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Monday 12 April 2010

Moreno Gallo, a convicted killer and a man believed to be an influential figure in the Montreal Mafia, continues to find himself in trouble

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Moreno Gallo, a convicted killer and a man believed to be an influential figure in the Montreal Mafia, continues to find himself in trouble despite having not been convicted of a crime in more than three decades.
The Italian born Gallo is scheduled to have a detention review hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board Monday afternoon as he prepares to challenge a second attempt to deport him to his birthplace.
It is the latest in a series of headaches Gallo has experienced after he was caught on videotape bringing large amounts of cash to the Consenza Social Club in St. Léonard, which served as headquarters to the Mafia for years, while the Rizzuto organization was being investigated in Project Colisée. Gallo continues to serve a life sentence he received in 1974 after pleading guilty to murdering Angelo Facchino, a known drug dealer, in downtown Montreal.


Sunday 11 April 2010

Lewis Rodden goes to Jim Murphy cash bash at Glasgow's Thistle Hotel. | News Of The World

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Lewis Rodden goes to Jim Murphy cash bash at Glasgow's Thistle Hotel. News Of The World: "Lewis 'Scooby' Rodden went to the cash-generating bash at Glasgow's Thistle Hotel.
And he sat only yards away from the Cabinet member PLUS former Defence Secretary Dr John Reid, who was the main speaker at the evening.
Last night Labour sources admitted their were 'shocked' that two of the party's biggest names shared a room with the notorious security firm boss.
Rodden was jailed in August 2005 for four years - later reduced to two years on appeal - after being convicted of using threatening behaviour towards business rivals.
During his trial at the High Court in Kilmarnock, Rodden pled guilty to having a samurai SWORD in public.
Judge Andrew Hardie said his behaviour was like 'organised crime in the United States in the last century',
But Labour insiders told us of their fury that Rodden was welcomed as a guest at the event on Friday, March 19."


Wait—it gets worse - Need to know - Macleans.ca

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Wait—it gets worse - Need to know - Macleans.ca: "New allegations have emerged stating that Rahim Jaffer and a business associate claiming to be a banker for the Hells Angels tried to sell political influence, reports the Toronto Star. The new reports coincide with RCMP investigations of his wife, minister of state for the status of women Helena Guergis, who allegedly allowed Jaffer to use her parliamentary office to conduct commercial business, and may have sat in on meetings herself. These reports follow Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s announcement on Friday of Guergis’ resignation, and subsequent ejection from the Conservative caucus until the matter is resolved."


U.S. blacklists Mexican businesses tied to drug smuggling

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U.S. blacklists Mexican businesses tied to drug smuggling: "Happy Child is a front for Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, an alleged leader of the ruthless Sinaloa Cartel that moves tons of drugs to the United States and, along with other gangs, is fighting a bloody crime war that threatens to destabilize Mexico.
The day care is among a growing number of Mexican businesses that the United States has accused of being financed, owned or otherwise related to drug trafficking. Some of the businesses have been investigated by Mexican authorities and apparently given a clean bill of health, but are struggling to get the United States to lift sanctions it has imposed on them.
'It's been devastating for us; we don't have access to credit or anything else,' said María Teresa Zambada Niebla, a part owner of Happy Child. Zambada Niebla is El Mayo's daughter but says she is estranged from her father."


Saturday 10 April 2010

Financier boasted of his ties to bikers - thestar.com

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Financier boasted of his ties to bikers - thestar.com: "Following the Star's publication Thursday of a story linking Rahim Jaffer to Gillani, dozens of people who claim they were burned by Gillani called to vent their anger. Two groups of businessmen have made complaints to police. And on Gillani's International Strategic Initiatives website, the list of eight employees dropped to two overnight (just Gillani and his vice-president, ex-Argo Mike Mihelic).
So how did Gillani and Jaffer, a Tory politician, meet in the first place?
Both men are Ismaili Muslims. Gillani's family is one of a group of well-off, financially astute businessmen in Toronto. Jaffer was introduced to Gillani's family – it's not known by whom – in 2008 and they struck up a friendship that involved dinners and trips to Club Paradise, a strip club on Bloor St. Whether Jaffer knew of his new friend's background is unclear. For the past three weeks the Star has tried to get both men to discuss their relationship, to no avail.
As the Star reported this week, both men discussed Jaffer's ability to provide businesses with government 'green grants' at various business meetings, one with a trio of high-class escorts.
According to one source (a businessman who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to Gillani), Gillani remarked in October that he was 'out with Helena Guergis and Rahim' at a dinner. This was about three weeks after Jaffer was charged with speeding, drunk driving and cocaine possession. Whether Guergis knew about Gillani's background is also unclear."


