Michael 'The Nose' Mancuso headed back to slammer - sunk by gravy

Acting Bonanno mob boss Michael Mancuso is headed back to the slammer for 11 months — thanks partly to a chat with a wiseguy about making pasta gravy. Mancuso, 68, was released in 2019 after serving a decade in prison for a murder plot. He had been using his girlfriend’s Long Island eyeglass shop as a meet-up spot to gossip with mobsters, prosecutors said. That was verbotten. “Are you gonna do the gravy today or make the sauce?” Mancuso asked Colombo soldier Michael Urvino on an Oct. 24, 2020, wiretapped call. Urvino responded, “No, I’m making it in the morning … cause we’re not gonna eat early. What time you want to eat tomorrow?”

Michael Urvino

Verdict in the Marengo trial of Ridouan Taghi postponed

Saïd Razzouki, Ridouan Taghi.

A court in Amsterdam said weeks ago that the cases against main suspect Ridouan Taghi and 16 co-defendants are so complex that a new date will have to be established for a verdict. The original judgment date of October 20, 2023 is unfeasible, the court declared. Prosecutors are seeking life for Taghi and his right hand man Saïd Razzouki. The Marengo trial is one of the biggest murder trials in the history of the Netherlands and started over two years ago. The defendants are accused of planning 13 gangland murders, of which six were carried out between 2015 and 2017 in the ‘Mocro mafia’ drugs war. Investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries was murdered in 2021 because of his involvement in a gangland murder trial. Taghi and Razzouki are the leaders of the gang who set out to ruthlessly dominate the Dutch underworld.

Anyone considered a threat was put on Taghi’s death list including innocent people he feared could provide information to cops.

Taghi micro-managed some killings, ordering his hit teams to put three bullets into the head of one victim and to carry out the murders “with style.”

See ----->Marengo trial

Trevor Parkstrom - 'no regard for law and order'

One man crime wave Trevor Parkstrom, 48, has pleaded guilty to another half dozen charges throughout the Okanagan. Parkstrom puts the 'P' into prolific. When cops arrested Parkstrom in a stolen truck they linked him to 12 files since December 2022 and 22 files in the past 90 days. RCMP said that Parkstrom is named to 150 calls for service since 2013. Lawyers return on Oct. 5 to set a date for Parkstrom’s sentencing, which will take place in First Nations court in Kamloops. Parkstrom is free on bail at a Kamloops recovery facility. He likely won't stay caged for long if he does get time. In 2022, Kelowna had the highest reported crime rate of 10,532 per 100,000 residents. Lethbridge came in second at 9,358 and Winnipeg in third at 8,757. Citizens may look to Trevor Parkstrom as to why.

Amarpreet 'Chucky' Samra shot dead - update

Properties in Maple Ridge and Langley used in the dial-a-dope drug operation of brothers Ravinder and Amarpreet Samra stand to be seized. They join a $1.6m home in Richmond. A 2019 Dodge Ram 1500, a 2018 Mazda CX-9, a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2014 BMW X5 are also sought, along with $90k in jewelry. Gangster Amarpreet 'Chucky' Samra, 28, was gunned down at a wedding reception in May. The UN gangster's time ran out with many saying the killers are from the Brothers Keepers. A burning vehicle was found later. Both Samra and his older brother, Ravinder Samra, were guests at the wedding.

The brothers are aligned with the UN gang, which has been in violent conflict with the Brothers Keepers gang for years. Both Samra brothers were on a poster issued by cops that warned the public to stay away from them. In 2015 Ravinder Samra was shot twice in a hit attempt at the Cactus Club in Langley.

Career gangster Jason Himpfen in forfeiture crosshairs

The Province wants to keep the $80k it landed after busting wicked career terdbag Jason Himpfen. Himpfen, 48, is before the courts again on a series of drug and firearm charges. He was named in a public warning in 2021. Himpfen has an encylopedic criminal record, including convictions for trafficking, weapons, resisting or obstructing a cop, carrying a concealed weapon, and theft.

In 2016, Himpfen was charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Mandy Johnson, 22, in Abbotsford. Johnson was sitting in the passenger seat of a car driven by her boyfriend, Gater Browne. He was the intended target and was not scratched. Co-accused was the late Brothers’ Keepers founder Gavin Grewal. In November 2018 Himpfen was acquited though “Himpfen is probably or likely guilty”

HA arrive for 40th anniversary bash - update

Up to 300 bikers are gone. The weekend was relatively peaceful, noted cops. One incident occurred in a Langley restaurant where HA in colours were asked to leave and they refused to pay. Cops were involved until other Hells Angels eventually covered the bill.

