Despite reports of a small Sicilian family involved in various crimes and "traditional" rackets in Perth, Western Australia during the 30's, there is really no evidence that actual Cosa Nostra cells ever operated in Australia in a "homegrown" capacity, as various Ndrine have been know to do.

However, as surprising as it may be to some, the are several connections between certain individual mafiosi and Australian interests over the years.

Chicago hood Joseph Dan Testa, alleged to have been an associate of Frank Tamaleo, Cherry Nose Gioia and Tony Accardo himself, visited Australia several times in the sixties, and formed connections with well know Australian criminals and bookmakers such as Lenny "Mr Big" MCPherson and George "The Little Guy" Freeman, who both also spent time in Chicago and were entertained by Testa.
Testa was by no means a "godfather" or anything, but was "important" enough (or pissed off enough people) to be targeted in a carbombing several years later, after which he lost the use of his legs.

Bally Manufacturing, a well known mob linked poker machine company, undertook moves in the 70's to buy-out the interests of Jack Rookyln, their South Asia distributor. The transaction was negotiated by Alex Wilms, the company's European distributor and a well known associate of Dino Cellini. At one time Jerry Catena himself held interests in Bally.

David M. Stein, identified as an associate of Meyer Lansky, applied to migrate to Australia in the 70's. Listed as his Australian contact was George Freeman. His application was eventually turned down. Its been alleged that Mo Dalitz himself directed some funds from the notorious casino skims of the 70's to be invested in Victorian businesses and interests.

Rudy Tham, a West Coast union official and well known associate of Jimmy the Weasel Frattiano flew into Sydney on March 14th 1974, and met with a number of well known Australian businessmen (such as Bela Csidei and Peter Fox) and criminals such as Murray Riley, former NSW cop and drug dealer. Interestingly, Fratianno was liked to a number of Australian business and criminal interests through contacts made in California.

Mike Rizitello is claimed to have once made a trip to Australia in a private jet representing Fratianno interests, with an unnamed American entertainer rumoured to be in tow.

Australian businessman Sir Peter Abeles is alleged to have been introduced to Paul Castellano and Carlo Gambino by Jimmy Fratianno (circa the Winchester fiasco) and attempted to have them invest in several unrelated ventures. Apparently they eventually turned him down. Some sources claim Frattiano bragged to Abeles that through his connections, he could get Frank Sinatra to perform in Australia. (Unrelated to these claims, Sinatra did preform in Australia, but offended many by referring to the female reporters in Australian media as "hookers")

*All information collected from "The Godfather in Australia", "Without Fear of Fervour" and "Shadow of Shame" by Bob Bottom and "Mr Sin" by Tony Reeves.

The fat asshole known in New England mob circles as "Fat Vinny" Teresa had an interesting Australia-related post script to his "career".

He made a much ballyhoo'd entry to Australia in '77, riding on the coattails of being one of the prototype mob rat's. Ostensibly here to appear before an "unofficial" inquiry into illegal casino's and betting parlours, he is reported to have left the country "hurriedly" after being accused by the Federal Government of entering under a false name, leaving the prosecutors and authorities that "requested" his presence red-faced. A bad example anyway, since he was in later years proven to be mostly full of shit.

It was during one of the so called "witch-hunts"; that is, legitimate cause investigation's that invariably went nowhere, and more then that, were created despite never being expected to, at least according to certain allegations.

Interesting stuff Mickey, I read somewhere that Tony Ducks Corallo once tried to enter England but was refused entry, apparently he was looking at the UK gambling scene.

It doesn't really fit the profile,but in one of those Underbelly books it's mentioned that "Mad Charlie" Hegyalji,a big drug dealer(now dead),idolized Carlo Gambino in his youth.Suposedly he went to New York and stood outside a social club or restaurant for days until he met Carlo and paid his respects.
Who knows if it's true...

The ndrangheta has a very powerful influence in Australia.

I'm having a hard time getting my head around the possibility of an Australian crime family.

Leave the gun, take another shrimp for the barbie?

Sorry, Mickey, er, mate .

Not at all PB; trust me, you're not the only one. Most Australians themselves have the same trouble.

Wasn't there a criminal group in Australia called "The Pettingill Clan" and their leader was "Mr Death" Dennis Allen.

Indeed. Dennis "MR Death" Allen was reputedly the multimillionaire scion of a family of drug dealers, who is said to have posessed all the charm of a feral goat. He once killed an Australian Hells Angel patched member (allegedly for "touching his stereo", but almost certainly more to it then that) and enlisted the aid of his teenage relatives to help dismember the body.

He died of heart failiure, facing a number of charges, including murder. One theory holds that chunks of his heart literally broke off after decades of heavy amphetamine abuse.

Yep, I was reading his biography the other day on goregrish, I also heard he used his brothers/relatives as foot soldiers. Is his group still around?

Dennis is dead (as mentioned), as is his half-brother Victor Pierce (one time bodyguard of Melbourne Ndrangheta boss Frank Benvenuto) and family matriarch "Granny Evil" Kath Petingill released her memoirs a while back.

