Steven Spaliviero pictured with his ex-girlfriend Charlotte Lindstrom, a Swedish model
Steven Spaliviero was the son of a suburban migrant family before he became one of Australia’s largest drug kingpins.
The Sydney man lived a fast-paced life partying with celebrities, driving fast cars and dating models all while running one of the world’s largest ecstasy laboratories.
His glamorous lifestyle fell apart when he was caught manufacturing 500kg of the party drug and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
After serving 11 years behind bars in some of NSW’s toughest prisons, Spaliviero, now aged 52, finally walked free in October.
The former drug manufacturer has now revealed his life story in his book Narco X.
Spaliviero’s career manufacturing drugs began when he landed in a prison cell in California’s San Joaquin Valley with a man called Igor.
Spaliviero was in jail for a luxury car racket, and Igor was serving 12 years in jail for manufacturing the drug MDMA.
The pair quickly struck up a friendship and a business relationship.
Igor agreed to teach Spaliviero the tricks of the drug trade, and in exchange, Spaliviero agreed to send Igor’s family some of the profits.
When Spaliviero left the Californian jail, it was the beginning of his career as one of the biggest ecstasy manufacturers in the world.
When Spaliviero left the Californian jail, it was the beginning of his career as one of the biggest ecstasy manufacturers in the world
After serving 11 years behind bars in some of NSW’s toughest prisons, Spaliviero, now aged 52, finally walked free in October
His career grew so quickly it was likened to the popular TV series, Breaking Bad (pictured)
His career grew so quickly it was likened to the popular TV series, Breaking Bad.
Spaliviero himself admitted it was similar, but said his production was even larger than that depicted in the series.
‘As far as the size of the fictional Breaking Bad operation was, they used 25 litre drums weighing around 25kg to load on to a 400 litre reaction vessel,’ he told News.com.au.
Spaliviero said the drug business grew so quickly, without detection from the police, he felt ‘untouchable’.
‘Instantly little white pills started pouring out like coints from a Las Vegas poker machine having hit the jackpot, except these coins were $6 ecstasy pills,’ he told the publication.
‘I became addicted to the thrill of hearing police sirens blaring past the factory on the way to enforce traffic violations… knowing I was invisible behind the factory walls.’
‘As far as the size of the fictional Breaking Bad (pictured) operation was, they used 25 litre drums weighing around 25kg to load on to a 400 litre reaction vessel,’ Spaliviero said
Steven Spaliviero (right) is pictured with celebrity Keanu Reeves (left)
Spaliviero moved his business to the suburbs in Sydney’s northwest, where he continued manufacturing ecstasy.
By 2001, Spaliviero said he made $23 million through the illegal drug trade.
In 2005 Spaliviero’s fast paced life, spending days on yachts and manufacturing drugs by night, all came crashing down.
Spaliviero was caught manufacturing 44kg of ecstasy in a laboratory based in Riverstone, in Sydney’s northwest.
He was sentenced to 16 years in prison, serving his time at Long Bay, Cooma and Goulburn correctional centres.
Since his release from prison in October, Spaliviero has taken up work as a bartender on a friend’s boat and has embraced several other work opportunities with friends and family
Spaliviero met his new girlfriend, Sydney model Chelsea Coates (pictured), on the dating app Tinder
Since his release from prison in October, Spaliviero has taken up work as a bartender on a friend’s boat and has embraced several other work opportunities with friends and family.
He said he would never return to the drug trade.
Since becoming a free man, Spaliviero revealed he started using the dating app, Tinder.
He said he met his new girlfriend, Chelsea Coates, on the dating app, and was now in a happy relatiosnhip with the Sydney-based model.
With the announcement, Spaliviero said he no longer loved his ex-girlfriend Charlotte Lindstrom.
Ms Lindstrom, a Swedish model, gave evidence against her boyfriend when he was arrested in 2005.
In his book Narco X, Spaliviero revealed the heartache he felt by Ms Lindstrom.
‘Being betrayed by her was a horrible feeling, which I’ll never forget,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.