'Red Godfather' nailed
Ripples from the arrest of a Russian crime boss in New York will be felt in Toronto, expert says

By Scott Magnish / Toronto Sun
A reputed mobster dubbed the "Red Godfather" of the Russian underworld was arrested by the FBI in New York yesterday, a move an expert says will be felt in Toronto.
Vyacheslav Ivankov, 55, was one of nine people charged in the probe of Russian organized crime in Brooklyn. Authorities alleged Ivankov and his cohorts tried to extort $3.5 million from two Russian businessmen who were kidnapped last month and forced to sign a promisory note. The pair were released and the FBI made their arrests before any payment was made.
Illegal immigrant
Ivankov, in New York illegaly since his release from a Siberian prison in 1991, spat and kicked at photographers as he was led in handcuffs to U.S. District Court.
Antonio Nicaso, a Toronto-based organized crime expert and co-author of the book Global Mafia, said Ivankov's arrest will send shock waves through the underworld. "This is an important event," Nicaso said. "It trascends New York's Little Odessa. Ripples will be felt in Toronto's Little Moscow, too, and in many other major centres across North America."
Russian officials said Ivankov was one of the top crime bosses in the country before he set up shop in New York.
June 9, 1995