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Sean Patrick Callan (no login)
Posted Jan 22, 2007 12:28 AM
Italian Crime Connections
The influence of Italian families and syndicates affiliated with organised crime is said to have been entrenched in the underworld of Australia's east coast since the 1930's this page includes a brief history and a glossary of terms. The identities discussed below include:
Vincenzo Angiletta, Giuseppe 'Joe' Arena, , Antonio Barbara, Frank Benvenuto, Liborio Benvenuto, Domenico Cirillo, Domenico Demarte, Giuseppe Furina, Santo Ippolito, Domenico Italiano, Rocco Medici, Antonio Monaco, Vincenzo Muratore, Alfonso Muratore, Robert Nancarrow, Antonio Peluso, Guiseppe 'Joe' Quadara, Gantanol 'Tom' Scriva, Michele Scriva, Giuseppe Sofra, John Vasilopolous
LATEST: September 2002
Domenico "Mick" Italiano, from the family of former Melbourne Godfather Benvenuto Italiano, was a suspect in the 1998 murder of John Furlan.
The motor mechanic's Subaru Liberty exploded soon after he left his Coburg house early on August 3, 1998.
MORE
The Australian based group of Mafia-style Italian criminals is known as the Honoured Society. Other names bestowed on them have included the 'Black Hand'. In Calabrian parlance, the Honoured Society was referred to as L'Onorata or N'Dranghita.
Mob related extortion in Queenslands cane fields in the 1930's is generally seen as the birth of Mafia style corruption in Australia.
Within the fruit and vegetable industry, Calabrian immigrants had received considerable assistance from the Honoured Society. In turn they were indebted, often for life.
While drugs, particularly marijuana, have become a huge money spinner for the Society, its role in primary production is very strong. Society members have been able to use their agricultural skills to grow crops as well as using their place in the fruit and vegetable industry to transport and distribute the drug.
American organised crime investigator John. T. Cusack was summoned to Australia by local police to see if he could help them improve their insight into the Honoured society. Before returning to the US on August 11, 1964, he reported, among other things, that there were five established rules within the Society.
1. Aid was to be extended to a member no matter what the circumstances.
2. There was to be absolute obedience to the officers of the society.
3. An offence against an an individual member was an attack on the Society and must be avenged.
4. No member will turn to a government agency for justice.
5. Omerta, the code of silence, must always be obeyed. No member was to reveal any of the organisations secrets. 'They realise in silence there is security while testimony against a Society member can bring death', Cusack said.
1963-64 market murders: Committed at the height of a struggle for control of Melbourne's Mafia.
Omerta: Code of silence followed by Honoured Society and similar Mafioso groups.
Domenico Italiano (Godfather died December 1962)
Domenico was known as 'Il Papa', or 'the Pope' and was the Godfather of the Honoured Society.
Vincenzo Muratore was his trusted lieutenant and Antonio Barbara, Italiano's right hand man.
Domenico was the father in law of notorious hit-man, Michele Scriva.
Domenico Italiano died peacefully of old age in his West Melbourne home in December 1962.
His funeral was held at St. Mary's Star, of the Sea.
Antonio Barbara (Died 1963)
'The Toad', as Antonio Barbara was known, had served five years jail for killing a woman near Queen Victoria market in 1936.
Soon after the December 1962 death of Domenico Italiano, Barbara, another senior member of the society died.
He was Italiano's right hand man and was well known for violence.
His death, on the heels of Italiano's, left a huge hole in the upper echelons of the Honoured Society.
Vincenzo Angiletta (Shot dead April 1963)
A gunman who migrated to Australia in 1951. He became a producer of fruit and vegetables for the Society.
He wanted the society to be like the Sicilian Mafia in the United States and called for extortion rackets to include non- Italians.
This was rejected by Demarte and other Society elders.
Angiletta reacted to this snub by refusing to sell his produce to designated wholesalers and going direct to the public.
He was warned but refused to conform. Angiletta was stabbed once on Society orders but still refused to return to the fold.
He was then kidnapped and covered in excrement at Woodend. He vowed revenge and began his own group called La Bastarda- the Bastard Society and recruited 300 members.
Angiletta sold his market garden in Kew to a Greek family rather than a designated Calabrian Family. It is believed that Angiletta then became a marked man. He began carrying a pistol.
In the early hours of April 4, 1963, Angiletta, by then employed as a cleaner, was hit twice in the head by shotgun fire as he parked his car in the garage of his Stafford Street, Northcote home at 2.30am.
Friends of Angletta blamed Demarte and Muratore.
Demarte was shot as he left his North Melbourne home at 3.30am on November 26, 1963.
