My Australian mafia road trip: how the ‘ndrangheta evolved Down Under

In search of answers about how and why ‘ndrangheta emerged and evolved in Australian society, Carlo Oreglia and mafia expert Dr. Anna Sergi traveled more than 1,500 kilometers by car.

SBS Italian broadcaster Carlo Oreglia and Professor Anna Sergi from the University of Essex. Credit: SBS

Carlo and Anna first drive from Melbourne towards Griffith, known as the birthplace of the ‘ndrangheta in the 1970s, then west through Riverina country to Mildura, where Carlo and Anna trace the complex history of the development of the mafia in Australia .

Along the way they stop at fields where marijuana crops once flourished, the pub where aspiring politician Don Mackay drank his last beer, and the final resting place of the ‘boss of bosses’, during one of many visits to local cemeteries. .

Back in Melbourne, stories of ‘ndrangheta’s origins are woven into the hot suburbs of Carlton, Fitzroy and Brunswick. Sandwiched between yoga studios and wine bars are places that bear witness to the evolution of the mafia through the generations.

Join Carlo Oreglia and expert travel companion Anna Sergi as they unravel the myth of Australia’s ‘ndrangheta.

“My Australian Mafia Roadtrip” is an SBS Audio podcast about the history and psychology of the ‘ndrangheta Down Under. Find it in your podcast app such as the SBS Audio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or LiSTNR.

Host: Carlo Oreglia

Special guest: Anna Sergi

Written and produced by: Carlo Oreglia

Supervising producers: Joel Supple, Caroline Gates

Sound design and mix: Max Gosford