'Ndrangheta

The 'Ndràngheta (/əndræŋˈɡɛtə/; Italian: [(n)ˈdraŋɡeta])[2] is a Mafia-type organized crime group based
in Calabria, Italy. Despite not being as famous abroad as the Sicilian Mafia, and having been considered more
rural than the Neapolitan Camorra and the Apulian Sacra Corona Unita, the 'Ndrangheta became the most
powerful crime syndicate in Italy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While commonly tied together with the
Sicilian Mafia, the 'Ndrangheta operates independently from them, though there is contact between the two,
due to the geographical proximity and shared culture and language between Calabria and Sicily.
A US diplomat estimated that the organization's narcotics trafficking, extortion and money laundering activities
accounted for at least 3% of Italy's GDP in 2010.[3] Since the 1950s, the organization has spread
towards Northern Italy and worldwide. According to a 2013 "Threat Assessment on Italian Organised Crime"
of Europol, the 'Ndrangheta is among the richest (in 2008 their income was around 55 billion dollars) and most
powerful organised crime groups at a global level

History
Origin and etymology[edit]
In 1861 the prefect of Reggio Calabria already noticed the presence of so-called camorristi, a term used at the
time since there was no formal name for the phenomenon in Calabria (the Camorra was the older and better
known criminal organization in Naples).[5][6] Since the 1880s, there is ample evidence of 'Ndrangheta-type
groups in police reports and sentences by local courts. At the time they were often being referred to as
the picciotteria, onorata società (honoured society) or camorra and mafia.[7]
These secret societies in the areas of Calabria rich in olives and vines were distinct from the often anarchic
forms of banditry and were organized hierarchically with a code of conduct that included omertà – the code of
silence – according to a sentence from the court in Reggio Calabria in 1890. An 1897 sentence from the court
in Palmi mentioned a written code of rules found in the village of Seminara based on honour, secrecy,
violence, solidarity (often based on blood relationships) and mutual assistance.[8]
In the folk culture surrounding 'Ndrangheta in Calabria, references to the Spanish Garduña often appear. Aside
from these references, however, there is nothing to substantiate a link between the two organizations.
The Calabrian word 'Ndrangheta derives from Greek[9] ἀνδραγαθία andragathía for "heroism" and manly
"virtue"[10] or ἀνδράγαθος andrágathos, compound words of ἀνήρ, anḗr (gen. ἀνδρóς, andrós), i.e. man[11] and
ἀγαθός, agathós, i.e. good, brave,[12] meaning a courageous man.[13][14] In many areas of Calabria the verb
'ndranghitiari, from the Greek verb andragathízesthai,[15] means "to engage in a defiant and valiant attitude".[16]
Though in recorded use earlier,[17] the word 'Ndrangheta was brought to a wider audience by the Calabrian
writer Corrado Alvaro in the Corriere della Sera in September 1955.[18][19]
Modern history
Until 1975, the 'Ndrangheta restricted their Italian operations to Calabria, mainly involved in extortion and
blackmailing. Their involvement in cigarette contraband expanded their scope and contacts with the Sicilian
Mafia and the Neapolitan Camorra. With the arrival of large public works in Calabria, skimming of public
contracts became an important source of income. Disagreements over how to distribute the spoils led to
the First 'Ndrangheta war killing 233 people.[20] The prevailing factions began to kidnap rich people located in
northern Italy for ransom. It is believed that John Paul Getty III, kidnapped for ransom in 1973, was one of their
victims.[21]
The Second 'Ndrangheta war raged from 1985 to 1991. The bloody six-year war between the Condello-Imerti-
Serraino-Rosmini clans and the De Stefano-Tegano-Libri-Latella clans led to more than 600
deaths.[22][23] The Sicilian Mafia contributed to the end of the conflict and probably suggested the subsequent
set up of a superordinate body, called La Provincia, to avoid further infighting. In the 1990s, the organization
started to invest in the illegal international drug trade, mainly importing cocaine from Colombia.[24]
Deputy President of the regional parliament of Calabria Francesco Fortugno was killed by the 'Ndrangheta on
16 October 2005 in Locri. Demonstrations against the organization then ensued, with young protesters carrying
banderoles reading "Ammazzateci tutti!",[25]Italian for "Kill us all". The national government started a large-scale
enforcement operation in Calabria and arrested numerous 'ndranghetisti including the murderers of
Fortugno.[26]
The 'Ndrangheta has recently expanded its activities to Northern Italy, mainly to sell drugs and to invest in legal
