Ciro Mancuso

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Ciro Mancuso (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 1960's 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada Anthony White 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.^[2]

He was sentenced to nine years in prison on June 27, 1995^[3] 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. Because of his assistance to the government, Mancuso was allowed to remain free until his legal case was resolved and to keep between $2 and $4 million in cash and land that were earned from his trafficking business in Thai marijuana. Hallinan was subsequently acquitted of all charges in a trial that the jury members later said was obviously based on lies. The foreman later told journalists that there was no way anyone could be convicted based on Mancus's word.^[4]

His daughter Julia Mancuso is currently a member of the U.S. Ski Team and won the Giant Slalom gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. 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.^[5] He was in the crowd cheering his daughter to victory as he and other relatives waved their "Super Jules" flags.^[6]

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