Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Trish Dolman, Netflix’s ‘Mafia: Most Wanted’ is a documentary series delving deep into the complex inner workings of the Toronto, Canada-based crime family ‘Ndrangheta. It actually incorporates not only archival footage but also exclusive interviews to underscore precisely how this alleged criminal organization built a well-oiled global empire. Amongst them is none other than Alberto Giuseppe Ferraro Moya, better known as simply Joe Ferraro or Joe Limosine, a former entrepreneur as well as a long-time mafia enforcer.
Joe Ferraro Reportedly Began Engaging in Criminal Activities as a Teenager
It was on August 24, 1962, when Joe Ferraro was born into modest circumstances in Ecuador to an Italian father and an Ecuadorian mother. However, he spent his formative years in Italy after they had relocated there for a better life, before ultimately moving to Canada 3 months before his 10th birthday. They settled down in St. Clair Avenue, Toronto, an Italian area, where they also opened an Italian supermarket, which ended up attracting a lot of the local mobsters. That’s when Joe decided that he didn’t want to lead an ordinary life.
According to Joe’s accounts in the aforementioned series, “I started seeing people walking in, and the people were coming in with high-end cars, and they would gamble all day. At the back of the coffee shop, there was a coffee shop where the Italians hung out. I liked what they were doing.” Therefore, at almost 13 years old, he decided this was the kind of life he wanted – not a normal one, but one full of adventure, relaxation, money, and comfort. Then, a few months later, he got into a fight and allegedly stabbed someone because they were treating him badly, making him realize he was different from the rest. “I realized that if you push me, I would hurt you,” he said.
Joe reportedly ended up moving away from home not long after, following which he devoted a lot of time to physical training and mixed martial arts to get physically stronger and protect himself. As per his accounts in the show, he had no idea the gyms would be his introduction to the world of drugs. He admittedly developed a friendship with some “dope” dealers, so when they pushed him to buy from them, he decided to do so in order to resell for a profit, earn some income, and make ends meet. This sent him down the path of lucrative drug dealing, per the show, as he was soon dabbling in the trade of some hard narcotics like cocaine and steroids too – his profit margins were 100-200%.
Joe Ferraro Had Many Connections, But He Never Became a Made Man
While the drug business was reportedly really successful, Joe had pivoted to debt/money collection for an easier cash flow by the time he was in his early 30s and was building the Ferraro crew. This crew comprised around 50 of the toughest men in the city, according to the enforcer himself in the series, all of whom seemed extremely loyal and intimidating. By this point, Joe had admittedly gotten so successful that he moved to the suburban area of Woodbridge, where he owned a mansion and several luxury cars, including limos, Ferraris, and Porches. In fact, his collection was so impressive that people would often knock on his door to ask if they could have a look or rent the vehicles for a while.
That’s when Joe got the idea of establishing an “ultra high-end” car rental business, which he did in 1993 in a plaza on Steeles Avenue, Vaughan, just north of Toronto. He named it Two of a Kind, soon gathering Lamborghini Diablos, Ferrari Testarossa, luxury limousines, and a 20-passenger stretch Hummer, along with other exotic cars as well as tour buses for his fleet. However, since he never got out of the lucrative drug business and had a lot of connections in the underworld, everything turned upside down for him in early 2003. As per records, Joe had tried to become a “made man” over time, but he never reached that point despite his alleged close connections with some mob leaders.
In fact, Joe stated in the documentary series that he had such care, love, and respect for alleged ‘Ndrangheta leader Cosimo Commisso that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill for him. But then, when asked how many people he had killed, he said, “I haven’t killed anybody. I wouldn’t be saying that. People have gone to see the creator, but that’s about it. In the end, though, it was his making a “business” deal with an undercover cop that brought him down in 2003 as he ended up being arrested and charged with trafficking ecstasy, conspiracy to traffick cocaine, and posession of cocaine. Instead of snitching on anybody, like many suspected, though, Joe remained quiet, took a plea deal, and agreed to be sentenced to 3 years in prison. Yet, he was released after serving just 7 months on the grounds of good behavior.
Deported to Ecuador, Joe Ferraro Leads an Active Life Today
According to Joe’s accounts, while he was holding his tongue in jail, not only was there a hit allegedly put on him, but his former colleagues also stole almost everything that once belonged to him. He said, “They took my business. They took my house. They took my money. They took my wife. They betrayed me, and they left me on the street with nothing.” He was even served divorce papers. Thus, since he asserted all this to the parole board, their decision to release him read, in part, “While you state that you believe your life might be in danger, you see that risk as manageable.” So, when he left prison, he was admittedly just determined to rebuild his life.
As per the aforementioned show, Joe managed to get his business back without major issues thanks to some loyal workers, with the help of whom he rebuilt it to success on his own terms. He reportedly even recruited new talent for other ventures, all the while engaging in a lengthy court battle regarding his citizenship since he had never applied for it. Although he had been based in Canada since before he turned 10, he had never applied to become a legal citizen because his father wrongly believed his children automatically became citizens with him. Therefore, in 2011, even though he had remarried and was reportedly leading a quiet life with his new wife and their two young kids (out of 5 for him), he was deported to Ecuador.
Since then, from what we can tell, Joe has been focusing on building a life there, while also doing his best to maintain contact with his loved ones, most of whom are still based in Canada. Some officials suggest that it’s likely he may still be involved in the drug trade, considering his past and the country he now calls home, but there is no evidence to suggest the same. In fact, it appears as if Joe now prefers to spend most of his time at the gym, pursuing his passion for fitness to the best of his abilities at the age of 63. Boxing is something he has especially fallen in love with recently. He also seems to enjoy going out with friends, driving around the country with music blasting, and simply continuing to lead a rather luxurious life.
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