Wednesday, March 16, 2016

An inside look Inside the ruthless world of the mafia bosses who Melbourne lawyer Joe 'Pino' Acquaro had fallen out with before his assasination


Dangerous liaisons: Mafia lawyer Joseph Acquaro represented some of the Calabrian community's most dangerous men, including Pasquale Barbaro and Frank Madafferi, who were jailed for the importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets
Photo: ABC

Dangerous liaisons: Mafia lawyer Joseph Acquaro represented some of the Calabrian community's most dangerous men, including Pasquale Barbaro and Frank Madafferi, who were jailed for the importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets



'Tell him to get his f***in' coffin ready'

 
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  Joseph 'Pino' Acquaro gunned down outside his gelati shop Gelobar
 Assassinated lawyer Joe Acquaro fell out with violent mafia drug bosses

 Acquaro's friend Frank Madafferi once threatened to behead a man
  He also defended Pasquale Barbaro in 1.2 million tablet Ecstasy ring
  Both men were jailed and then Acquaro fell out with Madafferi
  If Acquaro murder was outside hit Calabrian mafia would have hit back






Slain gangland lawyer Joe Acquaro is believed to have fallen out with two of the most dangerous members of the Calabrian mafia before he was shot dead outside his Melbourne gelato bar, including a vicious, volatile leader from one of the 31 Calabrian mafia families who control the Australian drug trade
Acquaro, who was shot dead in the early hours of Tuesday morning outside his East Brunswick gelato bar, was once the trusted legal representative and a lifelong friend of jailed Francesco Madafferi, a feared figure in Melbourne's drug trade who once threatened to cut the head of an associate who had crossed him and chop up his body.
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Madafferi's preparedness to commit savage violence was shown in a conversation in a police phone tap he had with fellow mafia boss, Pasquale Barbaro.
In the exchange bewteen the Australian mafia top two bosses, Madafferi told Barbaro: 'Tell him that he can go get his f***ing coffin, get it f***ing ready'.
In the conversation, revealed by former NSW Police Asistant Commissioner and author of a recent about abut the mafia in Australia, Clive Small, Madafferi threatens to cut off an associate's head and tells Barbaro that in terms of mafia patches: 'Melbourne is mine'.
Joe Acauro represnted many Calabrian Australians including drug boss Pasquale Barbaro who received a life sentence for the importation of 15 million tablets





Once his trusted legal adviser and lifelong friend, Joe Acquaro fell out with Melbourne mafia drug don Frank Madafferi (pictured) , who once threatened to chop an associate's head off, cut him 'into little pieces' and eat him 'one bite at a time'


Enemies: Once his trusted legal adviser and lifelong friend, Joe Acquaro allegedly fell out with mafia drug boss Pasquale Barbaro (left) and Melbourne mafia don Frank Madafferi (right)who he represented at their trials for the importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets





One of Joe Acquaro's clients was Ecstasy importer Pasquale Barbaro, pictured (left) under police surveillance in Melbourne, who comes from a Calabrian Italian family one of just 31 in Australia who control the drug trade
One of Joe Acquaro's clients was Ecstasy importer Pasquale Barbaro, pictured (left) under police surveillance in Melbourne, who comes from a Calabrian Italian family one of just 31 in Australia who control the drug trade
Slain lawyer Joe Acquaro had also been the lawyer for Rocco Arico (pictured) an alleged organised crime figure, but he had fallen out with his former client and friend, Frank Madafferi
Slain lawyer Joe Acquaro had also been the lawyer for Rocco Arico (pictured) an alleged organised crime figure, but he had fallen out with his former client and friend, Frank Madafferi



Joe Acquaro represented both Madafferi and Barbaro at their trial resulting from the phone taps, for Australia's largest-ever ecstasy drug importation.

Police arrested more than 30 members of the drug ring involved in the 2007 importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets stamped with kangaroo symbols and hidden in tomato tins.






Madafferi received ten years in prison and Barbaro, the former boss of the Griffith-based mafia, was sentenced to life behind bars.

Victorian police detectives investigating the suspected mafia killing of Acquaro are crossing the border to interview members of the Calabrian mafia, N'Drangheta, from Griffith, the south-western NSW town regarded as Australia's drug capital.

