghia" ("the quail"). At Macrì death, his successor

1716-509: Was built along the coast after the 1783 earthquake . Large-scale emigration abroad as well as to Northern Italy, which began to diminish only in the 1970s, has had a lasting effect on the demographic situation in the region. Emigrants from Siderno immigrated to the United States, Canada and Australia since the end of the 19th century to find employment. Many moved to Canada settled in Schreiber, Ontario due to then-ongoing construction of

1760-433: Was first arrested in 1999. While awaiting appeal, he regularly had to report to police, was subject to a strict night-time curfew, and was prohibited from leaving town. On April 15, 2004, Commisso was definitively convicted and sentenced to seven years and 10 months for Mafia association and trafficking in weapons. When police arrived at his home to arrest him, he was nowhere to be found. On May 14, 2004, he presented himself to

1804-434: Was his nephew Vincenzo Macrì, known as u Baruni , who became the head of the locale Siderno . But his succession did not last long. Very soon another young man distinguished himself for charisma, Cosimo Commisso, son of the aforementioned Francesco Commisso "the quail", Antonio Macrì's shoulder guard, who assumed command of the locale Siderno , making the 'ndrina Commisso, the family that today bears his name, one of

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1848-470: Was homicidal. He'd kill you as soon as you were looking at him if he thought you were crossing him, if he thought it was good for business, or if he thought you insulted him or his family. The lives of other people meant nothing to him". In the 1980s, the Buffalo crime family also operated in Toronto and Hamilton , and hired Kirby to kill Paul Volpe and his driver Pietro Scarcella in an arrangement with Rocco Remo and Cosimo Commisso, for $ 20,000. However,

1892-434: Was one of 29 people named in arrest warrants in Italy in September 2014. Police said they were part of the Commisso 'ndrina. In July 2018, Coluccio was sentenced to 30 years in prison for corruption in Italy. His two brothers were already in prison due to Mafia-related convictions. On June 28, 2018, Cosimo Ernesto Commisso, of Woodbridge, Ontario and an unrelated female were shot and killed. According to sources contacted by

1936-420: Was the capo crimini ("boss of bosses") of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto, and had close ties with other gangsters in the United States and Italy. Despite his denials, the media referred to Racco as the "godfather of Toronto". Racco ordered the three murders, namely of Triumbari in 1967 and Vendemini in 1969. In 1976, he had Salvatore Palermiti killed while he was visiting Toronto. As Racco was dying of cancer in

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