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Antonio Commisso

Antonio Commisso (Italian: [anˈtɔːnjo kom

ˈmisso, - ˈkɔmmisso]; born January 16,
1956 in Siderno, Italy) is an Italian criminal
and a member of the 'Ndrangheta, a
criminal and mafia-type organisation in
Calabria, Italy. He was a fugitive since
2005 and included in the list of most
wanted fugitives in Italy until his capture
on June 28, 2005, in Woodbridge, Ontario,
Canada, north of Toronto. He is also
known by his nickname l'avvocatu ("the
lawyer").[1]

Early life
Commisso was born in Siderno into a
traditional 'Ndrangheta family, the
Commisso 'ndrina. Since the 1960s,
Siderno was the fiefdom of Antonio Macrì,
the undisputed boss at the time, who was
connected with the Commisso clan. In
January 1975, Macrì was killed in the so-
called First 'Ndrangheta war. His right-
hand man Francesco Commisso – who
was wounded in the attack on Macrì – was
intended to be his successor. However,
Francesco Commisso appointed his son,
Cosimo, also known as "the quail" ("'u
quagghia"), as the new boss of the locale
of Siderno.[1]

The Commisso 'ndrina also has a branch

in Canada, in the Greater Toronto Area,
which is part of the wider Siderno Group.[2]

In the 1980s, the Commisso were

challenged by the Costa 'Ndrina over the
command of Siderno, the latter having
returned from Toronto. By 1991, the feud –
that had spilled over to Toronto as well –
ended in a victory for the Commisso clan.
Officially, there were 28 dead among the
Costas and eight among the Commissos.
Cosimo Commisso was sentenced over
the vendetta and his nephew of the same
name, Antonio Commisso succeeded him
as the acting boss of the clan.[1]

Fugitive
Antonio Commisso was first arrested in
1999.[3] While awaiting appeal, he regularly
had to report to police, was subject to a
strict night-time curfew, and was
prohibited from leaving town.[1]

On April 15, 2004, Commisso was

definitively convicted and sentenced to
seven years and 10 months for Mafia
association and trafficking in weapons.[1][4]
When police arrived at his home to arrest
him, he was nowhere to be found. On May
14, 2004, he presented himself to the
Canadian immigration officials at
Montreal's Trudeau International airport.
The Canadian authorities had no choice
but to admit him because he had been
granted permanent residency status in
Canada in 1974, when he was 18.[1]

Arrest and extradition

After living as a fugitive in Canada for
more than a year, Commisso was arrested
at his residence on June 28, 2005 in
Woodbridge, Ontario, on an extradition
warrant issued in Canada at the request of
the Italian government.[5][6] The federal
government was already taking steps to
have Commisso permanently deported
from the country.[4]
The Commisso clan was involved in
international drug trafficking using family
ties in Italy, Canada, the United States and
Australia.[7]

References
1. Back to the 'wolves' , National Post
July 30, 2005
2. Corruption probe: The clubs , The
Toronto Star, December 8, 2009
3. (in Italian) Preso a Toronto Antonio
Commisso boss della 'ndrangheta di
Siderno , La Repubblica, June 28, 2005
 4. Organized Crime in Canada: A
Quarterly Summary, April to June,
2005 , Nathanson Centre
5. Preso a Toronto Antonio Commisso
boss della 'ndrangheta di Siderno,
Repubblica.it
6. (in Italian) Latitante Commisso
arrestato da Polizia in Canada , ANSA,
June 28, 2005
7. (in Italian) 'Ndrangheta: latitante
arrestato da Polizia in Canada , Polizia
di Stato, June 28, 2005

External links
 Mafia In Our Midst , CBC News Sunday,
February 10, 2008

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title=Antonio_Commisso&oldid=933850471"

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