I'm off to Oz so let's map the Australian 'ndrangheta
Today I am packing the last things in my suitcase - I am going down under, I am going to Oz, tomorrow, and I can’t wait, as usual. I’ll have a month of research, events, trainings, discussions and, as always, I’ll learn so much and eat delicious food and enjoy the Australian summer.
It’s a special time, this time. It’s ten years, since I went the first time to Australia - 2015! And nothing has taught me that much about myself and Calabria more than my Australian research.
So, let’s chat about the reason why I went to Australia in the first place : the ‘ndrangheta, obviously. This mafia has carved out a unique identity on Australian soil, and it’s pretty interesting—if not a little alarming—how it has evolved over the years.
A Bit of History
So, let’s rewind to the post-World War II era when many Calabrian families made their way to Australia, looking for a fresh start. But beware not to make the same mistake most analysts make - migration doesn’t cause mafia mobility (in fact, migration can actually make the mafia disappear!) .
Anyway, this period marked the beginning of what we can now refer to as ‘ndrangheta 2.0 - it was the Honoured Society down under by the way. It’s a version of the organisation that developed its own flavour while still holding onto the core values and traditions from back home in Calabria. Don’t forget that it’s right about at that time that some of the ‘ndrangheta dynasties - in Calabria - started taking the shape we know today.
The social harms these migrants faced—like discrimination, misrecognition, silencing, and feeling isolated—helped shape a distinct ‘ndrangheta identity - through enclave - that’s evolved in Australia, to some extent separate from what was happening back in Italy.
The Two Faces of an Aussie ‘Ndrangheta?
Today, we can see two different faces of the ‘ndrangheta in Australia. On one hand, we have the historical clans that have blended into local communities, and on the other, the contemporary networks that are reigniting connections with their roots in Calabria. This second group is getting back into the game of transnational crime, building on the groundwork laid by earlier migrants. By the way there is a third group - which is the ‘Italian organised crime’ group - not ‘ndrangheta, not Calabrian, just random Italian (see the story of Gangitano for example!)
Notice: mafia mobility it’s not a one way game, with (I am simplifying) ‘bad’ migrants infiltrating the host society and continuing the exploitation as they go. Quite the opposite: Australia has changed the ‘ndrangheta and influenced it backwards, towards Calabria, with people ‘returning’ home, or transferring to Italy and bringing a “need” and a willingness to maintain the ‘ndrangheta. We’ll talk about it in this newsletter later on!
This conversation is complex and for another time perhaps. Now let us look at the various Australian places where there is (or there was) ‘some’ ‘ndrangheta presence.
Queensland: The Entertainment Scene
Let’s start with Queensland, where the ‘ndrangheta has made a name for itself, especially on the Gold Coast and in the past in North Queensland were they started as Black Hand! In the Gold Coast recently, they’ve gotten pretty cozy with the casino and entertainment industries, using them as a front for money laundering. There have even been doubts of local political corruption in the past. It’s kind of wild to think about but in some cases we see a lot of diversifications in some of the ‘families’ - those who used to be drug traffickers twenty years ago they are not legit and engaged in a variety of businesses, from fruit sector, to real estate. In Queensland live members of a very notorious and really unfortunate family who are spread out everywhere in Australia. Some of them even became motorcycle gangs aficionados!
Victoria: Chaos and Change
Next up is Victoria, particularly Melbourne and Sunraysia, the area where Mildura is. at the border with New South Wales, both boasting a large (Southern) Italian population. Both Melbourne and Sunraysia have a unique blend of ‘ndrangheta influences, mostly from the Aspromonte region, with clans often identified by their historical surnames and where they come from in Calabria. Traditional behaviours still play a role, especially in more rural areas, while Melbourne acts like a critical hub for the organization, also because of the port. In the past Melbourne was the scene for murders and gangland feuds, and this has necessarily connected the ‘ndrangheta with the rest of the underworld. It’s a fascinating mix of Calabrian roots and connections to other groups, in fact. It’s in Melbourne that we see the organisation of the ‘ndrangheta hybridised with other underworld influences, and where the intergenerational changes within so-called ‘ndrangheta families are particularly challenging to understand. In Melbourne, in fact, there are also non-’ndrangheta families, classified by authorities as ‘Italian organised crime’, which complicate and change the honoured society’s resilience. The murder of lawyer Joe (Pino) Acquaro in 2016 has been particularly problematic to understand for authrities, with certain events pointing at the ‘ndrangheta, and others which wouldn’t.