businesses which could be used for money laundering. In May 2007 twenty members of 'Ndrangheta were
arrested in Milan.[26] On 30 August 2007, hundreds of police raided the town of San Luca, the focal point of the
bitter San Luca feud between rival clans among the 'Ndrangheta. Over 30 men and women, linked to the killing
of six Italian men in Germany, were arrested.[27]
On 9 October 2012, following a months long investigation by the central government, the City Council of
Reggio Calabria headed by Mayor Demetrio Arena [it] was dissolved for alleged ties to the group. Arena and
all the 30 city councilors were sacked to prevent any "mafia contagion" in the local government.[28][29] This was
the first time a government of a capital of a provincial government was dismissed. Three central government-
appointed administrators will govern the city for 18 months until new elections.[30] The move came after
unnamed councilors were suspected of having ties to the 'Ndrangheta under the 10-year centre-right rule of
Mayor Giuseppe Scopelliti.[31]
'Ndrangheta infiltration of political offices is not limited to Calabria. On 10 October 2012, the commissioner of
Milan's regional government in charge of public housing, Domenico Zambetti of People of Freedom (PDL), was
arrested on accusations he paid the 'Ndrangheta in exchange for an election victory and to extort favours and
contracts from the housing official, including construction tenders for the World Expo 2015 in Milan.[32] The
probe of alleged vote-buying underscores the infiltration of the 'Ndrangheta in the political machine of Italy's
affluent northern Lombardy region. Zambetti's arrest marked the biggest case of 'Ndrangheta infiltration so far
uncovered in northern Italy and prompted calls for Lombardy governor Roberto Formigoni to resign.[33][34]
In 2014, in the FBI and Italian police joint operation New Bridge arrested members of both
the Gambino and Bonanno families, as well as 10 members of the Ursino clan.[35] Raffaele Valente was among
the arrested. In Italian wiretaps, he revealed that he had set up a faction of the Ursino 'Ndrangheta in New
York City. Valente was convicted for attempting to sell a sawed-off shotgun and a silencer to an undercover
FBI agent for $5000 at a bakery in Brooklyn. He was sentenced to 3 years and one month in
prison.[36] Gambino associate Franco Lupoi and his father-in-law, Nicola Antonio Simonetta, were described as
the linchpins of the operation. In June 2014, Pope Francis denounced the 'Ndrangheta for their "adoration of
evil and contempt of the common good" and vowed that the Church would help tackle organized crime, saying
that Mafiosi were excommunicated. A spokesperson for the Vatican clarified that the pope's words did not
constitute a formal excommunication under canon law, as a period of legal process is required beforehand.[37]
On 12 December 2017, 48 members of 'Ndrangheta were arrested for mafia association, extortion, criminal
damage, fraudulent transferral of assets and illegal possession of firearms. Out of the 48 arrested, four were
forced to house arrest and 44 were ordered to jail detention.[38] Two-time mayor of Taurianova, Calabria and
his former cabinet member were among the indicted. It was alleged by investigators that the Calabrian clans
had infiltrated construction of public works, control of real estate brokerage, food fields, greenhouse production
and renewable energy.[39]
On 9 January 2018, law enforcement in Italy and Germany arrested 169 people in connection with the
'Ndrangheta mafia, specifically the Farao and Marincola clans based in Calabria. Assets worth €50 million
(£44/$59m) were seized. The indictment mentions that owners of German restaurants, ice cream parlours,
hotels and pizzerias were forced to buy wine, pizza dough, pastries and other products made in southern Italy.
The Farao clan was being led by life-imprisoned Giuseppe Farao, before the arrests, and was passing orders
onto his sons. They controlled bakeries, vineyards, olive groves, funeral homes, launderettes, plastic recycling
plants and shipyards.[40] The waste disposal of the Ilva steel company based in Taranto was also infiltrated.
Some of the charges were mafia association, attempted murder, money laundering, extortion and illegal
weapons possession and trafficking. Italian prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, said that the arrests is the most
important step taken against the 'Ndrangehta within the past 20 years.[41] 11 suspects were detained and
accused of blackmailing and money laundering. They were deported back to Italy.[42] Alessandro Figliomeni,
former Mayor of Siderno, Calabria, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on 7 May 2018. He is alleged to be a
member of the Commisso 'ndrinaclan and served in the top hierarchy.[43]

