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2024-03-29T00:45:46Z
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Eunice Hunton Carter: The African American Woman Who Took Down Lucky Luciano
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/eunice-hunton-carter-the-african-american-woman-who-took-down-luc
2024-01-04T09:34:01.000Z
2024-01-04T09:34:01.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12345294300?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By Ron Chepesiuk for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>In 1935, Charles Lucky Luciano was perched pretty on top of the criminal world. He was the godfather of the powerful Genovese crime family, headed the Commission that oversaw all mafia activities in the U.S. and had taken out fellow mobster, the unpredictable psychopath Dutch Schultz, who had threatened the stability of the mafia world. </p>
<p>Luciano felt untouchable, but his notoriety had made him a marked man for an ambitious New York prosecutor named Thomas Dewey, who was determined to take him down. At the center of Dewey’s Luciano’s investigation, acting as his right hand person, was an unlikely hero: a 36-year old black woman lawyer named Eunice Hunton Carter. She had studied Luciano’s organization and was methodically and brilliantly putting together a case against the godfather that would make history by leading to the take down of, arguably the most powerful mobster in U.S history.</p>
<p>Eunice Carter was born on July 16, 1899, in Atlanta, Georgia, at a time when racial and gender inequalities cast long shadows over opportunities for African Americans. Her parents, William Alphaeus Hunton Sr. and Addie Waites Hunton, were prominent educators and activists who instilled in Eunice a deep sense of social justice and a passion for education.</p>
<p>After completing her primary education in Atlanta, Eunice moved to New York City to attend Smith College, where she graduated with honors in 1921. She was only the second woman in the history of Smith College to receive a bachelor's and a master's degree in four years.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12345295658,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="432" alt="12345295658?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a><em><strong>Photo: Eunice Hunton Carter.</strong></em></p>
<p>After a brief career as a social worker, Carter, driven by her fervor for justice, went on to attend Fordham Law School, where she became the first black woman to graduate in 1932. Her academic achievements were a testament to her intellect and determination to break barriers in a profession dominated by white men.</p>
<p>Later, Carter would say, “A country or community which fails to allow its women to choose and develop their individual beings in an atmosphere of freedom thrusts away from itself a large part of the human resources which can give it strength and vitality.”</p>
<p>Upon earning her law degree, Eunice Carter faced the harsh realities of racial and gender discrimination that permeated the legal profession of the time. Undeterred, she joined the law firm of her brother-in-law, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, becoming the only black woman attorney in New York City during that era.</p>
<p>In 1935, Eunice took a momentous step in her career by accepting a position as Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney's office. This was a significant milestone for both her and the African-American community, as it was nearly unheard of for a black woman to hold such a position of authority at the time.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12345295459,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="229" alt="12345295459?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a>Eunice Carter's efforts did not go unnoticed. She caught the attention of New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey (left), a rising star in American law enforcement known for his uncompromising stance against organized crime. Indeed, Dewey was relentless in his effort to curb the power of the American mafia and of organized crime in general. </p>
<p>Dewey would later serve as 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954 and was the Republican Party’s nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and 1948, where he lost in a major upset to Harry Truman. Carter would rise to importance in the Republican Party, playing a role in Thomas Dewey's presidential bids in 1944 and 1948. </p>
<p>Interestingly Dewey had almost arrested Dutch Schultz, but ironically Lucky Luciano had Schultz murdered after he threatened to assassinate Dewey.</p>
<p>Dewey appointed Carter to a team called “Twenty against the Underworld”. She was the only black and only female lawyer on the team.</p>
<p>Soon Dewey recognized Carter's exceptional legal acumen and dedication to justice, and he appointed her as the chief prosecutor in the case against Luciano. It was a remarkable rise for Carter, but her upward career climb was not easy. She faced formidable odds but would not let the blatant racism of the times thwart her career ambitions.</p>
<p>Yet, as historian Stephen Carter wrote in the New York Times, about the racism Carter endured, she “could never quite escape its noxious hold on American society, whether it was being paid far less than her white male peers on Dewey’s staff or being passed over, in favor of a rival, for a prestigious judicial appointment.”</p>
