Underworld kingpin George Marrogi to spend 37 years in prison

Underworld boss George Marrogi has been handed more jail time over his role in a multimillion-dollar drug operation run from his maximum security cell.

Underworld kingpin George Marrogi, who orchestrated multimillion-dollar drug shipments from his maximum security prison cell, will spend an extra five years in jail.

The Notorious Crime Family boss, who is already serving a 32-year prison term over the fatal shooting of Kadir Ors, was on Friday sentenced to 22 years’ jail after he pleaded guilty to importing commercial quantities of heroin and methamphetamine.

County Court judge Peter Rozen said five years of Marrogi’s jail term would be served in addition to his minimum murder sentence.

“His current sentence will expire in May of 2049 when he is 59 years old,” Judge Rozen said.

“He will have been in custody for 42 of the 43 years since he turned 16.”

Marrogi’s girlfriend Antonietta Manella, who helped run his drug empire from the outside and also pleaded guilty to the charges, was jailed for 13 years for her role.

In handing down his sentence, Judge Rozen said Marrogi’s drug syndicate, which was run from his Barwon Prison cell, was “sophisticated” and used to recoup a $1.5 million debt.

“Trafficking in large quantities of drugs and arranging the importation of drugs from prison while serving a sentence for murder is outrageous,” Judge Rozen said.

“Such brazen conduct makes a mockery of the criminal justice system and is an affront to the community.”

George Marrogi will spend an extra five years in prison.

Judge Rozen said Marrogi was the “author of his own misfortune”.

But he found Manella was under the “spell” of Marrogi and had good prospects for rehabilitation due to her lack of prior convictions, absence of drug and alcohol problems and willingness to work in jail.

The judge said a message needed to be sent to anyone serving a long prison sentence that serious criminal offending from behind bars would be met with punishment.

Appearing via video link from custody Marrogi, 33, and Manella, 29, were silent during the sentencing hearing.

Marrogi organised the importation of a 69kg consignment of methamphetamine and heroin which arrived at Melbourne Airport concealed among packets of magnets and green tea in February last year.

Judge Rozen said the drugs had an estimated street value of between $24m and $34m.

The pair also pleaded to attempting to traffick a commercial quantity of 1,4 butanediol, sold as the party drug GHB, which was intercepted on a truck by police in Horsham.

Marrogi circumnavigated the high security phone system of Barwon Prison by creating a lawyer’s phone number that was picked up by Ms Mannella.

Authorities are prohibited from listening to or recording calls to lawyers from prison.

The pair would pretend to have legal conversations for about 30 seconds to avoid detection before they would discuss the drug shipments.

There were up to 20 calls a day and code words were used.

Police unravelled the operation by bugging Mannella’s phone.

Mannella must serve six years and ten months before she is eligible for supervised release.

Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the drug syndicate would remain a target of Echo Taskforce investigators.

“This result is testament not only to the tireless work of the Echo Taskforce over the past two years, but the relentless commitment of many investigators over many years involved in targeting this syndicate and holding them to account,” he said.