Characteristics[edit]
Italian anti-organized crime agencies estimated in 2007 that the 'Ndrangheta has annual revenue of
about € 35–40 billion (US$50–60 billion), which amounts to approximately 3.5% of the GDP of Italy.[24][26] This
comes mostly from illegal drug trafficking, but also from ostensibly legal businesses such as construction,
restaurants and supermarkets.[44] The 'Ndrangheta has a strong grip on the economy and governance in
Calabria. According to a US Embassy cable leaked by WikiLeaks, Calabria would be a failed state if it were not
part of Italy. The 'Ndrangheta controls huge segments of its territory and economy, and accounts for at least
three percent of Italy's GDP through drug trafficking, extortion, skimming of public contracts, and usury. Law
enforcement is hampered by a lack of both human and financial resources.[45][46]
The principal difference with the Mafia is in recruitment methods. The 'Ndrangheta recruits members on the
criterion of blood relationships resulting in an extraordinary cohesion within the family clan that presents a
major obstacle to investigation. Sons of 'ndranghetistiare expected to follow in their fathers' footsteps, and go
through a grooming process in their youth to become giovani d'onore (boys of honour) before they eventually
enter the ranks as uomini d'onore (men of honour). There are relatively few Calabrian mafiosi who have opted
out to become a pentito; at the end of 2002, there were 157 Calabrian witnesses in the state witness protection
program.[47] Unlike the Sicilian Mafia in the early 1990s, they have meticulously avoided a head-on
confrontation with the Italian state.
Prosecution in Calabria is hindered by the fact that Italian judges and prosecutors who score highly in exams
get to choose their posting; those who are forced to work in Calabria will usually request to be transferred right
away.[24] With weak government presence and corrupt officials, few civilians are willing to speak out against the
organization.

Structure
Organizational structure

Formulas from the code of the 'Ndrangheta: The three handwritten pages describe the text for the speech held
when a member is promoted to a higher ranking. The text reads awkwardly for a native speaker—it is
composed in an uncertain Italian with many grammatical and orthographic mistakes.[47]

'Ndrangheta structure (labeled in Italian).