<p>Together, Carter and Dewey formed a formidable team. Dewey provided the resources and support needed to mount a comprehensive investigation, while Carter brought her unparalleled expertise in building a case with precision and tenacity.</p>
<p>Eunice Carter was a memorable figure in the Halls of Justice. Her dignified posture exuded confidence. She had expressive, intelligent eyes that reflected her sharp mind. Her refined features were often framed by meticulously groomed hair, a testament to her keen attention to detail. She carried herself with a poised and composed demeanor, which underscored her unwavering commitment to her work.</p>
<p>Carter's brought a combination of shrewd legal strategy and tireless dedication to the Luciano case. She understood that, to dismantle Luciano's criminal network, it was essential to target the linchpin of his operation—his formidable prostitution ring known as “The Combination”. Her brilliance lay in her ability to see the bigger picture, identifying the interconnectedness of various criminal activities and building a comprehensive case against Luciano.</p>
<p>Carter understood that to weaken Luciano's criminal organization, she needed to focus on a specific aspect of his illegal activities. In New York City, she had been a prosecutor in what was then called “women’s court” — that is, a court for the prosecution of women, especially prostitutes. She honed in on Luciano’s prostitution ring and began building a case around it.</p>
<p>On May 13, 1936, the case against Charles "Lucky" Luciano went to trial. Prosecutor Thomas Dewey went on the attack, exposing Luciano as a liar and connecting him to his prostitution ring.” Dewey had a star witness, Florence “Cokey Flo” Brown, a drug addict, former madam and prostitute, and 27 other ex-working girls that helped Dewey present a formidable case. Brown testified that an acquaintance had told her about a madam who was beaten up by Tommy “the Bull” Pennochio on Luciano’s orders.</p>
<p>Then Luciano made a crucial mistake. He took the stand in an effort to rebut the witnesses’ statements. He challenged the 27 prostitutes who testified against him, claiming they were liars.</p>
<p>Then it was Dewey’s turn to cross examine Luciano, and disaster struck the godfather. It appeared that the women arrested for prostitution, who were from all over New York City, were represented by the same lawyers and bail bondsmen and that those lawyers and bondsmen had a relationship with Luciano. Dewey questioned lucky about the lavish lifestyle he enjoyed on a reported income of just $22,500 per year. Dewey used phone records to connect Luciano to notorious gangsters, including the notorious Louis “Lepke” Buchalter.</p>
<p>The jury was convinced. Thanks to Eunice Carter's meticulous preparation and unwavering determination, the prosecution secured a conviction. Luciano was found guilty on charges of compulsory prostitution and was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison.</p>
<p>Eunice Carter's role in this landmark case marked a significant victory not only for the fight against organized crime but also for breaking down racial and gender barriers within the legal profession. Her pioneering efforts paved the way for future generations of African-American lawyers and prosecutors, demonstrating that excellence and determination could triumph over prejudice and discrimination.</p>
<p>Carter continued working with Dewey and the District Attorney’s Office until 1945, when she entered private practice. By that time, Carter's reputation had caught the attention of prominent legal figures and institutions. She received invitations to speak at conferences, seminars, and legal symposiums across the country, where she shared her insights on criminal justice, organized crime, and the importance of upholding the rule of law. These engagements allowed her to influence and inspire a new generation of legal minds.</p>
<p>Beyond her professional accomplishments, Eunice Carter continued to be an advocate for civil rights and social justice causes. Her commitment to equality and fairness extended beyond the courtroom, and she remained actively involved in community initiatives and organizations dedicated to advancing the rights of marginalized communities. After her retirement, Eunice Carter remained active with numerous organizations, including the United Nations, the National Council of Negro Women and the YWCA. </p>
<p>In addition to her public recognition, Carter's expertise was sought after by various law enforcement agencies and organizations. She was approached to provide counsel on complex legal matters, particularly those related to organized crime and racketeering. Her invaluable insights and strategic thinking became assets in the ongoing battle against criminal enterprises. </p>
<p>Eunice Carter died in 1970, but her contributions to the law continue to inspire and shape the trajectory of legal professionals to this day. </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>Ron Chepesiuk is a journalist, screenwriter and author of <em>Black Caesar: The Rise and Disappearance of Frank Matthews, Kingpin</em>. </strong> </span> </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-genovese-crime-family">Genovese crime family section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
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</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Ron Chepesiuk & Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