German gang member charged with 1977 murder - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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German gang member charged with 1977 murder - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Germany has charged a former member of a radical militant group, known as the Baader Meinhof gang, with the 1977 murder of a federal prosecutor.
The killing of Siegfried Buback was one of the highest profile murders carried out by the Red Army Faction guerrilla group.
The prosecutor and two men escorting him were ambushed at traffic lights and shot dead.
Germany has charged 57-year-old Verena Becker for her suspected role in the murder.
She was arrested in 1977 a month after the assassination, but released because of a lack of evidence.
Police say they have now found her DNA on a letter, in which her group claimed responsibility.
She has served 12 years in prison for six other murders."


Thursday 8 April 2010

Italian authorities seized land and buildings worth more than 700-million euros from suspected mafia members

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Wednesday 7 April 2010

Bulldog gangster landed himself in jail Tuesday after being caught driving a stolen vehicle equipped with "On Star" technology.

Posted On 09:32 0 comments

 Bulldog gangster landed himself in jail Tuesday after being caught driving a stolen vehicle equipped with "On Star" technology.
Fresno Police Sergeant Eddie Barrios says "On Star" clipped power to the stolen 2010 GMC truck -- forcing the suspect to flee on foot.
Florintino Higuera, 34, was subsequently arrested after a short pursuit that ended when he was confronted by a Fresno police officer and his K-9 companion.
Higuera was found to have a loaded handgun holstered to his shoulder with additional ammo clipped to his waist and a bag filled with narcotics, cash and another handgun


Tuesday 6 April 2010

Four feet phallus causes offence in North Yorkshire village but shopkeeper vows to ‘Free Willy’

Posted On 15:39 1 comments



A North Yorkshire shopkeeper has had a key piece of stock confiscated by North Yorkshire Police after it caused a string of complaints.

Jason Hadlow, owner of Simply Dutch at Leeming Bar, has been issued with a public order offence and will face a fine if he wants to reclaim the garden ornament.

Jason recently received a new range of garden furniture including a four feet penis-shaped obelisk which went on display in Simply Dutch’s window at the end of March.

Following complaints from local people, North Yorkshire Police visited the store, removed the offending ornament, worth in the region of £200, and issued Jason with a public order offence for ‘displaying a sign or item liable to cause harassment, alarm or distress.’

Jason must now pay £80 by Friday 9th April to retrieve the item from Northallerton Police Station, or could face court action. However, the entrepreneur, from Yarm, is refusing to back down stating that the phallus is in keeping with Simply Dutch’s quirky ethos and has even started a ‘Free Willy’ campaign in store and on Facebook.

Jason said: “The world is a crazy place and I'm sure the local constabulary has better things to do. It’s just another example of overzealous policing and I couldn’t believe they were serious. We might have had one or two complaints but most of the customers loved it as they know what Simply Dutch is like and the type of things we stock.

“We’ve had naked stone strippers, Roman and Greek-style statues, African pothouses and all sorts of other weird pieces of furniture in the window which haven’t caused such a stir. So I am a little shocked, to say the least, that an £80 ransom is being demanded for the phallus


Monday 5 April 2010

Four were killed and two critically injured after shots broke out inside Hot Spot Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant on Riverside Drive

Posted On 19:40 0 comments

 Four were killed and two critically injured after shots broke out inside Hot Spot Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant on Riverside Drive near Colfax Avenue, in what some are calling an Armenian mafia or gang hit.
"This is not a random act of violence," explained Kirk Albanese, the Deputy Chief for the LAPD's Valley Bureau. "This is an intentional act and this is an investigation that will require a great deal of effort on the part of our detectives."
Around 4:40 p.m., a group of people were eating at the restaurant when the incident occurred. Albanese could not confirm details initially reported in the media. "We need to answer [questions] correctly with an investigation that does so with the facts."
Early media reports said a white 30-year-old male, possibly Armenian, walked in with a gun, but a cautious Albanese deflected. "We don't now if it's one or more gunman," he said, citing the large number of bullets expended. Whether the suspect or suspects walked in or were already inside was unknown, he added. No official suspect description has been released.

valley-village-armenian-mafia-shooting2.jpg
Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist

All victims were men. Three of them were dead on scene while three others were transported the hospital where one died. The two others were in critical but stable condition and are expected to survive.
The shooting was rumored to be tied to organized crime. According to sources to the LA Times, it "might have involved Armenian gangs" while other media gathered at the scene spoke of the Armenian mafia. Police said they had no further information in that regards, citing it's too early to say.
Those rumors were further fueled by neighbors of the eatery. "How do you run a business when there are no customers?" questioned Bettye Hicks, who lives down the street.
Matt Edwards, a neighbor who heard the gunshots, said he immediately knew the incident happened there. "The place is so shady," he said of the place, described by the Times as a mom and pop mom-and-pop restaurant. "It opened like five years ago... I went in there to get something to eat and they didn't even know what they were doing making the food."
One employee at Marie Et Cie, a coffee house catty corner to the restaurant, said no one ever goes in and out of the business. And numerous neighbors noted how often private parties occurred there.
Addressing any concern, L.A. City Councilman Paul Krekorian, who represents Valley Village, said "this wasn't a random act, there isn't an immediate danger to the community."
When Tony Braswell, President of the Valley Village Neighborhood Council arrived at the scene, police immediately addressed the same concern. "Our senior lead officer was here... He came over and said 'this is not about Valley Village, it's isolated.'
Braswell then relayed information to the Council's network of neighborhood watches and informed other community groups. He said the senior lead officer also sent out an e-mail to community members.
Outside the police perimeter, a distraught woman who said her husband was shot tried to gather information from detectives. A few small groups of Armenian men gathered throughout the night.
"We will get to the bottom of it and we will get to the bottom of it quickly," Krekorian said. 


Mexican DTOs are the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States

Posted On 18:44 0 comments

Mexican DTOs are the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States; they control most of the U.S. drug market and have established varied transportation routes, advanced communications capabilities, and strong affiliations with gangs in the United States. Mexican DTOs control a greater portion of drug production, transportation, and distribution than any other criminal group or DTO. Their extensive drug trafficking activities in the United States generate billions of dollars in illicit proceeds annually. Law enforcement reporting indicates that Mexican DTOs maintain drug distribution networks or supply drugs to distributors in at least 230 U.S. cities. Mexican drug traffickers transport multiton quantities of drugs from Mexico into the United States annually using overland, maritime, and air conveyances. The use of varied conveyances enables Mexican drug traffickers to consistently deliver illicit drugs from Mexico to warehouse locations in the United States for subsequent distribution.
Mexico- and U.S.-based Mexican drug traffickers employ advanced communication technology and techniques to coordinate their illicit drug trafficking activities. Law enforcement reporting indicates that several Mexican DTOs maintain cross-border communication centers in Mexico near the U.S.-Mexico border to facilitate coordinated cross-border smuggling operations. These centers are staffed by DTO members who use an array of communication methods, such as Voice over Internet Protocol, satellite technology (broadband satellite instant messaging), encrypted messaging, cell phone technology, two-way radios, scanner devices, and text messaging, to communicate with members. In some cases DTO members use high-frequency radios with encryption and rolling codes to communicate during cross-border operations.

Mexican DTOs continue to strengthen their relationships with U.S-based street gangs, prison gangs, and OMGs for the purpose of expanding their influence over domestic drug distribution. Although gangs do not appear to be part of any formal Mexican DTO structure, several Mexican DTOs use U.S.-based gangs to smuggle and distribute drugs, collect drug proceeds, and act as enforcers. Mexican DTOs’ use of gang members for these illegal activities insulates DTO cell members from law enforcement detection. Members of most Mexican Cartels–Sinaloa, Gulf, Juárez, and Tijuana –maintain working relationships with many street gangs and OMGs.

The National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 (National Gang Intelligence Center, January 2009) discusses — again in a general way with a few lame “examples” — the interfaces of U.S.-side gangs with the Mexican DTOs and other criminal organizations:

Gang Relationships With DTOs and Other Criminal Organizations
Some larger gangs have developed regular working relationships with DTOs and other criminal organizations in Mexico, Central America, and Canada to develop sources of supply for wholesale quantities of illicit drugs and to facilitate other criminal activities. According to law enforcement information, gang members provide Mexican DTOs with support, such as smuggling, transportation, and security. Specific examples include:Some prison gangs are capable of directly controlling or infuencing the smuggling of multihundred kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine weekly into the United States.
Cross-Border Gang Activity U.S.-based gang members are increasingly involved in cross-border criminal activities, particularly in areas of Texas and California along the U.S.-Mexico border. Much of this activity involves the trafficking of drugs and illegal aliens from Mexico into the United States and considerably adds to gang revenues. Further, gangs are increasingly smuggling weapons from the United States into Mexico as payment for drugs or to sell for a significant profit. Examples of such cross border activities include:

Street and prison gang members have established networks that work closely with Mexican DTOs in trafficking cocaine and marijuana from Mexico into the United States for distribution.

