Italian authorities are looking to extradite a Vaughn, Ontario, man for mafia-related charges.Carlo Bruzzese, 41, was arrested earlier in the year in April by police in Woodbridge after being sentenced in absentia by Italian authorities for his association with the 'Ndrangheta, a mafia-style Italian crime syndicate based in Calabria.The Italian court sentenced Bruzzese to six years in prison for his association with the crime syndicate and has petitioned Canada to extradite him.Toronto Police said that he was arrested "on the strength of an arrest warrant issued under the Canadian Extradition Act.”Bruzzese's father Carmelo was extradited to Italy in 2015 for mafia-related charges in a similar situation to what his son is now facing, with Carmelo being considered to be a significant player in the 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate.Canadian court documents show that Bruzzese was previously charged with mafia-related charges under the Italian penal code and was considered "part of the Grotteria Locale of the ‘Ndrangheta.""He was considered to be an active participant in the locale, responsible for ensuring communication between the members, participating in meetings, carrying out the organization’s directives, and respecting the hierarchy in place," court documents state.The 'Ndrangheta is considered to be one of the most powerful crime organizations in the world, with the syndicate involved in drug and arms trafficking as well as money laundering and racketeering.Bruzzese is due to appear in the Ontario Court of Superior Justice in Toronto on August 5.