Both the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the 'Ndrangheta are loose confederations of about one hundred organised
groups, also called "cosche" or families, each of which claims sovereignty over a territory, usually a town or
village, though without ever fully conquering and legitimizing its monopoly of violence. [48]
There are approximately 100 of these families, totaling between 4,000 and 5,000 members in Reggio
Calabria.[44][49][50] Other estimates mention 6,000–7,000 men; worldwide there might be some 10,000
members.[24]
Most of the groups (86) operate in the Province of Reggio Calabria, although a portion of the recorded 70
criminal groups based in the Calabrian provinces Catanzaro and Cosenza also appears to be formally affiliated
with the 'Ndrangheta.[51] The families are concentrated in poor villages in Calabria such as Platì, Locri, San
Luca, Africo and Altomonte as well as the main city and provincial capital Reggio Calabria.[52] San Luca is
considered to be the stronghold of the 'Ndrangheta. According to a former 'ndranghetista, "almost all the male
inhabitants belong to the 'Ndrangheta, and the Sanctuary of Polsi has long been the meeting place of the
affiliates."[53] Bosses from outside Calabria, from as far as Canada and Australia, regularly attend the meetings
at the Sanctuary of Polsi.[51]
The basic local organizational unit of the 'Ndrangheta is called a locale (local or place) with jurisdiction over an
entire town or an area in a large urban center.[54] A locale may have branches, called 'ndrina (plural:'ndrine), in
the districts of the same city, in neighbouring towns and villages, or even outside Calabria, in cities and towns
in the industrial North of Italy in and around Turin and Milan: for example, Bardonecchia, an alpine town in the
province of Turin in Piedmont, has been, the first municipality in northern Italy dissolved for alleged mafia
infiltration, with the arrest of the historical 'Ndrangheta boss of the city, Rocco Lo Presti.[55]The small towns
of Corsico and Buccinasco in Lombardy are considered to be strongholds of the 'Ndrangheta. Sometimes sotto
'ndrine are established. These subunits enjoy a high degree of autonomy – they have a leader and
independent staff. In some contexts the 'ndrine have become more powerful than the locale on which they
formally depend.[53] Other observers maintain that the 'ndrina is the basic organizational unit. Each'ndrina is
"autonomous on its territory and no formal authority stands above the " 'ndrina boss", according to
the Antimafia Commission. The 'ndrina is usually in control of a small town or a neighborhood. If more than
one 'ndrina operates in the same town, they form a locale.[51]
Blood family and membership of the crime family overlap to a great extent within the 'Ndrangheta. By and
large, the 'ndrine consist of men belonging to the same family lineage. Salvatore Boemi, anti-mafia prosecutor
in Reggio Calabria, told the Italian Antimafia Commission that "one becomes a member for the simple fact of
being born in a mafia family," although other reasons might attract a young man to seek membership, and non-
kin have also been admitted. Marriages help cement relations within each 'ndrina and to expand membership.
As a result, a few blood families constitute each group, hence "a high number of people with the same last
name often end up being prosecuted for membership of a given 'ndrina." Indeed, since there is no limit to the
membership of a single unit, bosses try to maximize descendants.[51]
At the bottom of the chain of command are the picciotti d'onore or soldiers, who are expected to perform tasks
with blind obedience until they are promoted to the next level of cammorista, where they will be granted
command over their own group of soldiers. The next level, separated by the 'ndrina but part of 'Ndrangheta, is
known as santista and higher still is the vangelista, upon which the up-and-coming gangster has to swear their
dedication to a life of crime on the Bible. The Quintino, also called Padrino, is the second-highest level of
command in a 'Ndrangheta clan (name Ndrina), being made up of five privileged members of the crime family
who report directly to the boss, the capobastone (head of command).[56]
Power structure
For many years, the power apparatus of the single families were the sole ruling bodies within the two
associations, and they have remained the real centers of power even after superordinate bodies were created
in the Cosa Nostra beginning in the 1950s (the Sicilian Mafia Commission) and in the 'Ndrangheta a
superordinate body was created only in 1991 as the result of negotiations to end years of inter-family
violence.[48]
Unlike the Sicilian Mafia, the 'Ndrangheta managed to maintain a horizontal organizational structure up to the
early 1990s, avoiding the establishment of a formal superordinate body. Information of several witnesses has
undermined the myth of absolute autonomy of Calabrian crime families, however. At least since the end of the
19th century, stable mechanisms for coordination and dispute settlement were created. Contacts and meetings
among the bosses of the locali were frequent.[57]
A new investigation, known as Operation Crimine, which ended in July 2010 with an arrest of 305 'Ndrangheta
members revealed that the 'ndrangheta was extremely "hierarchical, united and pyramidal," and not just clan-
based as previously believed, as said by Italy's chief anti-mafia prosecutor Piero Grasso.[58]
At least since the 1950s, the chiefs of the 'Ndrangheta locali have met regularly near the Sanctuary of Our
Lady of Polsi in the municipality of San Luca during the September Feast. These annual meetings, known as
the crimine, have traditionally served as a forum to discuss future strategies and settle disputes among
the locali. The assembly exercises weak supervisory powers over the activities of all 'Ndrangheta groups.
Strong emphasis was placed on the temporary character of the position of the crimine boss. A new
representative was elected at each meeting.[57] Far from being the "boss of the bosses," the capo
crimine actually has comparatively little authority to interfere in family feuds or to control the level of interfamily
violence.[51]
At these meetings, every boss "must give account of all the activities carried out during the year and of all the
most important facts taking place in his territory such as kidnappings, homicides, etc."[57] The historical
preeminence of the San Luca family is such that every new group or locale must obtain its authorization to
operate and every group belonging to the 'Ndrangheta "still has to deposit a small percentage of illicit proceeds
to the principale of San Luca in recognition of the latter's primordial supremacy."[59]
Security concerns have led to the creation in the 'Ndrangheta of a secret society within the secret society: La
Santa. Membership in the Santa is only known to other members. Contrary to the code, it allowed bosses to
establish close connections with state representatives, even to the extent that some were affiliated with
the Santa. These connections were often established through the Freemasonry, which the santisti - breaking
another rule of the traditional code - were allowed to join.[48][60]
Since the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in 1991, the 'Ndrangheta is ruled by a collegial body or
Commission, known as La Provincia. Its primary function is the settlement of inter-family disputes.[61][62] The
body, also referred to as the Commission in reference to its Sicilian counterpart, is composed of three lower
bodies, known as mandamenti. One for the clans on the Ionic side (the Aspromonte mountains and Locride) of
Calabria, a second for the Tyrrhenian side (the plains of Gioia Tauro) and one central mandamento for the city
of Reggio Calabria.[61]