Some Mexican DTOs contract with gangs in the Southwest Region to smuggle weapons from the United States to Mexico, according to open source information.

A Case In Point

This is where specific facts alleged in an actual case help fill in the picture.

The following excerpt from an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint in the pending case of United States V. Mauricio Mendez (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Docket No. 3:09-mj-00473-RBB, filed Feb. 13, 2009) alleges in some detail how the drug trade is actually working on the ground between at least this Mexican Mafia crew and a Mexican DTO:

Beginning in early 2008, a drug trafficking group associated with the Arellano-Felix drug trafficking organization began to interact with, and pay “taxes” to, the Mexican Mafia. The Arellano-Felix group paid its “taxes” to the Mexican Mafia primarily by providing representatives of the Mexican Mafia with drugs.

In early September 2008, agents recorded a meeting between the leader of the Arellano-Felix group and defendants [Mauricio] Mendez and [Ruben] Gonzalez. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Arellano-Felix group’s aiding another Mexican drug trafficking group associated with the Mexican Mafia. One of the leaders of the other drug trafficking group was defendant Jorge Lerma-Duenas. Lerma-Duenas’ group claimed to have a means of smuggling bulk shipments of marijuana and other drugs through the international ports of entry by using commercial trucking from Mexico. However, Lerma-Duenas’ group claimed that a switch in the drivers of the commercial trucks had interfered with their smuggling scheme. Mendez stated that he and other gang members intended to travel to Mexico in order to disable the uncooperative driver so that the other, co-opted driver could retake the route — it was Mendez’s stated intent to break both of the uncooperative driver’s legs. Mendez sought the Arellano-Felix group’s aid in providing additional security for Mendez for the trip to Mexico. The leader of the Arellano-Felix group agreed to provide security for Mendez but also sought to form a larger relationship with Lerma-Duenas’ drug trafficking group in order to use Lerma-Duenas’ trucking route to smuggle marijuana for the Arellano-Felix group. Over the next weeks, agents recorded more meetings in which these topics were discussed between the leader of the Arellano-Felix group, Mendez and Lerma-Duenas. Mendez also brought members of his crew to these meetings…
Cross-border relations apparently are not limited to the business of drugs. The affidavit also describes a 2008 kidnapping and attempted murder in San Diego that was commissioned from Mexico:
The next series of events arises out of the armed kidnapping and subsequent attempted murder of a male victim by defendant Mendez’s crew. In a recorded meeting, Mendez admitted that the kidnapping was committed on behalf of individuals in Mexico. The kidnapping was foiled when the victim succeeded in fleeing his kidnappers. At the time, one of the kidnappers…attempted to shoot the victim but missed. Officers recovered a .40 caliber shell casing at the scene of the shooting.The affidavit and a subsequent indictment detail many other violent criminal acts committed by this Eme crew. But these paragraphs speak directly to the relationship of at least this crew and the Mexican side of the violent drug trade.


Saturday 3 April 2010

two men killed by the police have been identified as Richard Lawn, aka 'Richie Blacks', and Anthony 'Bolo' Christie.

Posted On 15:29 0 comments

St James police yesterday said they found a hit list with the names of 32 civilians and four cops on the body of an alleged gangster.According to the St James Police Divisional commander, Superintendent Merrick Watson, the alleged gangster was one of two men killed by members of the security forces between Holy Thursday and the wee hours of yesterday."For security purposes we cannot show the list here... the intention is to find these individuals (on the list) and question them and inform them that their names are on a hit list," Superintendent Watson told members of the media at a press conference at the Freeport Police Station late yesterday.
The two men killed by the police have been identified as Richard Lawn, aka 'Richie Blacks', and Anthony 'Bolo' Christie.According to Watson, the police were conducting an operation in the Rose Mount Meadows section of the parish at about 9:30 pm Thursday when Lawn, who was described as a "top-tier" member of the reputed Stone Crusher Gang, traded bullets with them.After the shooting subsided, the list and one Beretta 9mm pistol, loaded with six 9mm cartridges were recovered from his body.Christie was also killed in a shoot-out yesterday with members of the security team that was conducting an operation in the gritty inner-city community of Bottom Pen. A SIG Sauer .45 pistol loaded with five .45 cartridges was allegedly taken from him.But in the wake of the killing, family members and other members of the Bottom Pen community staged a demonstration in the community in protest over what they said was the cold-blooded murder of Christie by the police.


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