Fugitive 'Ndrangheta leader caught in Canada

A Canadian immigration board has decided that Giuseppe Coluccio poses a danger to the public and will remain in prison until a full hearing can be held, according to a story by the Canadian Press.

Coluccio (right), a 41-year-old fugitive from Italy, was arrested last Thursday outside a Toronto-area strip mall. If he is returned to Italy, he faces up to 16 years in prison.

He allegedly fled Italy in 2005 when he was being investigated for drug trafficking. Canadian authorities believe he entered their country with a fake ID, according to a story by Rob Lamberti of the Toronto Sun. An immigration warrant was issued for him in 2006.

Italian law enforcement officials say Coluccio is related to Rocco and Giuseppe Aquino, leaders of the Gioiosa Jonica clan of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta criminal society. According to the officials, Coluccio has been involved in cocaine and heroin shipments, using links with the Cutrera-Caruana Mafia clan and Turkish crime groups.

Coluccio was reportedly convicted of narcotics trafficking in Italy in 1993. He served 10 years of a 12-year prison sentence.

William Willoughby, member of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board, told Coluccio yesterday, "I believe that releasing you now would pose a danger to the Canadian public. I believe that you are involved in organized crime, and specifically, the head of a Mafia organization."

Cefalu sentenced to 2 years for extortion

Domenico Cefalu, alleged acting underboss of the Gambino Crime Family, was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for extorting money from a cement company, according to a story by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News.

Cefalu, 61, was sentenced by Judge Jack Weinstein in Brooklyn federal court. Prosecutors asked for a sentence that would reflect Cefalu's alleged high rank in the crime family. Defense attorney Joseph Ryan contested the prosecution's portrayal of Cefalu's lofty status, noting that he had worked as a $42,000 a year bakery supply salesman, drove a 1999 sedan and lost his apartment in Bay Ridge after his February arrest. Ryan said Cefalu will be forced to move in with his elderly mother when he is released from prison.

Judge Weinstein settled on a sentence that was just three months more than the 21-month minimum.