Activities
According to Italian DIA (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia, Department of the Police of Italy against organized
crime) and Guardia di Finanza (Italian Financial Police and Customs Police) the "'Ndrangheta is now one of the
most powerful criminal organizations in the world."[63][64] Economic activities of 'Ndrangheta include
international cocaine and weapons smuggling, with Italian investigators estimating that 80% of Europe's
cocaine passes through the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro and is controlled by the 'Ndrangheta.[24]However,
according to a report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
and Europol, the Iberian Peninsula is considered the main entry point for cocaine into Europe and a gateway to
the European market.[65] The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that in 2007
nearly ten times as much cocaine was intercepted in Spain (almost 38 MT) in comparison with Italy (almost 4
MT).[66]
'Ndrangheta groups and Sicilian Cosa Nostra groups sometimes act as joint ventures in cocaine trafficking
enterprises.[67][68] Further activities include skimming money off large public work construction projects, money
laundering and traditional crimes such as usuryand extortion. 'Ndrangheta invests illegal profits in legal real
estate and financial activities.
In early February 2017, the Carabinieri arrested 33 suspects in the Calabrian mafia's Piromalli
'ndrina ('Ndrangheta) which was allegedly exporting fake extra virgin olive oil to the U.S.; the product was
actually inexpensive olive pomace oil fraudulently labeled.[69] In early 2016, the American television program 60
Minutes had warned that "the olive oil business has been corrupted by the Mafia" and that "Agromafia" was
$16-billion per year enterprise.[70]
The business volume of the 'Ndrangheta is estimated at almost 44 billion euro in 2007, approximately 2.9% of
Italy's GDP, according to Eurispes (European Institute of Political, Economic and Social Studies) in Italy. Drug
trafficking is the most profitable activity with 62% of the total turnover.[71]
 Total turnover of the 'Ndrangheta in 2007