When you call 911 and cops see you as the number 1 suspect based on junk science
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/when-you-call-911-and-cops-see-you-as-the-number-1-suspect-based
2023-01-02T07:50:00.000Z
2023-01-02T07:50:00.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10926883699?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>911 is our lifeline. If things go bad and we, our loved ones or complete strangers need help, we call that number. But what if police were using that call to place you on top of their suspect list? A recent investigative piece on ProPublica discovered law enforcement and prosecutors use a new junk science to determine when 911 callers are actually guilty of the crimes they are reporting.</p>
<p>Tracy Harpster, a deputy police chief from suburban Dayton, Ohio, based his business on this “science” and tours the nation spreading it among law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. “I know what a guilty father, mother or boyfriend sounds like,” he once said.</p>
<p><strong><em>READ: </em></strong><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/911-call-analysis-fbi-police-courts" target="_blank"><strong><em>They Called 911 for Help. Police and Prosecutors Used a New Junk Science to Decide They Were Liars.</em></strong></a></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces celebrates 40th anniversary
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/the-organized-crime-drug-enforcement-task-forces-celebrates-40th
2022-10-20T08:38:51.000Z
2022-10-20T08:38:51.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10845958100?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>The Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) celebrated its 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary last week. It was created by Presidential Order four decades ago. On October 14, 1982, in the Great Hall of the Department of Justice building, President Ronald Reagan announced a new coordinated federal government effort bringing together prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to attack the command and control elements of the drug trafficking organizations responsible for moving massive quantities of illicit narcotics into the country.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Taking down drug cartels</strong></span></p>
<p>The White House directed that the OCDETF’s top priority would be to disrupt the sales and distribution networks of the traffickers. Some of the department’s most notable successes against drug cartels have resulted from OCDETF coordinated investigations and prosecutions.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/u-s-marshals-arrest-over-84-000-fugitives-in-2021"><strong>U.S. Marshals arrest over 84,000 fugitives in 2021</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>OCDETF was instrumental in taking down the powerful Colombian cartels of the 1980s; the notorious and violent Mexican cartels such as the Tijuana, Juarez and Gulf Cartels in the 1990s; and the methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and opioid threats from all over the world in the last two decades. </p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Catching all sorts of criminals</strong></span></p>
<p>As criminal networks have grown more sophisticated in the last 40 years — branching out to more varied types of criminal activity — OCDETF has responded by expanding its mission beyond drug trafficking organizations and money laundering networks to all forms of transnational organized crime. OCDETF is fully engaged in all manner of investigations into criminal networks involved in human smuggling, sophisticated financial fraud, cyber-enabled crime, illicit finance, arms trafficking, government benefits theft, business e-mail compromise and U.S. sanctions evasion. OCDETF is uniquely and ideally structured to support the fight against transnational organized crime through operational integration, collaboration and law enforcement information sharing.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>INTERVIEW: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/gangsters-inc-sits-down-with-fbi-agent-jack-garcia"><strong>Gangsters Inc. sits down with FBI agent Jack Garcia</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>“Since its founding, OCDETF has been a synchronizer and our role is to incentivize prosecutors to lead smart, creative law enforcement agents in investigations focused on priority targets of organized criminal groups and the illicit financial networks that support them,” said OCDETF Director Adam W. Cohen. “Today, OCDETF provides a forward leaning structure for our partners to work together and leverage each other’s strengths, capabilities and legal authorities resulting in continued positive impacts to the nation.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>124,000 indictments</strong></span></p>
<p>OCDETF’s successes over the last 40 years have been made possible by strong collaboration and coordination with its member agencies. OCDETF is partnered with the 93 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the department’s Criminal Division and 11 federal law enforcement agencies from the Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service), Homeland Security (Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Secret Service), Treasury (Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation), Postal (U.S. Postal Inspection Service), Labor (Office of the Inspector General), and State (Bureau of Diplomatic Security).</p>