Although Kath had many other children, those two were by far the most well known and notorious. Despite a number of her offspring still being alive and almost certainly still involved in various criminal pursuits, the Petingill's influence has largely waned in recent years, despite various family members still making in news now and then (In 09, Victor's daughter Katie died of an alleged heroin overdoes at 24. At the time of her death, she and her mother were facing charges for allegedly organising a meat-cleaver assualt on the father of a woman who was dating Katie's ex-partner.

Im sorry, I just realised I didn't answer your question. Yeah, the Pettingill's are more or less done as a "force".

Incidentally, the recent Aussie flick "Animal Kingdom" is based around the Pettingill exploits.

Fascinating stuff. You gotta give these guys credit for sniffing out opportunities wherever they may find them and enthusiastically participating in the global economy

What about LCN involvement in South Africa? The Eastern Europeans and Chinese have a large presence there, and the locals are nothing to scoff at, but there's a huge market for drugs, especially meth, gambling, loansharking and smuggling, ie abalone, with an ineffective and corrupt police and judicial system. It seems like the perfect investment opportunity.

I have heard of some LCN guys living in South Africa, I think a few high ranking guys from Sicily have fled there over the years. I'm not sure if the Mafia be it Sicilians, Calabrians or Camorra guys actually do any business over there though.

With regards to Italian organised crime in Australia, you are right Mickey that Sicilians did used to run rackets in Perth back in the day, the area Northbridge was where they did there thing, an area where all the nightclubs, bars and seedy business' operated. They owned clubs and shook others down etc.

In Australia currently, LCN has no presence though the 'Ndrangheta and Camorra operate. in 2008 Australian police caught the biggest Ecstasy drug haul in history (at the time) a transaction between the Italian Calabrians and those operating in Australia.
In Perth a few months ago a former mayor of the district I live in was arrested by police on orders from Italy for Mafia involvement with a powerful boss of the Calabrians. There is also reports that a small town called Harvey is home to a cell of Camorra members laundering money etc.

Vito Roberto Palazzolo is one reputed Sicilian Cosa Nostra member who had dealings and hid out in Africa.
Also, there are some reports of Ndrine cells operating in parts of that continent.

Thats the thing often with the reported cells, often they're literally a handful of guys just moving money around for the bigger guys. They call it a cell, but they seem rather transitory in nature.

I was surprised that the Vallelonga case did not get more attention in Australia.

On another note, a poster on another forum pointed out that Milwaukee Phil Alderisio spent some time in Australia in the 60's. I have confirmed it through other sources.

Of course. Sicilians do a lot of drug business in Africa. I'm not sure about high ranking guys fleeing there, though. But, as far as business, even today, they conduct business from there. Tip of Africa is only about 30 miles from the tip of Sicily, so it's easy.

In the years of the diaspora, a sizable Italian community took root it Tunisia. Its where Carlos Marcello's family left for.

Incidentally, Palazzolo is considered relatively high ranked, considering his ties to Provenzano and Riina. He was the reputed "treasurer" for Provenzano. Also, Mariano Tullio Troia is alleged by Italian authorities to have spent some time in South Africa in contact with Palazzolo, before he was arrested in '98.

A number of Calabrian clans are reputed to be active Africa, including the Coluccio, Di Giovine, Morabito, Sergi and Marando in Morocco, the Mancuso and Pesce in Togo and the Iamonte in Congo, amongst a number of others and ceratin Middle Eastern countries.

Italian mafias always did, and do, business with Africans. Italians bring them over and put them to work, do work they don't want to do. Drugs are trafficked for the mafia thru West Africa. At the end of the day, though, the Africans better know their place with the Italians and when they don't, that's when the trouble starts. Just look at what happened last year to those 6 Africans that the Camorra gunned down when the Africans tried to muscle the Italians out of money. 6 more graves to dig.

Off topic, I know.

I forgot about Palazzolo. According to Wikipedia he's still in Cape Town after the South Africans refused to extradite him on the grounds of double jeopardy and refusing to recognize Mafia association as a crime. At least one politician was convicted of greasing the wheels of his continued residency.

what's doing.Let me brief you wiseguys a little on Mr.Fratianno visit to australia.A C.I.A friend of his, who was on the lamb,The two's of'em where smuggling major amounts of marijuana in to san francisco. which was juist the beging. MICKEY, If you wont more let me know.sdchili.

Well fuck. I've been away for about 3 years. Does sdchilli still post here?

I have not seen any evidence of Fratianno coming to Australia, just him meeting with Aussies in the States. I assume it's referring to Rizzitello or Tham? I've actually discovered more tangential links back to Mr Sin, Abe Saffron. Not directly, but sort of same interest, third party type of shit. Mainly through Murray Riley and Richard Reilly.

Actually it is believed Marcello was actually born in Tunisia.

Yeah, worded that a bit shit. Meaning Marcello's parents left Italy for Tunisia.