He survived but decided to forgo all of his positions in the Honoured Society. Muratore was shot dead early in 1964.
Vincenzo Muratore was his financial advisor.
Domenico Demarte (Shot November 1963)
In 1963 Demarte became head of the Society after Domenico Italliano died.
Demarte, a market commission agent experienced problems when a rival faction emerged within the Society.
This was led by Vincenzo Angiletta. Angiletta was shot dead soon after. Angiletta's allies blamed Demarte and Alfonse Muratore.
Demarte was shot at and wounded by a shotgun blast while leaving his Chapman Street, North Melbourne home to go to market at 3.30am on November 26, 1963.
This was seen as revenge for the shooting of rebel member Vincenzo Angiletta, leader of La Bastarda. The shooters were believed to have been two relatives of Angilletta.
Demarte survived but decided to forgo his position in the Honoured Society.
Vincenzo Muratore (Shot dead January 1964)
Vincenzo had been a trusted lieutenant of 'Godfather' Domenico Italiano.
He was Domenico Demarte's financial advisor when Demarte took over as Melbourne's 'Godfather' after the deaths of Italiano and Antonio Barbara in 1962 and 1963.
Vincenzo was a prominent market merchant and commission agent and the father of Alfonso Muratore, shot dead in 1992.
Vincenzo was killed with a shotgun outside his Avondale Street, Hampton home on the way to a supermarket at 2.30am on January 16, 1964.
This was allegedly a payback for the Vincenzo Angiletta murder in April 1963. He was said to have been killed by two male relatives of Angilletta, one who escaped to Italy after the killing.
St Mary's Star of the Sea Church, West Melbourne, was the site of yet another grand scale community funeral after Muratore's murder
Antonio Monaco (Shot dead January 1964)
Monaco was a market seller.
He was shot dead on January 18, 1964 two days after Vincenzo Muratore's murder.
Monaco was leaving his Dandenong Road, Braeside home at about 2.30am.
The attack allegedly involved three men as a payback over a domestic dispute (Underbelly 1).
Domenico Cirillo (Shot February 1964)
Cirillo was a fruit and vegetable retailer.
He was wounded with a shotgun blast when leaving his Ardmillan Road, Moonee Ponds, home when leaving for market at 4.30am on February 6, 1964.
Two people have been said to have been involved in the attack which came about as the result of a domestic and financial dispute (Underbelly 1).
Rocco Medici - Giuseppe Furina (Found dead May 1984)
Medici was a close associate of Liborio Benvenuto.
He was found tortured near the Murrumbidgee River with brother in law Giuseppe Furina on May 6, 1984.
Medici and Furina were both from the Melbourne suburb of East Keilor
and were associates of Laurence Sumner, one of Victoria's most notorious criminals.
Sumner was said to have supplied the bomb which took out Liborio Benvenuto's land cruiser and it has been alleged that Medici and Furina were killed as payback for the explosion.
Sumner was an associate of several Italian crime figures and a close friend of "The Friendly Godfather" Giuseppe 'Joe' Arena, who was gunned down in his Bayswater home in 1988.
Giuseppe Sofra (Shot June 1985)
Soffra was a green grocer
He was shot three times in the back of his legs at his Springvale Road fruit shop on June 19, 1985.
The shop was owned by Anotonio Madafferi.
The shootings were said to have been related to a price cutting war in the area and a warning to the two men.
Liborio Benvenuto (Godfather dies - May 1988)
Liborio was born in Calabria December 15, 1927. Involved in the fruit and vegetable industry, he was the son of a man reputed to be 'in charge' of several Calabrian villages.
Benvenuto was described as a small and dapper fellow.
He was a close associate of Joe Arena (shot dead 1988).
Liborio was the father of Frank Benvenuto, shot dead on May 8, 2000.
Liborio Benvenuto rose to prominence following the 1963-64 market murders of Muratore and Angiletta and became the undisputed Godfather of Melbourne.
Benvenuto's right hand man was Michele Scriva. He was married to a daughter of Domenico Italiano. Scriva'a son, Tom, married one of Benvenuto's daughters.
Benvenuto was the father-in-law of Vincenzo Muratore (killed during the wars in 1964). His daughter was married to Vincenzo's son, Alfonso (killed in 1992), until he left her.
On May 10, 1983, Benvenuto's four wheel drive was blown up at the market.
No one was hurt. A shotgun was found in the car.
Benvenuto said at the time: "I have no enemies, only friends at the market. "I don't know why anyone would do this at all. "I have never done anyone any harm."
In 1984, the bodies of close-associates Rocco Medici and Giuseppe Furina were found in the Murrumbidgee River, believed by some to be a payback for the bomb.