Hundreds of bikers from across Canada are partying at the gang's compound in Langley to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the White Rock, East End and Nanaimo chapters. Peons from the puppet club Langford Savages were tasked with gate duty. Events gives cops a chance to photograph every biker coming or going.

Club events virtually never result in trouble. The gang's primary goal is to appear as big and bad in public as possible. The gang's goal is absolutely not to attract cop heat on business operations.

Where is Robby Alkhalil?

He is number one on Canada's most wanted list and its a quick $100k if you know where he's at.

Rabih 'Robby' Alkhalil vanished a year ago from the 'high' security North Fraser Pretrial, walking under security cameras, past guards and out the front door of a maximum-security lock-up while on trial for murder.

Alkhalil flew a month before a Vancouver jury convicted him in absentia of first-degree murder in the 2012 slaying of Sandip Duhre. He was also convicted of conspiring to kill Duhre and Sukh Dhak, who was gunned down in 2012. Alkhalil was 'least-wanted valentine' for CrimeStoppers

Alkhalil is the gangster's gangster and could be anywhere.

See ----->The Alkhalil Brothers
See ----->Rabih (Robby) Alkhalil pulls 8 years

3 thieves steal $1.2m in cars

Auto thefts in Toronto are up 38.5% compared to last year. Thieves are getting this bold.

Cops are looking for three men who walked into a high-end car dealership in downtown Toronto over the weekend and left with three luxury vehicles. A 2021 Rolls Royce Dawn, a 2022 Bentley Bentayga, and a 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan are gone. Cops didn't say how the miscreants pulled it off. The Rolls Royce Dawn goes for around $460k. The Cullinan is listed for around $550k, while the Bentayga runs around $300k.

Cosa Nostra scotch whisky - "serious and widespread offence"

UK regulators have asked retailers to stop placing orders for a mafia-themed Scotch whisky. Cosa Nostra Scotch Whisky comes in a bottle that is a replica of the vintage Tommy Gun used in the 1920's. The call by the Portman Group, which regulates the UK's alcohol sector, came after it found that Polish firm Bartex Bartol had breached rules. It said the packaging was likely to cause "serious and widespread offence".

Ex-RCMP William Majcher charged with foreign interference = spy

Mounties have charged retired RCMP William Majcher with foreign interference-related offences. Majcher, 60, is accused of helping the Chinese government's efforts to "identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law." "Mr. Majcher allegedly used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People's Republic of China."

Majcher was arrested at Vancouver airport on a stopover and appeared by videoconference in a Longueuil, Que., court Friday. He is being held in custody until another court date next week.

GTA-wide commercial cargo theft ring nailed

15 were busted following an investigation into an auto theft ring that stole loaded commercial vehicles and then sold the cargo. Project Big Rig began in March. Cops recovered 28 containers of stolen cargo valued at $6.99m. An additional 28 stolen tractors and trailers valued at $2.25m were recovered. Warrants were served on six GTA storage locations. “They were entering lots of the facilities through the fences,” say cops. “They would cut the fence, go in, steal a truck, and drive out through the fence.

Cargo was often stolen roadside in industrial or residential areas or at truck stops when left unattended by drivers needing a break. Cargo theft is a low risk and high reward crime. It has been rising exponentially over the past few years.

Con man pardoned by Trump charged with fraud

Eliyahu "Eli" Weinstein and four others are charged with fleecing more than 150 people out of $35 million. Using the alias Michael Konig, Weinstein and the others formed a company called Optimus Investments Inc. The group claimed it had "lucrative deals" on N95 Covid masks, "scarce baby formula" and "first-aid kits bound for Ukraine." If convicted on all charges, the five face a maximum of 25 years in prison and fines. The SEC has also filed a civil complaint against Weinstein. Weinstein was one of 74 people who received pardons from Trump in the final hours of his presidency in January 2021. Weinstein had, at that point, served 8 years of a 24-year sentence for his $200m real estate Ponzi fraud that preyed on fellow Jews.

Crypto investors being targeted in greater Vancouver

Cops have issued a public warning that "high-value" cryptocurrency investors are being targeted in home invasions. Multiple robberies of crypto investors in Richmond and Delta over the past year suggest the hand of organized criminals. Crooks gained access to the victim's home by posing as a delivery person or an authority figure. In some cases a B&E follows as the suspects target personal information that allows them to access the victims' cryptocurrency accounts. Cops are warning those involved in crypto to stay aware to avoid being the next.

Rongxiang “Tiger” Yuan - revisited

Rongxiang 'Tiger' Yuan, 58, has ties to the Chinese military and is considered by many a war hero in China.

