9 arrested, $35 million of items seized in organized crime bust

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Follow the money.

That’s what York Regional Police did and a result they have arrested and charged Angelo Figliomeni — the suspected boss of the Figliomeni crime family operating in Woodbridge for three decades — plus eight others allegedly under his direction, after an 18-month-long illegal gaming investigation known as Project Sindacato.

“We detected a spike in violent crime in the city of Vaughan in 2017,” York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe said Thursday during a well-attended and well-guarded news conference at headquarters in Aurora.

“Violence that targeted both people and property. We know that this violence was associated to organized crime and included an incident of attempted murder, drive-by shootings and arsons,” he added.

As a result, York cops struck a permanent organized crime task force that they say will continue to operate and hopefully target even more organized crime groups.

“(The Figliomeni crime family which was directly associated with Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta) have legitimized themselves by funneling illegal profits through businesses, financial institutions, car dealerships, finance companies and even charities. And we know that they have laundered tens of millions of dollars through casinos (sometimes as much $30,000-$50,000 nightly) across Ontario,” Jolliffe alleged.

Between July 12 and 14, more than 500 officers from eight police services served 48 warrants in Vaughan and the GTA on 27 residences and 11 gaming houses. They seized 23 cars including five Ferraris, $1 million in cash, $1 million in jewelry including Rolex watches, as well as gaming and ATM machines — all totalling over $35 million.

“(The Figliomeni crime family) has benefitted from generations of crime to live a glamorous and indulgent lifestyle at the expense of law-abiding citizens,” Jolliffe alleged. “We have dismantled the financial structure of this organized crime organization both here and in Italy.”

The Italian State Police held a simultaneous news conference overseas in Italy detailing arrests made in Calabria and one of their members was present at the York Regional Police event.

Among the eight charges that Figliomeni faces are instructing or directing a criminal organization, laundering proceeds of crime and defrauding the government of Canada.

“Investigators targeted 11 cafes which generated much of the money for the Figliomeni family,” alleged Det.-Sgt. Carl Mattinen, of the Organized Crime and Intelligence Services — Traditional Organized Crime Task Force.

“A large portion of this income stems from the use of video gaming machines and the loans (some as high as 60% interest) made to patrons to keep them gambling regardless of the amount of debt that they occurred,” he alleged. “The astronomical interest rate, or ‘juice’ as it’s known, keeps the organization in a continual flow of illegal funds.”

“People caught in this cycle were gambling away their life savings while members of this criminal organization used intimidation and violence including shootings, arsons and other threats to collect their outstanding debts,” Mattinen alleged.

“This violence affects everyone in the community, not just the criminals and their intended victims. Our focus on the financials is what will truly make a long-lasting impact on crime,” he added.

Also involved in the investigation were investigators with the Canada Revenue Agency, the OPP, Peel Regional Police, Canada Border Services and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

Mattinen said while victims of organized crime have been afraid to come forward to testify in the past, this investigation has something else going for it as the case goes before the courts.

“Forensic accounting is not afraid, math is not afraid, documentary evidence is not afraid,” he said. “We can tender that in court with no worry of recant or fear from the community.”

One more person, Giacomo Cassano, 46, of Toronto, is still wanted on various offences.

PROJECT SINDICATO BY THE NUMBERS

Length: 18 months

Warrants issued; 48

Police officers involved in serving warrants: 500

Police services involved: Eight

People charged: nine, one more still wanted

Homes seized: 27

Value of homes: $24 million

Gaming houses raided: 11

Cars seized: 23

Ferraris seized: 5

Value of cars: $3.5 million

Value of jewelry seized: $1 million

Bank accounts de-listed: Between 400-500 in Canada

Value of all seizures: $35 million

Money believed to have been laundered in a few years: $70 million