Illicit activity Income

Drug trafficking € 27.240 billion

Commercial enterprise and public contracts € 5.733 billion

Extortion and usury € 5.017 billion

Arms trafficking € 2.938 billion

Prostitution and human trafficking € 2.867 billion

Total € 43.795 billion

Outside Italy
The 'Ndrangheta has had a remarkable ability to establish branches abroad, mainly through migration. The
overlap of blood and mafia family seems to have helped the 'Ndrangheta expand beyond its traditional territory:
"The familial bond has not only worked as a shield to protect secrets and enhance security, but also helped to
maintain identity in the territory of origin and reproduce it in territories where the family has
migrated." 'Ndrine are reported to be operating in northern Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France,
the rest of Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia.[51] One group of 'ndranghetistas discovered
outside Italy was in Ontario, Canada, several decades ago. They were dubbed the Siderno Group by Canadian
judges as most of its members hailed from and around Siderno.[72]
Magistrates in Calabria sounded the alarm a few years ago about the international scale of the 'Ndrangheta's
operations. It is now believed to have surpassed the traditional axis between the Sicilian and American Cosa
Nostra, to become the major importer of cocaine to Europe.[73] Outside Italy 'Ndrangheta operates in several
countries, such as:
Argentina
In November 2006, a cocaine trafficking network that operated in Argentina, Spain and Italy was dismantled.
The Argentinian police said the 'Ndrangheta had roots in the country and shipped cocaine through Spain
to Milan and Turin.[74]
Australia
Known by the name "The Honoured Society," the 'Ndrangheta controlled Italian-Australian organized crime all
along the East Coast of Australia since the early 20th century. 'Ndrangheta operating in Australia include the
Sergi, Barbaro and Papalia clans.[75] Similarly in Victoria the major families are named as Italiano, Arena,
Muratore, Benvenuto, and Condello. In the 1960s warfare among 'Ndrangheta clans broke out over the control
of the Victoria Market in Melbourne, where an estimated $45 million worth of fruits and vegetables passed
through each year. After the death of Domenico Italiano, known as Il Papa, different clans tried to gain control
over the produce market. At the time it was unclear that most involved were affiliated with the
'Ndrangheta.[76][77]
The 'Ndrangheta began in Australia in Queensland, where they continued their form of rural organized crime,
especially in the fruit and vegetable industry. After the 1998–2006 Melbourne gangland killings which included
the murder of 'Ndrangheta Godfather Frank Benvenuto. In 2008, the 'Ndrangheta were tied to the importation
of 15 million ecstasy pills to Melbourne, at the time the world's largest ecstasy haul. The pills were hidden in a
container-load of tomato cans from Calabria. Australian 'Ndrangheta boss Pasquale Barbaro was arrested.
Pasquale Barbaro's father Francesco Barbaro was a boss throughout the 1970s and early 1980s until his
retirement.[78] Several of the Barbaro clan, including among others, Francesco, were suspected in orchestrating
the murder of Australian businessman Donald Mackay in July 1977 for his anti-drugs campaign.[79]
Italian authorities believe that former Western Australian mayor of the city of Stirling, Tony Vallelonga, is an
associate of Giuseppe Commisso, boss of the Siderno clan of the Ndrangheta.[80] In 2009, Italian police
overheard the two discussing Ndrangheta activities.[80]Since migrating from Italy to Australia in 1963,
Vallelonga has "established a long career in grass-roots politics."[81]
The 'Ndrangheta are also tied to large cocaine imports. Up to 500 kilograms of cocaine was documented
relating to the mafia and Australian associates smuggled in slabs of marble, plastic tubes and canned tuna,
coming from South America to Melbourne via Italy between 2002 and 2004.[82]
Belgium
'Ndrangheta clans purchased almost "an entire neighbourhood" in Brussels with laundered money originating
from drug trafficking. On 5 March 2004, 47 people were arrested, accused of drug trafficking and money
laundering to purchase real estate in Brussels for some 28 million euros. The activities extended to the
Netherlands where large quantities of heroin and cocaine had been purchased by the Pesce-Bellocco clan
from Rosarno and the Strangio clan from San Luca.[83][84]
Brazil
Forces of the Brazilian Polícia Federal have linked illegal drug trading activities in Brazil to Ndragueta in
operation Monte Pollino,[85] which disassembled cocaine exportation schemes to Europe.
Canada
According to a May 2018 news report, "Siderno’s Old World ’Ndrangheta boss sent acolytes to populate the
New World" including Michele (Mike) Racco who settled in Toronto in 1952, followed by other mob families. By
2010, investigators in Italy said that Toronto's ’Ndrangheta had climbed "to the top of the criminal world" with
"an unbreakable umbilical cord" to Calabria.[86]
In recent years, the Canadian 'Ndrangheta is believed to be involved in various activities including the
smuggling of unlicensed tobacco products through ties with criminal elements in cross-border Native
American tribes.[87] According to Alberto Cisterna of the Italian National Anti-Mafia Directorate, the 'Ndrangheta
has a heavy presence in Canada. "There is a massive number of their people in North America, especially in
Toronto. And for two reasons. The first is linked to the banking system. Canada's banking system is very
secretive; it does not allow investigation. So Canada is the ideal place to launder money. The second reason is
to smuggle drugs." The 'Ndrangheta have found Canada a useful North American entry point. [88]
A Canadian branch labelled the Siderno Group – because its members primarily came from the Ionian coastal
town of Siderno in Calabria – is the one discussed earlier, active in Canada since the 1950s. Siderno is also
home to one of the 'Ndrangheta's biggest and most important clans, heavily involved in the global cocaine
business and money laundering.[88] Antonio Commisso, the alleged leader of the Siderno group, is reported to
lead efforts to import "... illicit arms, explosives and drugs ..."[89] Elements of 'Ndrangheta have been reported to