<p>OCDETF’s governance, bringing leadership to the multi-agency transnational organized crime mission and focus on joint priority targets has generated genuine measurable accomplishments — over 34,000 multi-agency cases against priority targets, over 124,000 indictments of almost 360,000 defendants, and incredibly, over 15,690 of those resulted in impactful disruption, or even dismantlement of criminal organizations. </p>
<p>“As OCDETF begins our 41st year, we will continue to provide a coordination platform for comprehensive investigations and prosecutions of the most dangerous transnational criminal organizations, the successful result of which is to make our nation safer,” said OCDETF Director Cohen.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/organized-crime-in">Organized Crime in North America section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
Befriending a capo in the Medellin Cartel: How an undercover unit infiltrated the global drug trade
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/befriending-a-capo-in-the-medellin-cartel-how-an-undercover-unit
2022-09-28T15:09:48.000Z
2022-09-28T15:09:48.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
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<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10829727698?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By Peter Walsh for <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a></p>
<p>In the early 1990s, British law enforcement launched a new method of infiltrating the criminal underworld. The Investigation Division of Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise – the UK’s equivalent of the US Drug Enforcement Administration – began to train a small, elite squad of officers to work undercover.</p>
<p>Removed from all contact with their colleagues, they were evaluated by psychologists, equipped with false identities and taught the latest techniques. Crucially, they would be expected to work incognito for the long term, indeed for years if necessary, to provide a steady stream of intelligence for their colleagues to use in targeted operations.</p>
<p>The unit, called Beta Projects, has been wrapped in secrecy for more than thirty years.</p>
<p>At its heart was a courageous officer who went by the pseudonym ‘Guy Stanton’. A working-class lad from West London, Stanton was tough, streetwise and could handle himself in tight situations. He was also quick-thinking and smart. He created the character of a gruff, short-tempered gangster offering services such as maritime shipping, road transportation and money laundering to <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">drug trafficking organizations</a>. Eventually he won the confidence of some of the biggest narcos in the world.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Betrayer-Undercover-Infiltrated-Global-Trade/dp/1908479965/" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10829719879,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10829719879?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="300" /></a>In this extract from his new and revealing autobiography, <em><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Betrayer-Undercover-Infiltrated-Global-Trade/dp/1908479965/">The Betrayer</a></em>, Stanton describes how he met a capo in Colombia’s <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">Medellin Cartel</a> and how they struck up an unlikely friendship.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Betrayer</strong></span></p>
<p>My introduction to the target was to be made via a female Colombian informant called Imogen. Her husband, known as ‘C’, was serving a long spell in a German prison and there was talk of reciprocal aid for him if she helped the authorities. I was to meet her in Miami, where we would spend time getting our story straight. Her husband would meanwhile reference me to the cartel boss from his prison cell.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-untouchables-how-britain-s-top-gangsters-rich-off-armed-robbe"><strong>The Untouchables: How Britain’s top gangsters got rich off armed robberies and smuggling tons of drugs</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>We met on a sultry Florida night in high summer. I answered a knock at my hotel-room door to see a lady of about forty years and no more than five feet tall, wearing the tightest, most revealing, most vivid tiger-print hot-pants and bra. Imogen was, to put it politely, well-proportioned, and a lot of her was not constrained by the tiger-print.</p>
<p>‘Que pasa, caballero?’ she purred. ‘Am I hot or what?’</p>
<p>With that, she licked her finger, placed it on the outside of a well-rounded thigh and made a sizzling sound through blood-red lips.</p>
<p>‘You’re not,’ I said sharply, doing my best not to laugh. ‘Now go back and put on some decent clothes!’</p>