Griffith has been an N'Drangehta's power base for decades since notorious mafia godfather 'Aussie Bob' Trimbole allegedly murdered anti-drugs campaigner, Donald Mackay in 1977.

Over a decade from 1995, Joe Acquaro helped Madafferi fight deportation back to his Calabrian homeland in Italy, where he had allegedly committed crimes.

Joseph Acquaro had once been the 'go to' lawyer for Melbourne's Calabrian community early in his career (pictured) representing witnesses to the 1992 mafia hit on Melbourne fruiterer Alfonso 'The Fonse' Muratore
Joseph Acquaro had once been the 'go to' lawyer for Melbourne's Calabrian community early in his career (pictured) representing witnesses to the 1992 mafia hit on Melbourne fruiterer Alfonso 'The Fonse' Muratore

Police spent tens of thousands of hours keeping Pasquale Barbaro (second from right) and his gang  under video and phone intercept surveillance, meaning Acquaro could not prevent Barbaro from getting life in prison
Police spent tens of thousands of hours keeping Pasquale Barbaro (second from right) and his gang under video and phone intercept surveillance, meaning Acquaro could not prevent Barbaro from getting life in prison







The Ecstasy importation of 1.2 million tablets (pictured) organised by Joe Acquaro's clients, Frank Madafferi, and Pasquale Barbaro was uncovered by the Australian Federal Police in 2007
The Ecstasy importation of 1.2 million tablets (pictured) organised by Joe Acquaro's clients, Frank Madafferi, and Pasquale Barbaro was uncovered by the Australian Federal Police in 2007

Griffith drug baron 'Aussie Bob' Trimbole (above) was the cannabis kingpin in Australia's drug capital which became infamous after the mafia hit on anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay

Griffith drug baron 'Aussie Bob' Trimbole (above) was the cannabis kingpin in Australia's drug capital which became infamous after the mafia hit on anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay

When the Federal Liberal Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone granted Madafferi citizenship in 2006,  he began planning with Pasquale Barbaro the tomato tin Ecstasy importation.

The Herald Sun reported that Joe Acquaro had spoken recently of falling out with Madafferi who had been a lifelong friend, and he felt isolated.

Acquaro had once been the 'go to' lawyer for Melbourne's Calabrian community after, early on in his career, representing witnesses to the 1992 mafia hit on Melbourne fruiterer Alfonso 'The Fonse' Muratore.


More recently he defended alleged gangland boss Rocco Arico. Detectives had warned Mr Acquaro there was a $500,000 contract out on his head.

The Herald Sun reported that reported that after that members of the gangland task force went to a friend of Frank Madafferi about the contract and warned him he would be spoken to again if anything happened to Mr Acquaro.

'I cannot understand why the police would do that,' Clive Small told Daily Mail Australia. 'There's something wrong with that.'

Mr Small whose recent book Evil Life revealed explosive details of the relationship between the Australian mafia and local politicians, said the only alternative possibility to Mr Acquaro's presumed mafia assassination was an outside hit.

Police conduct aerial surveillance of an orange orchard in 2011 near Griffith,NSW, known for decades as the drug capital of Australia and a power base for Calabrian mafia families who control the drug trade
Police conduct aerial surveillance of an orange orchard in 2011 near Griffith,NSW, known for decades as the drug capital of Australia and a power base for Calabrian mafia families who control the drug trade

Among Jose Acquaro's early clients were Calabrian witnesses to the mafia murder of Melbourne fruiterer Alfonso Muratore (pictured) who was shot dead outside his home 28 years after his father was killed in similar circumstances
Among Jose Acquaro's early clients were Calabrian witnesses to the mafia murder of Melbourne fruiterer Alfonso Muratore (pictured) who was shot dead outside his home 28 years after his father was killed in similar circumstances

 


Police discovered 1.2 million Ecstasy pills (pictured) imported from Italy by Pasquale Barbaro's drug ring and concealed in tomato tins which sat on the wharf while detectives watch the members of the gang

Police discovered 1.2 million Ecstasy pills (pictured) imported from Italy by Pasquale Barbaro's drug ring and concealed in tomato tins which sat on the wharf while detectives watch the members of the gang

'But if that had been the case, the Calabrian mafia would have been forced to protect [Aquaro] and gone and killed the person who put the bounty on Aquaro's head,' he said.