have been present in Hamilton, Ontario as early as 1911.[90] Historical crime families in the Hamilton area
include the Musitanos, Luppinos and Papalias.
After living in Richmond Hill, Ontario for five years until 2010, Antonio Coluccio (who had used the alias
Giuseppe Scarfo in Canada) was one of 29 people named in arrest warrants in Italy in September 2014. Police
said they were part of the Commisso 'ndrina('Ndrangheta) crime family in Siderno. In July 2018, Coluccio was
sentenced to 30 years in prison for corruption. His two brothers, including Salvatore and Giuseppe Coluccio,
were already in prison due to Mafia-related convictions.[91]
In June 2015, RCMP led police raids across the Greater Toronto Area, named Project OPhoenix, which
resulted in the arrest of 19 men, allegedly affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta. In March 2018, during the resultant
criminal trial north of Toronto, the court heard from a Carabinieri lieutenant-colonel that ‘Ndrangheta is active in
Germany, Australia and the Greater Toronto Area. "People in Italy have to be responsible for their
representatives here but the final word comes from Italy".[92]
A member of the Greater Toronto Area's 'Ndrangheta cell, Carmine Guido, who had been a police informant,
testified at length about the structure and activities of the organization which had been under the control of
Italian-born Bradford, Ontario resident, Giuseppe (Pino) Ursino and Romanian-born Cosmin (Chris) Dracea of
Toronto. The latter two face two counts of cocaine trafficking for the benefit of a criminal organization and one
charge of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.[93] Guido was paid $2.4 million by the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police between 2013 and 2015 to secretly tape dozens of conversations with suspected 'Ndrangheta
members.[93]
The organization used extortion, loan sharking, theft, electoral crimes, mortgage and bank fraud, crimes of
violence and cocaine trafficking.[94][95]
According to an agreed Statement of Fact filed with the court, "the Locali [local cells] outside of Calabria
replicate the structure from Calabria, and are connected to their mother-Locali in Calabria. The authority to
start Locali outside Calabria comes from the governing bodies of the organization in Calabria. The Locali
outside of Calabria are part of the same 'Ndrangheta organization as in Calabria, and maintain close
relationships with the Locali where its members come from." The group's activities in the Greater Toronto Area
were controlled by a group known as the 'Camera Di Controllo' (the board of directors of La Provincia) which
"makes all of the final decisions", according to the witness' testimony.[94]
The reference to La Provincia/Camera di Controllo was also made in previous years (2010 to 2016). News
reports discussed six or seven Toronto-area men, who co-ordinated activities and resolved disputes
among Calabrian gangsters in Southern Ontario. One of the members, Giuseppe Coluccio, was arrested in
Ontario, extradited to Italy and convicted.[91][96] Other alleged La Provincia members included Rocco Zito before
his death,[96] Carmine Verduci before his death,[97] and Cosimo Stalteri before his death.[98]
In June 2018, Cosimo Ernesto Commisso, of Woodbridge, Ontario and an unrelated woman were shot and
killed. According to sources contacted by the Toronto Star, "Commisso was related to Cosimo "The Quail"
Commisso of Siderno, Italy, who has had relations in Ontario, is considered by police to be a "'Ndrangheta
organized crime boss".[99] 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".[100] The cousin of "The Quail", Antonio Commisso, was on the list of most wanted fugitives in
Italy until his capture on June 28, 2005, in Woodbridge.[101]
A 2018 trial in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto was the first in Canada to target the 'Ndrangheta as an
organized crime group since the Criminal Code was amended in 1977 to include the concept of a criminal
organization. Granted, neither of the defendants, (Giuseppe Ursino and Cosmin Dracea), admitted to having
been part of that organization.[102][103]
Colombia
The 'Ndrangheta clans were closely associated with the AUC paramilitary groups led Salvatore Mancuso, a
son of Italian immigrants; he surrendered to Álvaro Uribe's government to avoid extradition to the
U.S.[104] According to Giuseppe Lumia of the Italian Parliamentary Antimafia Commission, 'Ndrangheta clans
are actively involved in the production of cocaine.[105]
Germany
According to a study by the German foreign intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND),
'Ndrangheta groups are using Germany to invest cash from drugs and weapons smuggling. Profits are
invested in hotels, restaurants and houses, especially along the Baltic coast and in the eastern German states
of Thuringia and Saxony.[106][107] Investigators believe that the mafia's bases in Germany are used primarily for
clandestine financial transactions. In 1999, the state Office of Criminal Investigation in Stuttgartinvestigated an
Italian from San Luca who had allegedly laundered millions through a local bank, the Sparkasse Ulm. The man
claimed that he managed a profitable car dealership, and authorities were unable to prove that the business
was not the source of his money. The Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) concluded in 2000 that "the activities of this
'Ndrangheta clan represent a multi-regional criminal phenomenon."[108] In 2009, a confidential report by the
BKA said some 229 'Ndrangheta families were living in Germany, and were involved in gun-running, money
laundering, drug-dealing, and racketeering, as well as legal businesses. Some 900 people were involved in
criminal activity, and were also legal owners of hundreds of restaurants, as well as being major players in the
property market in the former East. The most represented 'Ndrangheta family originated from the city of San
Luca (Italy), with some 200 members in Germany.[109][110] A war between the two 'Ndrangheta clans Pelle-
Romeo (Pelle-Vottari) and Strangio-Nirta from San Luca that had started in 1991 and resulted in several