<p>Fifteen minutes later Imogen was back in jeans and a shirt. ‘Spoilsport,’ she pouted. We hit the town. Imogen fizzed with Latin sass – and she was good. She introduced me to the main man in Florida, who would lead me, hopefully, to the next level, a genuine boss. She described our target, a man called Vittorio, as a main player, high up and trusted in the cartel. She warned that he was very sharp and would check out my background. I was confident that my legend would hold up.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Vittorio was said to be related to Pablo Escobar, the ultimate narco, who had been hunted by multiple agencies until his death in a rooftop gunfight on the outskirts of Medellin. It marked the passing of a crucial stage in the growth of the cocaine trade, which was now powered by massive financial interests and protected by corrupt state institutions. Even Pablo’s legendary savagery could not fend off the forces he had helped to create. Whether Vittorio really was his relative we did not know for sure; some people saw advantage in claiming to be linked to the infamous godfather, who was by then very dead and so unlikely to contradict them. But before we went, we ran it past senior management because of the implications for safety and cost. We would be unarmed. Customs officers never carried weapons; we were taught familiarity with them but only to be able to make a buy or to disarm one and make it safe. In Latin America you were actually better off not carrying a gun, as then you did not present an immediate threat if things went pear-shaped. Our deployment was approved.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/exclusive-the-art-of-smuggling-by-britain-s-first-drug-baron"><strong>‘The Art of Smuggling’ by Britain’s first drug baron</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>Brazil was proposed as the location for our meet. [We] spoke to the Foreign Office and SIS (otherwise known as MI6) about the do’s and don’ts of operating there and were explicitly told, ‘Don’t go to Rio, it’s gun city. Kidnap and extreme violence are the norm.’ We were advised to meet our man instead in the city of Sao Paulo, which was, we were assured, bright, vibrant and, above all, safe.</p>
<p>My handler and I took a circuitous route from London to Sao Paulo and booked into the Crowne Plaza hotel. The idea was to win Vittorio’s trust and see where it led. On the morning of our arranged meet, I sat drinking a strong coffee and trying to read the local paper in our hotel lobby. It was thronged with a mix of businessmen, sales reps and tourists, all mingling in the reception area. My handler was at the bar pretending to scan a financial report.</p>
<p>From my seat I saw a blacked-out stretch limousine, complete with boomerang aerial, pull up outside. Two blacked-out Range Rovers fell in behind it. Four purposeful men jumped out – all carrying automatic weapons. Each wore black Kevlar body armor under a long black coat. They strode into the foyer like extras from The Matrix, sending guests, staff and even the hotel security scurrying away. The Crowne Plaza wasn’t exactly a fleapit, and seeing them walk in openly tooled-up was impressive. This was going to be an interesting meet.</p>
<p>A small, bony guy, his eyes hidden by Ray-Ban aviators, emerged last from the limo. The only man not in Kevlar, he wore a beautiful suit and shoes sharp enough to cut glass. As I counted the heavies crowding into the foyer and scanning every corner, the skinny dude sauntered to my table and removed his shades.</p>
<p>‘You must be Guy. I am Vittorio.’</p>
<p>I indicated a chair. ‘Sit down, Vittorio. Fancy a coffee?’</p>
<p>He sat in silence, examining me, while his coffee was brought over by a trembling waiter. Then he zeroed in. ‘So, how do you know “C” and Imogen? Where did you and “C” first meet? What trades have you done? Who else do you know?’</p>
<p>I sat and let his questions bounce off me. He fell silent.</p>
<p>‘Vittorio,’ I said finally. ‘What’s with your men’s get-up?’</p>
<p>‘Protection,’ he said. ‘When you are as important as me, you need men and guns to tell people to stay clear.’</p>
<p>I beckoned him to lean forward. ‘Vittorio,’ I whispered, ‘if it all cracks off and there’s a shootout, only two people are going to die – you and me. We are the only ones without body armor.’</p>
<p>Vittorio sat back with a half-frown. Then he nodded slowly and recovered his poise. With the obligatory amateur dramatics out of the way, we settled down to talk broadly about what I could offer. As ever, it was transport: he was desperate for shipping. He also offered a word of praise. ‘You a very brave man.’</p>
<p>‘Why?’</p>
<p>‘No one comes to Sao Paulo, it’s gun city. Very, very dangerous. I only came to save face. I said to myself, “If the gringo can come here with no fear, so can I.”’</p>
<p>So much for the Foreign Office advice: the one place they claimed was safe, even the baddies were scared to visit!</p>
<p>‘Where would you have chosen?’ I asked.</p>
<p>‘We’d go up to Rio or a holiday town. Have some fun. For us, this is a bad place. We have lost men here. Next time, we’ll go up the river to Manaus. You’ll like it. Very cultured. It has an opera house.’</p>
<p>Vittorio snapped his fingers. The Kevlar boys re-grouped around him. ‘Nice to meet you, Guy. We will meet again at a café tomorrow. The location will be phoned through to you tonight.’ With that, he was gone.</p>
<p>The call duly came through, and the next day found me waiting in the sunshine outside the appointed café. A battered yellow Datsun pulled up. The door creaked open and out stepped Vittorio, wearing jeans and a sports jacket and not a gunman in sight.</p>
<p>‘No bodyguards?’ I said, grinning.</p>
