- Ciro Mancuso
-
Ciro Mancuso (born 1949) was a Nevada based drug dealer convicted of running a $140-million marijuana smuggling operation for more than a decade. In cooperation with a foreign exchange student from Thailand, Ciro Mancuso built one of the largest domestic drug cartels in U.S. history.
The son of immigrants from Italy, Ciro was a real estate developer before venturing into the lucrative narcotics business. Ciro's smuggling operation began in the late 1960s, when he teamed up with a group of college friends from Tahoe Paradise College. At first, they only sold marijuana at their college, but soon the business grew. When authorities moved in on their growing operation at a small farm in Clay County, Kansas, they began importing marijuana from Mexico. Later Ciro teamed up with a Thai exchange student to import more potent marijuana into San Francisco.[1] Ciro soon realized that there was more profit to be made selling cocaine and integrated it into his marijuana operation.
It took the government twelve years to build a case against Mancuso.[2] Anthony White, assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, brought charges against Ciro Mancuso in 1990 and it was hailed as one of the largest drug conspiracy cases in state history. The indictment alleged that Mancuso used a multi-state cocaine and marijuana smuggling operation to buy ranches, mountaintop retreats, beach-front estates and anything else he might want.[3]
He was sentenced to nine years in prison on June 27, 1995[4] Mancuso's sentence was greatly reduced because of his cooperation with the government in cases against other alleged organization members and Mancuso's lawyer Patrick Hallinan. As a result of his assistance to the government, Mancuso was allowed to keep $5 million in proceeds from his trafficking business. Hallinan was subsequently acquitted of obstruction of justice and drug conspiracy charges.[5]
His daughter, Julia Mancuso, is a current member of the U.S. Ski Team, won the gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy and the silver medal in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. After his release from prison, Ciro Mancuso again became involved in Julia's skiing career. Father and daughter have maintained a close relationship, and she credits him with helping her in her ski career, particularly when it comes to setting her up with a trainer in Maui.[6] He was in the crowd cheering his daughter to victory as he and other relatives waved their "Super Jules" flags.[7]
Notes
- ^ Rob Haeseler, Tahoe College Buddies Build Marijuana Empire, San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 17, 1995, p. A1
- ^ Rob Haeseler, After Two Decades, Drug Agents Close In, San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 19, 1995, p. A1
- ^ Bill Moushey, Wrath of Vengeance, Pittsburg Post-Gazette
- ^ Rob Haeseler, Drug Kingpin Mancuso Gets 9 Years, San Francisco Chronicle, June 28, 1995, p. A13
- ^ "Defense Attorney Acquitted of Conspiracy Charges". NewsBriefs. April 1995. http://www.ndsn.org/APRIL95/MARIJUAN.html.
- ^ Chris Jenkins, Dig These Roots, San Diego Union Tribune, February 25, 2006
- ^ Chris Dufresne, Drought-Busting Run, Chicago Tribune Olympic Bureau, February 24, 2006
Categories:- 1949 births
- Living people
- American drug traffickers
- American people of Italian descent
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