An astute and experienced criminal, Laurence Joseph Sumner, is rumoured to have helped plant the bomb.
Sumner was also believed to have supplied the gun which was used to kill Joe Arena although it has also been said the pair were close friends.
Sumner was later involved in amphetamines and caught in a speed lab at his home in 1991. He then became an informant into one of Melbourne's biggest drug cartels.
Liborio Benvenuto died of natural causes in May 1988.
He had not considered son Frank a worthy successor and close associate Giuseppe "Joe" Arena' was summonsed to Benvenuto's Beaumauris home.
Discussions were held about him becoming head of the organization.
But on his death bed Liborio Benvenuto anointed son-in-law, Alfonso Muratore as Godfather.
In a shock move however Muratore declined the offer and the next year left his wife, Liborio's daughter, Angela, for mistress Karen Mansfield.
Muratore was shot dead outside his Hampton home it 1992.
An inquest heard allegations that Frank Benvenuto took out a contract of Muratore's life for snubbing the Honoured Society and his family but was never charged.
Frank Benvenuto was shot dead in May 2000.
Giuseppe "Joe" Arena's ascension never came to pass and a rival faction murdered him outside his Bona Vista Rd, Bayswater, home on August 1, 1988, six weeks after Benvenuto had died.
Arena was shot from behind with a shotgun, the traditional Honoured Society method of death with dishonour. The killing happened shortly after he and his wife came home from a wedding in Footscray.
Dominic "Mick" Gatto was considered a prime suspect but later spoke out and denied the allegations vehemently.
Michele Scriva
Michele was born in Reggio Calabria on June 19, 1919 and migrated to Australia in 1936.
Scriva, a notorious hit-man, was the right hand man for Liborio Benvenuto.
The pair were related through marriage. Michele was married to a daughter of Domenico Italiano and his son Tom married one of Benvenuto's daughters.
Scriva was a stall holder at Melbourne's fruit and vegetable markets and in 1945 was acquitted of murdering Giuseppe "Fat Joe" Versace in what was probably Victoria's first Mafia hit.
Versace was stabbed 91 times.
He was later sentenced to hang for stabbing Frederick Duffy to death in North Melbourne, but the sentence was later commuted and he served 10 years.
Giuseppe 'Joe' Arena (Shot dead August 1988)
Joe was known as the friendly Godfather.
He was a close associate of Liborio Benvenuto, undisputed Godfather of Melbourne.
It had been suggested by Liborio that Arena would take over after his impending death.
This never came to pass.
Arena was murdered in the backyard of his Bayswater home on August 1, 1988, a few months after Liborio had died.
It has been said he was killed on the instructions of a rival as he was seen as a possible successor as Honoured Society leader.
Former boxer and current building industry identity, Dominic "Mick" Gatto was considered a prime suspect but later spoke out and denied the allegations vehemently.
More on Giuseppe 'Joe' Arena
John Vasilopolous (Shot December 1990)
In 1989 a senior executive with retailer Coles-Myer called for an investigation into the mafia-style kick backs which seemed to becoming more prevalent at the fruit and vegetable market.
He employed John Vasilopolous to head an internal investigation.
Vasipolous severely rocked the system that the Honoured society had in place. He refused to pay bribes and also deemed some of the fruit to be of an unacceptable quality.
While this was happening, Coles manager Robert Desfosses was seriously assaulted by two men in the carpark of the Sunshine Fruit and Vegetable Distribution Centre on June 18, 1990.
In the same month the wife of Coles fruit and vegetable buyer Terry Hoskin received a call at her home claiming she would be going to her husband's funeral within a week.
Then in August 1990 Coles buyer Paul Rizza received an STD call at his home warning him, "You better watch your back."
The motive for this was aid to have been a direct attack on the efforts of Coles-Myer to clean up "corrupt market practices."
Then in November 1990, internal investigator John Vasilopolous received a number of threatening phone calls.
More of these calls were made to other investigators and Coles management in early December.
John Vasilopolous was blasted by a shotgun as he answered a knock at the door of his Ivanhoe home on December 19, 1990.
A man with an Australian accent who claimed to be 'Tony' shot him in the stomach.
Vasilopolous survived but resigned from his position.
Trouble continues for fruiterers (1991)
On March 26, 1991, Cheltenham fruiterer, Armedeo Di Gregorio was ambushed and robbed of $4000.
On May 16, 1991, another Cheltenham fruiter, Jack Degillio was ambushed and robbed of $1000 outside his home.
On June 8, 1991, arson caused $100,000 damage to Central Fruit Market in Bentleigh. The premises was doused with kerosene and set alight.
