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It was a Quebec-based crime family with a transnational reach, one that infiltrated Another customs agent was also bribed in an operation to bring cocaine by train from the And another cell engaged in illegal online bookmaking in the Kahnawake Mohawk reserve, south of Those allegations are outlined among more than 1,000 criminal counts filed yesterday against 90 people the police identified as associates and underlings of Vito Rizzuto, the man court documents describe as the godfather of the Montreal Mafia. Ending a four-year investigation by several police forces, 700 officers fanned out across The RCMP said police have struck at the heart of one of the top criminal syndicates in While the lion's share of members came from the Italian-based underworld, the criminal enterprise extended into the outlaw biker world as well as aboriginal communities, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Raf Souccar said in an interview. The organization managed to co-opt federal employees and airport staff because it needed "facilitators" to help import drugs through different ports of entry. "You corrupt with money," he said. The crackdown came as the Montreal Mafia is facing a leadership vacuum, with Mr. Rizzuto in detention in Among those arrested yesterday was Nicolo (Nick) Rizzuto, his 82-year-old father, and Paolo Renda, 67, his brother-in-law. Wearing a fedora and dress shirt, the elder Mr. Rizzuto was led in flex-cuffs away from his home on Antoine Berthelet, the north-end street where the Rizzutos and the Rendas own luxury homes. Other people portrayed in past court files as close associates of Vito Rizzuto were also arrested, such as Francesco Arcadi, 53, and Rocco Sollecito, 58. About $3-million was also seized as proceeds of crime. Police say the criminal organization had succeeded in infiltrating An Air Canada spokesman said a number of employees in A customs officer, who worked in the border agency's regional headquarters in Police said the drugs were moved through a Police also said they dismantled operations of a cannabis route toward the While it has been alleged in past court cases that the mob has insiders within the An official with the Canadian Border Services Agency said it co-operated fully with police once the allegations came to light. "We can assure the public we take this very seriously," said Amélie Morin, a spokeswoman for the agency. "It's always unfortunate for an organization. But we have over 7,000 officers who perform their duties with professionalism." Experts say the arrests hit the heart of the Sicilian Mafia in "This is a significant blow," said He described Nicolo Rizzuto as "one of the last untouchables" in the criminal organization. "Nobody could have expected to take down Nicolo Rizzuto at the age of 82." The struggle for control of cocaine importation through Police said investigators used telephone wiretaps, electronic surveillance and "other methods" to track the organization methodically for four years. "We were able to observe the acts of the groups' members and obtain evidence in places where the organization felt safe," said RCMP Superintendent Richard Guay, who heads the force's criminal operations in ***** Who's who Nicolo (Nick) Rizzuto, 82 The patriarch of the Rizzuto family came to Paolo Renda , 67 Another native of Cattolica Eroclea, he is the son-in-law of the elder Mr. Rizzuto. President of Renda Construction Inc., he lives on the same north-end stretch of luxury homes as the two Rizzutos. Mr. Renda has a criminal record for arson, in the same incident that marked Vito Rizzuto's last criminal conviction, for setting fire to Mr. Renda's barber shop in 1972 for insurance purposes. Francesco Arcadi, 53 Local news reports described him as a potential successor to the exiled Vito Rizzuto. He has a record for running a gambling house. He has often been seen by police at mob funerals and weddings in the company of the younger Mr. Rizzuto. In 2001, police foiled an assassination plot by a construction entrepreneur who targeted the two because he was owed $2-million. Rocco Sollecito, 58 Another man often seen in the company of Vito Rizzuto, Mr. Sollecito was named in an |