As far as the big cocaine shipment id say the feds put a stop to that before it got started.The undercover caught whilst they were trying to set it up. I can believe that he had engaged much more low level drug deals and criminal activity with ndrangeta members in the past as demonstrated by the 1 kilo of heroin he and ursino sold to the undercover and also the few guns the other ndrabgeta members sold to the undercover.



Well yeah because he seemed to be the main guy trying to put that deal together and he got busted his relatives in italy who were supposed to recieve the coke or possibly trade it for heroin got busted to.The calabrians could have a base in ny. But that doesnt mean they are working with the gambinos. They could be working with mexicans, dominicans or anyone that could supply them with large amounts of cocaine to ship back to italy.

I kinda get your point, but not really......


Take the Dominicans right? I don't think they would have an incentive to work with the the Italians. They got their supply from Colombians and their distribution base in Washington heights right? You gotta understand the Dominicans aren't global like that. They are regional in the North east. None of these top guys are going to BUY COKE IN NY, ITS TOO EXPENSIVE AT THAT POINT. It's already made its way from South America and been marked up already. That's the whole point of going that far, to get it in the 10-15 range, so you can get it up here and sell it for 30-50 grand. That's how you wholesale and make money without touching the streets. The Dominicans are in the streets.

Look at the queens thing. They bought coke in COSTA RICA? Why would they do this, if they could get the same price in NY from a Mexican cartel or Dominican? Doesn't that seem like an over complication? They coulda just bought in bulk in NY and shipped it to wherever. Also notice, they didn't bother retailing in NY, it's all export. And from what I can tell, a different operation entirely. If they buy the coke in NY, financially, I don't even think it would make sense, unless they were retailing. Contrast that with the Sinaloa bust in Buffalo, a retail operation.

There are subtleties here I think you might be overlooking. It's a little weird you don't connect the two cases, I thought it was pretty clear, that why the Feds call em old and new bridge. I don't think it will stop, or has stopped. Old bridge was almost ten years ago,and here they are still trying to tap into that international drug money.
Like the Genovese being involved is the more stranger development, the Gambinos have HISTORIC NARCOTICS TIES. Like dude, if not for the whole Michele Sindona bank collapse fiasco, they woulda probably still been on top. They lost a LOT of money and power behind that.
I kinda get what you mean with Lupoi being, somewhat of an isolated incident. He's Calabrian, the Gambinos are Sicilian. But look at the global trends; Even the Caruana-Cun-trera clan went with the Calabrian.


Im just saying, don't think it ended with that Lupoi arrest, notice he took the fall for everyone basically....... I suspect there will be more developments.

It's mostly the Brooklyn guys (John Gambino) within the Gambino Family, who are close to the 'Ndrangheta.

The clans Aquino, Coluccio, Scali, Ursino, Macrì, Commisso and Crupi have a presence in New York.

That's pretty interesting, any idea where they operate, with whom, or if they have specific alliances with any families?

If this is true, why is everyone skeptical about the Ursinos being in NY?

Or the Gambino family moving drugs. I find it kinda amusing it's this much in dispute,that THIS family, like of all the families they are the MOST likely to be moving large amounts of drugs.

Also, are those the seven Toronto clans, or no? I know some of em are, are the Ursinos one of them?

Wait a minute, are there seven or nine locals?

According to interceptions in the operation Crimine there would be 9 in Canada.

I was more disputing the idea that the gambino family were trying to expand their drug trafficking activities through this as a group. Their probably are a large number of drug dealers in the gambino family, but that doesnt mean they are all working together in some large conspiracy.

Ursinos could be operating in NY but so are many different crime groups from all over the world. Just because they caught a few guys working together doesnt mean the gambinos are somehow the middlemen for them.

That makes sense. And it's very possible, even likely I'm reaching on this. There is just too many unknowns at this point, it's all pretty interesting though.

If there are that many Calabrian clans already with people there, the Gambino involvement is probably more like Hollander said, financial and support.

I do have one point though, as far as cocaine, I always assumed the Gambinos were securing it for their Sicilian partners inEurope, not for NY distribution. I think that's the main difference, I see the Gambino family drug trade,as more like the SICILIAN GAMBINO/Palermo clan drug trade. Like a coke version of the Pizza connection. Have you guys ever heard of Guiseppe Spatola from Palermo?

so my understanding is there coming to nyc to find drug connects to send to italy. i mean nyc is the coke and dope capital of the world i would think.

I always figured coke would be the export and dope would be the import. Given our proximity to South America and their proximity to the Middle East

Exactly everyone has representatives in New York. I wouldn't be suprised if some of these guys were working with albanians who have had a few of their mobs go down trafficking schemes involving large quantities.