Antonio Peluso (Shot dead June 1991)
Peluso was a Glen Waverly Fruiterer.
He was ambushed and shot several times as he left his home on the way to the market. He died on the veranda of his home.
Peluso was robbed of $4000 but said to be carrying $7000.
Trouble continues for fruiterers (1991)
On June 27, 1991, East Doncaster Fruiterer, Tabaret Louey was bashed by two men and robbed of $2000 on the way to the market.
On July 3, 1991 Wantirna South fruiterer, Phillip Strati, was bashed and robbed of $5000 outside his home.
On August 5 1991 there was an attempt to blow up the Central Fruit Market after explosives were planted on the roof.
Petrol was added but failed to ignite.
On November 20, 1991 a similar attempt on the Central Market also failed.
Santo Ippolito (Beaten to death December 1991)
Ippolito was a retired fruiterer.
He was battered to death by a man who smashed his was into the victim's Springvale home on Christman Eve in 1991.
Ippolito and his wife were in bed after a family barbeque.
There were no demands and nothing was stolen.
A man had broken down Ippolito's front door, entered the bedroom and began beating him with an iron bar.
Ippolito's wife turned the light on but did not recognise the killer. She was bashed.
Ippolito died in hospital the next day.
The 71 year-old, was president of an RSL club and it was said that a dispute there lead to a hitman being paid to kill Ippolito.
On February 29, 1992 a Melbourne market fruiterer and his wife were pistol whipped and robbed of $5000 at their Wandin home by two masked men.
Robert Nancarrow (Beaten to death March 1992)
Robert was the founder of the Nancarrow supermarket chain.
He was beaten to death in his Northcote shop and drowned in his own blood on March 2, 1992. The motive was assumed to be robbery.
Costa rings in
It was then that big-time Geelong fruiterer Costa's Pty Ltd was called in by Coles-Myer.
They were seen as very trustworthy and reputable.
This was successful to a degree with company head and now Geelong Football Club President Frank Costa, appearing on ABC-TV's Four Corners program.
He spoke out against the corruption and spoke of the fear many fruiterers had for their lives.
In 1992 Alfonso Muratore and Orlando Luciano met with Coles-Myer executives in an attempt to smooth things over and to advise them of some of the questionable schemes that had operated at the market.
The meeting was highly secret and the city venue was checked extensively for bugs.
The two were believed to be making a solid sales pitch to the executives, ensuring them that they could do a better and 'cleaner job'.
Muratore was soon dead.
Alfonso Muratore (Shot dead August 1992)
The son of Vincenzo Muratore married Angela Benvenuto, the daughter of Melbourne 'Godfather', Liborio Benvenuto who died in 1988.
He did not consider his son Frank a worthy successor and on his death bed anointed Alfonso Muratore, his son-in-law.
But in a shock move, Muratore declined the offer and the next year left his wife, and Liborio's daughter, for mistress Karen Mansfield.
Alfonso had carried a .22 pistol since mid-1991 after being told that a contract had been taken on on his life.
In July 1992, fellow-fruiterer and associate, Orlando Luciano, met with Coles-Myer executives to discuss corruption problems at the fruit and vegetable markets and to make a sales pitch on their own behalf.
On August 4, 1992 Alfonso, then 39, was shot dead in Hampton as his father Vincenzo had been 28 years before.
He had left his Storey Avenue house with friend, and workmate Ron Lever, the step father of his de facto wife. Lever was shot in the legs to immobilise him but Muratore was shot four times and died instantly.
A 1995 inquest heard allegations that Frank Benvenuto took out a contract on Muratore's life for snubbing the Honoured Society and his family but was never charged. Benvenuto took over Muratore's fruit stall at the market after Alfonso was shot dead.
Ms Mansfield said at the inquest that Frank Benvenuto had tried to hire someone to kill Muratore.
He had been trying to regain control of the market stall when he was shot dead.
He had also told investigators about corruption involving supermarket buyers and fruit and vegetable wholesalers only two weeks before being executed.
Frank Benvenuto told the inquest he had no idea who had murdered Muratore.
Another man police saw as a suspect in Muratore's death was truck-driving fruiterer, Guiseppe 'Joe' Quadara.
Represented by jailed criminal lawyer, Andrew Fraser, it was speculated that Quadara eluded a payback hit when a man of the same name was shot dead in Toorak on Friday 28 May 1999.
Frank Benvenuto (Shot dead May 2000)
Frank was the son of former Melbourne Godfather, Liborio, who became Honoured Society crime boss after winning the bloody market wars of the 1960's.
Frank was related to Michele and Tom Scriva through marriage.