'That only leaves the option that Acquaro did something to offend the mafia boss and that he has been killed ... as a means of conveying that there are consequences to breaching the mafia code.

'It's to show discipline and of the three main mafia groups, the Camorra, the Sicilian mafia and the Calabrian mafia, the N'Drangheta, who come from the the region in the far southern 'boot' of Italy, known for its rugged territory and its secret societies.

'It is is the Calabrians who are most disciplined. Their approach to betrayal or disobedience ... is go convey their authority.'

Clive Small revealed the phone tap conversation between Frank Madafferi and Pasquale Barbaro, which took place when the their 1.2 million Ecstasy tablet importation scheme was coming unstuck. 

Slain lawyer Joe Acquaro defended Ecstasy king pin and mafia boss, Pasquale Barbaro, (pictured) who is serving life in prison
The police uncovery of the importation of 15 million Ecstasy tablets which saw the arrest of 30 men including Black Uhlans bikie gang founder John Higgs (above)
Ecstasy king pin and mafia boss, Pasquale Barbaro, (pictured, left) who is serving life in prison for the importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets which saw the arrest of 30 men including Black Uhlans bikie gang founder John Higgs (right)

Police arrested more than 30 members of the drug ring involved in the 2007 importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets stamped with kangaroo symbols (pictured) and hidden in tomato tins
Police arrested more than 30 members of the drug ring involved in the 2007 importation of 1.2 million Ecstasy tablets stamped with kangaroo symbols (pictured) and hidden in tomato tins



The tomato tins filled with Ecstasy tablets that Pasquale Barbaro imported into Australia and sat on the Melbourne wharf for six months while the drug syndicate wondered if police were surveilling them
The tomato tins filled with Ecstasy tablets that Pasquale Barbaro imported into Australia and sat on the Melbourne wharf for six months while the drug syndicate wondered if police were surveilling them

In July 2008, Madafferi was highly agitated about one of the drug syndicate's underlings called Pino Varallo, who he was threatening to 'chop into little pieces' and eat 'one bite at a time'.

Caught on Australian Federal Police telephone intercepts, Madafferi was talking down the phone to Ecstasy drug syndicate boss, Pasquale Barbaro, complaining that the tablets he had sold cheaply for $8 each had been onsold by Varallo for $8.50.

When Barbaro put Varallo on to talk, Madafferi claimed the right to set the price of Ecstasy in his home city, although acknowledging that the other states were under Barbaro's control.

'[I'm] responsible fo Melbourne... Melbourne is mine,' he yelled at Varallao, warning him not to 'break my f***ing balls on my f***ing turf'.

In the ensuing days, Madafferi did not let up telling Barbaro: 'I'm going to pull his f***ing head off ... I'm going to eat him alive. Tell him that he can go get his f***ing coffin, get it f***ing ready.'

Police burn part of a $23 million cannabis crop uncovered in 2011 raids at Griffith, NSW,  Australia's notorious drug capital and home to the Calabrian mafia
Police burn part of a $23 million cannabis crop uncovered in 2011 raids at Griffith, NSW,  Australia's notorious drug capital and home to the Calabrian mafia

A terrified Varallo told Barbaro that Madafferi was 'going off his rocker... off his tree' and had threatened to slit Varallo's throat or shoot him.



Evil Life, which is co-authored by journalist Tom Gilling, also recounts the history of the mafia in Australia, beginning in the 1920s when shootings, bombings and extortions began among Italian immigrants to a new life.

Mr Small said the relationship between the Federal Liberal Party and Francesco Madafferi was interesting.



Senior Liberal politician and then immigration minister Philip Ruddock ordered Madafferi's deportation on the grounds he was unsuitable because of offences against him in Italy.

Madafferi had married an Australian woman and they had children while he fought the order. Then Senator Amanda Vanstone replaced Ruddock as the minister and in 2005 she personally stepped in to quash the deportation.

Vanstone said she did it on 'humanitarian grounds'. Thereafter Calabrian families in Victoria raised a $140,000 donation to the Liberal Party. 



Vanstone was appointed ambassador to Italy in June 2007. There is no suggestion that Ms Vanstone acted improperly. 



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