I don't doubt the Ursinos and other Ndrangheta figures operate in New York. I'm just sceptical of the scope and influence the article gave them.

The question of the Gambinos or the NY Mafia in general moving large amounts of drugs is a relative one. They do move significant amounts of drugs at the wholesale level. But the LCN has been marginalized in the drug trade to a large degree and, even when partnering with IOC groups, don't move the levels that strictly DTO's, like the Mexicans and Colombians, do.

The NY families may have been increasing their involvement in narcotics as of late but their influence and staying power has always come more from their diverse economic base than how much drugs they move.

I think he's somehow related to Carlo Gambino.

Spatola associated with notorious 'ndranghetista Vincenzo Roccisano.

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/officials-ex-con-ran-from-drug-associates-1.3026672

A question about the case involving lupoi. Why would the head of the ursino clan sell the undercover 1 kilogram of heroin? Seems like something that should be beneath him and also they were doing other low level drug deals and even a gun sale leading up to this drug deal.

It seems small time, but the agent "Jimmy" also attended a meeting in Brooklyn with representatives of the Ursinos and the Gambinos to set up a legitimate fish-trade business between New York and the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro as a means of delivering more heroin. Jimmy even went to Italy.

The ties between the 'ndrangheta and the NY mob go way back, in 1970 Rocco Zito ( killed this year ) had a meeting at a Holiday Inn with Sergio Gambino about heroin trafficking between the US and Canada.
At the same time Zito also had contacts with the Bonannos.

The Holiday Inn was on Highway 27 in Toronto (or just outside of Toronto). Rocco Zito and Giuseppe Indelicato (born in Siculiana; often had dealings with Siderno Group figures) met with Paolo Gambino (Carlo's brother) and Gambino's driver at the time, Emanuele Adamita (who, along with his brothers, became a big heroin dealer in his own right). After law enforcement's surveillance of Gambino and Adamita in Toronto on May 4 and 5, 1970, police learned that the two had also been in Toronto earlier in 1970.

Before arriving in Toronto on May 4 by car, Gambino and Adamita had been in Montreal, where they met with important people in the Montreal Mafia. I have seen a number of articles in which Zito is mentioned as having contact with Bonanno Family members, but these members could have been just Montrealers in the Bonanno decina--over the years Zito was known to have associated with Vic Cotroni, Paolo Violi, and especially Nick Rizzuto Sr. (Before Rizzuto was killed, he and Zito had known each other for approximately 40 years, perhaps longer.)

Thanks anti! I have a question for you did you hear any news about the case against Diego Serrano, Pino Ursino and the others?

I got a question also anti mafia,


Have you ever heard about Paolo Gambino meeting with Luciano in Italy in 1948? I have had a theory for a long time that the Gambinos were Luciano's men in the states, as far as narcotics distribution in NY. I think Carlos brother is a interesting figure in his own right.

It always seemed like Lucky picked the Gambinos over Genoveses or Adonis's people. Around 50 -51 Gambino makes a secret alliance with Genovese. I always assumed Lucky got wind of this and that's why he goes and makes the deal with the Bonnano family, to be his New NY distributors. And this is when Carlo really starts to dismantle the existing power structure.

Not only did he get rid of Genovese, and Bonnano, he even sacrificed guys like Ormento, from his allies,the Luchesses. It tells me guys were more loyal to the drug trade then their actual family.

Any thoughts on this, I'm intrigued, lol

According to the book Mob Rule, by James Dubro, the Canadian clans have had a presence in NY since like the early 70's.

Great lecture by John Dickie about the origins of the 'Ndrangheta:

I respect Dickie a lot, his book on Cosa Nostra is top notch...

I like John Dickie's book on the Cosa Nostra too, it is well researched.

I don't know any more than you do.

You will recall that many people were arrested and charged in various cities and towns in Ontario (almost all in the Greater Toronto Area). A number of the arrests were of people who were based in York Region (immediately north of Toronto)--five of six such people were granted bail. Significantly, Serrano was the one who was denied bail. Ursino, residing in Bradford (more than 40 miles away from Toronto), was also denied bail.

For me, the most interesting part of Jeremy Grimaldi's June 6, 2015 article in the Vaughan Citizen consisted of the last two paragraphs:

Police said the two families, one allegedly run by Verduci, who has since been replaced, and the other run by Ursino, worked together with the Serrano group to commit crimes.

However investigators added that when the groups disagreed, it could end up in violence among the parties.

CG, this actual or possible interaction is a subject with which I have no familiarity.

OK, I read that Giuseppe Ursino took over after the murder of Verduci. If he's from Gioiosa Jonica he's probably related to capobastone Antonio Ursino.