New South Wales: The Original Sin
In New South Wales, we can’t overlook the Griffith families. Griffith is a rich town in the Riverina Valley. It is called the fruit bowl of Australia, as the soil there is very rich. These families hold significant sway in the ‘ndrangheta, and while the younger crowd might be a bit more flashy with their spending as soon as they move to Sydney and Melbourne, the core values are still alive and well in the Riverina. Griffith is like the heart of ‘ndrangheta culture in Australia, where the legacy continues to thrive and adapt largely based on the power of the clans from the Platì area. This is because the town has suffered for the trauma of the 1970s ‘grass castle’ period, the mass production of cannabis that happened in the Riverina, organised by the families. When in 1977 Donald Bruce Mackay (a local politician) was killed, Griffith became the ‘mafia town’. While an inquiry has mentioned by name the men who were likely to have ordered the hit, these men were never put on trial, so they couldn’t be fully accused, neither could they defend themselves. And this left a stain and an original sin on the reputation of the whole town. As always, the ‘ndrangheta’s strength lies in its ambiguity.
Aside from Griffith, there is Sydney of course, where the investments of the ‘ndrangheta have been notoriously linked to real estate and other commercial efforts. Sydney is very difficult to describe today, for what concerns the ‘ndrangheta. Families are still around but they are probably going legit for the most part apart from some notable exceptions of golden boys of historical families getting mixed up in the drug trade and then getting killed.
Australia Capital Territory: Interconnections
If you think nothing ever happens in Canberra, you are not alone. Australian capital city is a white and green picture of quiet. However, Canberra’s past history with the ‘ndrangheta has been intense, including an excellent murder, that of Australian Federal Police Colin Winchester, in 1989, which remains unsolved and for which there is a highly likely possibility that it was a ‘ndrangheta hit. Now the city is a hub for drug distribution with new players in town, and some of these new players are married with historical players, for legacy. That said, let’s not forget that Canberra hosts a number of different institutions and authorities and is the centre of federal politics in Australia: interests of the ‘ndrangheta in Canberra have always aimed high, beyond drugs.
Western Australia: The Siderno Clans
Moving over to Western Australia, we find a whole other ‘ndrangheta. In Perth, in fact, the story of the Honoured Society is linked to the Siderno families, who have caught the eye of law enforcement here for over a century. The ‘different’ surnames and more independent operations set them apart from other states. They operate fairly autonomously but still maintain ties to broader criminal networks that stretch as far as North America. It’s a bit like a hidden smaller ‘ndrangheta that’s not as easy to track in Australia and yet they are the most international of all.
South Australia: A Local Stronghold
Down in South Australia, especially in Adelaide, the situation is a bit different. The local clans seem to be more static and focused on their territory, although they’ve collaborated on international criminal activities before. Their strong connections to the Victorian families, through Sunraysia and the Mildura area, show that even in a smaller market, the ‘ndrangheta is still very much alive. The history of the ‘ndrangheta here is linked to a murder, that of Geoffrey Bowen, Detective of the National Crime Authority, killed by a package-bomb shipped to his office in the middle of the city, in 1994. A man has been convicted for this murder only in 2022, and his ‘ndrangheta connection is suspected although difficult to prove. Again, ambiguity reigns and serves the organisation's reputation.
Culture Meets Crime?
What’s really interesting is how the ‘ndrangheta has managed to survive and even thrive in Australia. A big part of it has to do with the sense of ethnic solidarity among Calabrian and Southern Italian communities. This shared identity often leads to a protective instinct, where people look out for one another, especially in response to past discrimination and stigmatisation. It’s a complicated mix of pride and, well, criminality. We’ll talk about this more.
Wrapping It Up
So, what does all this mean? The ‘ndrangheta in Australia is a complex beast, blending historical roots with contemporary crime. It poses significant challenges for law enforcement and society alike. As they keep adapting and evolving, understanding their intricacies is crucial for tackling the issues they bring.
In a country where the ‘ndrangheta has established itself as a major player, the interplay between culture, community, and crime offers a rich narrative. It’s not just about organized crime; it’s also about the immigrant experience, resilience, and the search for identity in a new land. Quite the story, isn’t it?
I leave you with a few extra notes:
Yes, the ‘ndrangheta is the only Italian mafia present in Australia; other Italians involved in organised crime they either go independent or go with other locals or with the ‘ndrangheta.
No, we don’t know much about what is happening, if anything, in Tasmania and the Norhern Territory…
No, the ‘ndrangheta doesn’t dominate organised crime in Australia; it’s a very open market, they are players and as such they often struggle.
The ‘ndrangheta in Australia ahs contributed to victimise Calabrians, in addition to the already ongoing victimisation of the migration experience.
A lot of the confusion with the ‘ndrangheta comes from a wrong understanding of the meaning of surnames and ethnicity but also from the ethnocentric approach imposed by Italian authorities.
The ‘ndrangheta in Australia is not like the ‘ndrangheta in Calabria and it is not bound to evolve in the same way it does in Italy: to say otherwise, presume dependency, overlapping, and behaviours, is just damaging.
There are families of the ‘ndrangheta in Australia who once were ctive and now they effectively stopped being ‘ndrangheta, so you see, migration helps!
So yeah, more to talk about!
For now, wish me a good (long….) trip!
Comments, questions, curiosity drop them also anonymously!
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