Frank was a known associate of the notorious Moran family.
Liborio Benvenuto, who died of natural causes in 1988, did not consider Frank a worthy successor.
At the time Benvenuto senior was critically ill, it was also thought son-in-law, Alfonso Muratore was not ready to take over the running of his empire.
Giuseppe "Joe'' Arena was summonsed by Benvenuto senior and discussions were held about him becoming head of the organisation.
But it never came to pass because a rival faction murdered Arena outside his Bayswater home shortly after.
Then, on his death bed, Liborio anointed his son-in-law, Alfonso Muratore.
But in a shock move, Muratore declined the offer and the next year left his wife Angela, and Frank's sister, for a mistress.
Muratore was shot dead outside his Hampton home in 1992.
An inquest heard allegations Benvenuto took out a contract of Muratore's life for snubbing the Honoured Society and his family but was never charged.
Benvenuto had no criminal record and detectives could not link him to Muratore's murder.
Benvenuto took over Muratore's fruit stall at the market after the killing.
Frank Benvenuto was shot in the chest at the wheel of his Holden Statesman outside his Beaumaris home at about 3pm on May 8, 2000.
He was on his way to the tip.
His falling out with Alfonso Muratore after Muratore left Angela Benvenuto for lover Karen Mansfield in 1989 is one avenue homicide detectives followed in trying to identify a motive for the murder.
Karen Mansfield said at Muratore's 1995 inquest that Frank Benvenuto had tried to hire someone to kill Muratore.
He had been trying to regain control of the market stall when he was shot dead.
He had also told investigators about corruption involving supermarket buyers and fruit and vegetable wholesalers only two weeks before being executed.
Frank Benvenuto told the inquest he had no idea who had murdered Muratore.
Victor Pierce, one of the men acquitted of the 1988 Walsh St police shootings and a member of the Pettingill crime family, was also believed to be linked the murder.
Police said Pierce worked as "hired muscle" for Benvenuto both before and after a six-year jail sentence for drug trafficking between 1992-98.
Detectives said the circumstances suggested Mr Benvenuto knew his killer, who shot him in the chest through the car window. Peirce was interviewed over the killing, but said he was working on the docks at the time and is believed to have had an unshakeable alibi.
Before his conviction for drug trafficking, he was reported to have fired a machinegun inside the wholesale fruit and vegetable market at Footscray early one morning.
He was working for Mr Benvenuto then, during a period when price fixing, extortion, standover tactics and drug trafficking were reported to be rife at the market.
Some detectives believed the circumstances of his murder -- shot in daylight as he sat in his car -- may be seen as a public warning to his supporters and family.
They expected there will be revenge killings as a result.
"The best indication of which faction killed Frank will be the identity of the next body that turns up,'' a source said.
Drug dealer and stand over man Richard Mlandenich was shot dead at a St Kilda flat on May 16.
He had been released from jail a month before and had shared a room with Chopper Read whilst inside.
He was said to be a giant of a man as well as being extremely violent. Had a criminal record of more than nine pages with most charges relating to street violence.
He also had 24 aliases including John Mancini and RIchard Mantello.
Mark Moran was murdered five weeks later outside his luxury home in Combermere St, Aberfeldie, near Essendon, on June 15, 2000.
Victor Pierce was shot dead on May 1, 2002. In turn, it was also alleged that the Moran's were involved in the Pierce shooting.
Frank Benvenuto had a habit of saying "God bless you'' at the end of most conversations.
On November 15, 2001, police offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to finding Benvenuto's killer.
Police said that they believe a woman walking her dog in Dalgety Rd could possibly help them with their investigations.
Homicide squad detective-Insprctor Brian Rix said police had no proof linking Mr Benvenuto to the underworld.
He appealed for the public to solve the murder of the highly respected member of the Italian community.
Detective Rix said police wanted to hear from the fruiterers associates at the Footscray Market and the Italian community.
Det-Insp Rix said he had spoken to Mr Benvenuto while investigating past market-related crimes and he was "always a very pleasant, well mannered and polite person."
Gantanol 'Tom' Scriva (1945-2000)
Born 1945, the son of notorious hit man Michele Scriva, Tom married Rose Benvenuto, daughter of Melbourne Godfather Liborio and sister of Alfonse Muratore's wife Angela.
Tom Scriva was a disgraced lawyer for suspected Melbourne mafia and underworld figures including Victor Pierce and those accused of the Russell Street bombing.
He was involved in underworld rip-offs and scams worth millions of dollars.
On July 13, 2000, Tom Scriva died after suffering a heart attack at Frank Benvenuto Junior's wedding.
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