ACCUSED DRUG BOSS SEEKS BAIL

10 suspects appear in court after arrests

Amid fidgeting drug addicts in need of a fix and small-time pushers looking
for bail sat members of what police say is the most powerful drug ring in
the world.

Ten suspects arrested in Canada and Mexico on Wednesday after a two-year
international investigation took their place yesterday morning in the
prisoner's box of a small federal courtroom at Toronto's old city hall.

Alfonso Caruana, the Woodbridge man police say runs an organization bigger
than New York's Gambino crime family, was the only alleged ring member to
have a lawyer present.

Caruana, 52, has retained John Rosen, a highly regarded Toronto lawyer who
represented rapist and murderer Paul Bernardo.

Rosen told reporters after the brief hearing that he can't say much about
the case against his client, whom he met for the first time yesterday in
the courtroom.

`OF COURSE'

Asked if Caruana will be pleading not guilty to charges of conspiracy to
import and traffic in cocaine, Rosen replied: ``Of course.''

The accused likely will not have a chance at bail until July 27, when five
days have been set aside for a bail hearing.

They are also scheduled to make a brief appearance in court before then, on
July 21.

Rosen, who spoke yesterday on behalf of the nine who did not have a lawyer,
said the others will now have a chance to find their own lawyers and seek
disclosure.

After an RCMP-led investigation into the international world of drugs and
money laundering, police said the arrests Wednesday dealt a major blow to
the biggest crime family in the world.

The old city hall federal court deals mainly with those just charged with
drug offences and seeking bail.

The accused - from the Toronto area, Montreal and two who were flown in
from Mexico on an early-morning flight - had to be led into the prisoner's
box in groups.

Anna Staniscia-Zaino, 43, of Montreal was the first to appear. Unlike the
others, she stood outside the prisoner's box and appeared to be the only
one who had a change of clothes since the arrests.

Domenic Rossi, 68, of Richmond Hill was next up, accompanied by Oreste
Pagano, 60, of Cancun, Mexico, and Alberto Minelli, 33, of Miami, both of
whom were arrested in Mexico and flown to Toronto.

Alfonso Caruana, his brothers Pasquale, 50, of Maple, and Gerlando, 54, of
St. Leonard, Que., and nephew Giuseppe, 28, also of St. Leonard took to the
small box together, sitting shoulder to shoulder. With emotionless faces,
the four listened to the proceedings.

Marcel Bureau, 51, and Nunzio LaRosa, 50, both from Montreal, appeared
next, sitting on opposite ends of the bench.

Four other men who were arrested in Quebec and Houston may end up in
Toronto as well.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)