Crown argues men are tied to Mafia
Prosecutor seeks tough sentences in historic cocaine traffic conspiracy
Canada has a role to play in fighting international organized crime groups like the ’Ndrangheta, a senior GTA prosecutor said as he called for stiff sentences against two men convicted in a historic cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
“These offences occurred in the context of one of the most sophisticated criminal organizations in the world — the ’Ndrangheta,” prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos told Superior Court Justice Judge Brian O’Marra in Toronto on Thursday.
The prosecution marked the first time in Canada the ’Ndrangheta — a notorious mafia group with roots in southern Italy — has been targeted as an organized crime group since the offence of criminal organization came into effect in 1997, Andreopoulos said in March.
The Crown called for a prison sentence of16 years for grandfather Giuseppe (Pino) Ursino, 65, of Bradford, and 14 years for breakfast grill manager Cosmin (Chris) Dracea, 42, of Toronto.
Ursino’s lawyer, Dragi Zekavica, argued for a sentence of seven years while Dracea’s lawyer, Lydia Riva, said between five and seven years would be appropriate for her client.
Neither Ursino nor Dracea has a criminal record. The case continues Dec. 5. “We’re talking about structured organized crime,” Andreopoulos said.
“We’re talking about a political entity, almost.”
“This is serious business with serious people,” he said in court on Thursday, calling Ursino a ’Ndrangheta “crime boss” and Dracea a “professional liar, con man, fraudster.”
The prosecutor said both men shouldn’t be eligible for parole until halfway through their prison terms.
Ursino was found guilty of trafficking cocaine, trafficking cocaine related to a criminal or- ganization, possession of property directly or indirectly related to an indictable offence, conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to import cocaine related to a criminal organization.
Dracea was found not guilty of trafficking cocaine related to a criminal organization, but he was found guilty of trafficking cocaine, possession of $60,000 directly or indirectly related to an indictable offence, conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to import cocaine related to a criminal organization.
At the outset of the trial, Dracea pleaded guilty to trafficking a kilogram of cocaine.
Andreopoulos said no one should be deceived by the benign appearance of Ursino and Dracea, both of whom appeared in court with their spouses, Ursino with a poppy on his jacket.
Riva told court that Dracea is a caring father to his two young children and a kind employer to workers in the restaurant he managed.
“He’s very close to his children,” Riva said. “In fact, he’s the primary caregiver.”
Ursino runs a small food distributing company.
The case shows that Ursino and Dracea are serious, experienced criminals, Andreopoulos said in court Thursday.
“You don’t just fall into a criminal organization,” Andreopoulos said. “You evolve into it.”
“It’s a way of life,” he said. “It’s a state of being.”
The defence lawyers noted the cocaine wasn’t actually delivered to the conspirators.
“He did in fact abandon the conspiracy,” Riva said of her client, Dracea.
Andreopoulos said Ursino became a GTA ’Ndrangheta boss in1996 after the murder of GTA baker Francesco Loiero by Sam Calautti, a Toronto restaurant owner who was later murdered. The Loiero and Calautti murders remain unsolved.
Andreopoulos acknowledged Ursino is a grandfather, but said that no one should be deceived by his mild appearance or letters of support saying he is a family man.
“The Mafia is Mr. Ursino’s milieu,” Andreopoulos said. “It defines who he is.”
Andreopoulos noted that a secretly recorded conversation captured Ursino discussing tying up a man’s family to collect a debt.
He called Ursino a “savvy facilitator” who puts together criminal deals and then fades quietly away.
“He will retreat into the shadows, but his hands are everywhere,” Andreopoulos said.
He said that although it was never alleged Dracea was in the ’Ndrangheta, he is clearly respected by the organization and that Ursino vouched for him.
“In order to vouch for someone, he must know who you are,” Andreopoulos said.
“Mr. Dracea was aware of Mr. Ursino’s status as a boss.”