<p>‘No,’ he said, a little sheepishly. ‘You know how we are portrayed on television, like killers? We like to live up to that. It impresses people, and scares them. But it’s nothing.’</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10829721258,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10829721258?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="208" /></a>Over the next few days we got to know one another. It turned out he really was a cousin of Escobar (right). He complained bitterly about how much it had cost to keep Pablo on the lam. ‘He kept borrowing money off me. Every month, he needed half a million, a million, and he never paid it back.’ He was still wondering how he would recoup it.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/watch-former-sas-commando-was-hired-by-cali-cartel-to-assassinate"><strong>Former SAS commando was hired by Cali Cartel to assassinate Pablo Escobar</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>The fall of Pablo didn’t slow Vittorio. He let me know that he was still a big mover in the coke trade, and I pondered how much money he and his associates really had. I was soon to find out. A few days later, I was collected outside my hotel by Vittorio and an associate. ‘I need your help,’ he said. ‘But first, please, you must put on this blindfold.’ I was concerned, but there was no edge to his manner. My gut told me it was safe, so I put on the blindfold and off we set.</p>
<p>I tried the usual trick of remembering twists and turns and listening out for sounds that might signal our location, but in truth I had no clue where we heading. We drove for some half an hour before stopping. Vittorio took off my blindfold and apologized. ‘Sorry, but it is for security. You do not need to know where we are.’ We were outside a large, prefabricated warehouse on a small industrial estate on the city outskirts.</p>
<p>We went in through a small wicket door within a main door and Vittorio flicked on the lights. For as far as I could see were pallets of shrink-wrapped paper. Closer inspection revealed the paper to be stacks of US dollars. The pallets filled the warehouse, except for narrow pathways down which a small forklift rattled. Through the wrapping I could see denominations of twenties, fifties and hundreds in used bills.</p>
<p>‘How much is here?’ I asked, struggling to keep the awe out of my voice.</p>
<p>‘That is the problem, we don’t know.’</p>
<p>‘What do you want me to do?’</p>
<p>‘Get it into the system for us,’ said Vittorio. ‘We have just got too much, it is a real security problem.’</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/popeye-pablo-escobar-s-chief-sicario-dies-of-cancer-at-57"><strong>“Popeye”, Pablo Escobar’s chief sicario, dies of cancer at 57</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>I wandered down the middle aisle and noticed that a corner of the roof was damaged. Water had come in, probably during a storm, and seeped into a pile of unwrapped notes. They had turned into a greenish mulch, probably the world’s most expensive papier-mâché. It was, I thought, criminal in more ways than one.</p>
<p>I promised to try to help and was driven away blindfolded. Again I memorized turns, timings and traffic light stops, but no matter how often I tried later, I could never relocate that warehouse. For all I know it is still there.</p>
<p>It all seemed so outlandish that I did wonder if the dollars were counterfeit. But a few years later a money stash inside a Bogotá apartment building was found to total $35 million in genuine currency. So I guess it was real.</p>
<p>I did not in the end do anything with Vittorio’s money but that meeting cemented our friendship, and I flew back to the UK promising to keep in touch. He turned out to be a likeable guy. It is a fallacy that all criminals are mindless thugs. Some are highly intelligent but have chosen to use their brains in unlawful ways. Vittorio was one. We soon felt we had known each other for years.</p>
<p>After several months, he even accepted my gift of a satellite phone so we could keep in touch. That phone became priceless. For months afterwards, he would call me on it and tell me what he was up to. Often he would be phoning from a coca-processing farm deep in the jungle. These random and impromptu buddy calls were an intelligence goldmine for HMCE and the DEA. On one occasion he called me at 3 a.m. when I was in Dubai, to discuss a coke shipment he was preparing from Belem, hidden in an export of fruit pulp. The Dutch police were leading the investigation into it and I fed my intel to their operation. It led them to make a sizeable seizure. Crucially I made sure it could not be traced to me, which kept my relationship with Vittorio intact.</p>
<p>I continued to speak with Vittorio over the next couple of years and all the time passed info back to the Dutch. His manner never changed but I noticed that he looked thinner and paler each time we met.</p>
<p>He was preparing for another big shipment when I heard he had been taken to hospital in great pain, suffering stomach cancer. Then one day, while I was working again in the Middle East, I took a call from one of his team. Vittorio had died on the operating table. I admit I felt sad, and that night I sat alone in my hotel room and raised a glass to him. He had been an interesting man, and in other circumstances we might have been friends.</p>
<p>My bosses were less sentimental. I was later chastised at my annual appraisal for losing the sat phone, which was never recovered.</p>
<p><em>Extracted from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Betrayer-Undercover-Infiltrated-Global-Trade/dp/1908479965/" target="_blank">THE BETRAYER: How An Undercover Unit Infiltrated The Global Drug Trade</a>, by Guy Stanton with Peter Walsh (published by Milo Books).</em></p>
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