Rongxiang 'Tiger' Yuan hit the news in March. It was revealed then that in the space of two days in 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s riding association received almost $63k from Lower Mainland donors. Of the 41 donations, 3 came from directors of the Tiger Arms Ltd. Port Coquitlam gun store, including its namesake Rongxiang “Tiger” Yuan. Ke Xiao of Richmond and Peiran Yang of Vancouver donated. Another $1,500 donation came from Avery H. Chow of Richmond, who replaced Yuan, Xiao and Yang on the Tiger Arms company registration in March 2020.

Yuan reportedly made his fortune as an aluminum exporter. He doesn't live at the compound but entertains fellow Chinese there.

The most valuable property in Chilliwack is at 6500 Chadsey Road. A 16,543 sq/ft home with 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms is valued at $4.5m. Along with an adjacent property, the 11-acre compound is surrounded by two layers of 15 foot cedar hedging, between which is a chain link fence, above which are 32 security cameras.

Rongxiang Tiger Yuan was said to be one of the whale gamblers connected to massive cash deliveries at Richmond’s River Rock Casino and industrial scale money laundering at Silver International.

Yongtao Chen stepped onto the podium at a Vancouver hotel ballroom in 2018 and wildly waved a red Chinese flag. He had just accepted the role as chairman of the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations (CACA). The alliance is a pro-Beijing umbrella group that says it represents Chinese community associations across Canada and works with the Chinese state. One of the men in the room was Yongtao Chen’s partner, Toronto real estate tycoon Wei Wei. Three years later Wei walked on multiple criminal charges in relation to his marble-floored 53-room mansion in Markham. Cops described an operation with $20k per hand betting limits and a high-end restaurant with a maitre ‘d serving families with children in a landscaped courtyard. Cops believed that gambling and sex trafficking occurred in all 53 mansion rooms.

Wei Wei

Key players involved in the Markham network met with Paul King Jin, a notorious alleged loan shark and illegal casino operator who escaped death in a Sept 18, 2020 shooting. The botched hit left Jin’s associate Jian Jun Zhu dead.
See ----->'high end illegal casino' - Dirty Cops torpedo bust
See ----->Money launderer Paul King Jin and wife Xiaoqui Wei

Nicola Spagnolo - "un vieux crisse de riche" - 3 years

Mafia heavyweight Nicola Spagnolo, 49, has been sentenced to 3 years in jail after being found guilty of aggravated assault in December 2022. The bar stabbing has nothing to do with organized crime. Spagnolo was drunk. He describes himself as a seller of used luxury cars. The crown said the attack was “vicious, underhanded and cowardly” and the sentence should be 4 years.

Spagnolo’s connect to the Montreal mafia executive has nothing to do with his convicton.

Spagnolo on his way to Boho Bar.

Nicola Spagnolo was found guilty of aggravated assault in a stabbing outside a bar in Old Montreal. Video from the bar sunk him. He faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The victim testified he didn't know Spagnolo before they began arguing after leaving the Boho bar. He said they were both drunk. The victim described his assailant as "un vieux crisse de riche" (rich old man)

Mafia brunch at Holts Cafe.

Accused of attempting to kill a man at a bar in Old Montreal, Mafioso Nicola Spagnolo was released on conditions. Spagnolo was charged with aggravated assault, an attempted murder charge was dropped. Spagnolo is the son of Vincenzo Spagnolo, assassinated at his Laval residence in October 2016. Spagnolo’s father was killed by mistake, it was supposed to target his son. The elder Spagnolo was a close friend to Vito Rizzuto, leader of the Montreal Mafia. Cops had considered Spagnolo to be a member of the Montreal mafia's executive, sitting alongside Leonardo Rizzuto and Stefano Sollecito.

Sacha Nelson César whacked in Laval - update II

It has been revealed by major league hitman Frédérick Silva that he communicated with Sacha Nelson 'Kash' César in November 2020, to give him the contract to murder Frantz Louis for $100k. Frantz Louis was gunned down inside his car November 19, 2020. Sacha César-Nelson was whacked weeks later in December 2020. César was close to the departed Arsène Mompoint, a Reds gang leader. There are no arrests in the execution. Many have been waiting for rat hitman Frédérick Silva to spill his many beans.

Sacha Nelson César had a heroin trafficking route in downtown Montreal. He was executed by several shots to the head. The murder of César is linked to the assassination of Frantz Louis, committed in the Villeray district.

High profile mafioso Davide Barberio is a 41-year-old Rivière-des-Prairies resident charged in Project Clemenza. In 2017, Barberio and others saw a stay of proceedings because RCMP refused to disclose how they intercepted their text messages. Frantz Louis and Barberio were closely linked. A mafia loansharking and extortion bust in 2014 led to Louis. Frantz Louis’s slaying was the 24th homicide in Montreal this year. César's was the 25th.

See ----->LA Presse - Montreal Mafia: Flourishing in 'free trade'