deaths spilled into Germany in 2007; six men were shot to death in front of an Italian restaurant in Duisburg on
15 August 2007.[111][112][113] (See San Luca feud.) According to the head of the German federal police service,
Joerg Ziercke, "Half of the criminal groups identified in Germany belong to the 'Ndrangheta. It has been the
biggest criminal group since the 1980s. Compared to other groups operating in Germany, the Italians have the
strongest organization."[114]
Netherlands
Sebastiano Strangio [it] allegedly lived for 10 years in the Netherlands, where he managed his contacts with
Colombian cocaine cartels. He was arrested in Amsterdam on 27 October 2005.[115][116][117] The seaports
of Rotterdam and Amsterdam are used to import cocaine. The Giorgi, Nirta and Strangio clans from San
Luca have a base in the Netherlands and Brussels (Belgium).[118] In March 2012, the head of the
Dutch National Crime Squad (Dienst Nationale Recherche, DNR) stated that the DNR will team up with the Tax
and Customs Administration and the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service to combat the
'Ndrangheta.[119]
Malta
David Gonzi, a son of former Prime Minister of Malta Lawrence Gonzi, was accused of illegal activities by
acting as a trustee shareholder in a gaming company. The company in question was operated by a Calabrian
associate of the 'Ndrangheta in Malta. His name appeared several times on an investigation document of over
750 pages that was commissioned by the tribunal of the Reggio Calabria. Gonzi called the document
unprofessional. A European arrest warrant was published for Gonzi to appear at the tribunal but this never
materialised. Gonzi, however, was completely exonerated from the list of potential suspects in the 'Ndrangheta
gaming bust.[120]
After investigation of the presence of the 'Ndrangheta, 21 gaming outlets had their operation license
temporarily suspended in Malta due to irregularities in a period of one year.[121][122][123]
In a Notice of the Conclusion of the Investigation dated the 30th June 2016, criminal action was commenced in
Italy against 113 persons originally mentioned in the investigation. [124]
Mexico
The 'Ndrangheta works in conjunction with a Mexican drug cartel mercenary army known as Los Zetas in the
drug trade.[125]
Slovakia
See also: Murder of Ján Kuciak
In February 2018, Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak was shot dead at his home together with his
fiancée. At the time of the murder, Kuciak was working on a report about the activities of 'Ndrangheta
in Slovakia, including its ties to Slovak politicians.[126]
Switzerland
The crime syndicate has a significant presence in Switzerland since the early 1970s but has operated there
with little scrutiny due to the inconspicuous life styles of their members, the Swiss legal landscape, and solid
foundations in local businesses. In the aftermath of the San Luca feud in 2007 and subsequent arrests in Italy
(Operation "Crimine"), it became clear that the group had also infiltrated the economically proliferous regions of
Switzerland and Southern Germany. In March 2016, Swiss law enforcement in cooperation with Italian state
prosecutors arrested a total of 15 individuals, 13 in the city of Frauenfeld, 2 in the Kanton of Valais, accusing
them of active membership to an organized crime syndicate also known as "Operazione Helvetica".[127] Since
2015, the Swiss federal police has conducted undercover surveillance and recorded the group's meetings in a
restaurant establishment in a small village just outside of Frauenfeld. The meetings were taking place in a
relatively remote location using the now defunct entity the "Wängi Boccia Club" as its cover. According to the
Italian prosecutor Antonio De Bernardo, there are several cells operating within the jurisdiction of the Swiss
Federation, estimating the number of operatives per cell to about 40, and a couple of 100 in total. All of the
arrested persons are Italian citizens, the two men arrested in the Valais have already been extradited to Italy,
and as of August 2016, one individual arrested in Frauenfeld has been approved for extradition to Italy. [128]
United Kingdom
In London, the Aracri and Fazzari clans are thought to be active in money laundering, catering and drug
trafficking.[129]
United States
The earliest evidence of 'Ndrangheta activity in the U.S. points to an intimidation scheme run by the syndicate
in Pennsylvania mining towns; this scheme was unearthed in 1906.[130] Current 'Ndrangheta activities in
America mainly involve drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and money laundering. It is known that the
'Ndrangheta branches in North America have been associating with Italian-American organized crime. The
Suraci family from Reggio Calabria has moved some of its operations to the U.S. The family was founded
by Giuseppe Suraci who has been in the United States since 1962. His younger cousin, Antonio Rogliano runs
the family in Calabria. On Tuesday, 11 February 2014, both F.B.I. and Italian Police intercepted the
transatlantic network of U.S. and Italian crime families. The raid targeted the Gambino and Bonanno families in
the U.S. while in Italy, it targeted the Ursino 'ndrina from Gioiosa Jonica. The defendants were charged
with drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses, based, in part, on their participation in a
transnational heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy involving the 'Ndrangheta.[131] The operation began in
2012 when investigators detected a plan by members of the Ursino clan of the 'Ndrangheta to smuggle large
amounts of drugs. An undercover agent was dispatched to Italy and was successful in infiltrating the clan. An
undercover agent was also involved in the handover of 1.3 kg of heroin in New York as part of the infiltration
operation.[132]

In popular culture
Beginning in 2000, music producer Francesco Sbano [it] released three CD compilations of Italian mafia folk
songs over a five-year period.[133] Collectively known as La musica della mafia [it], these compilations consist
mainly of songs written by 'Ndrangheta musicians, often sung in Calabrian and dealing with themes such as
vengeance (Sangu chiama sangu), betrayal (I cunfirenti), justice within the 'Ndrangheta (Nun c'è pirdunu), and
the ordeal of prison life (Canto di carcerato).