Mother of George Marrogi accused of being one of his gang members in Melbourne

The mother of feared underworld killer George Marrogi is accused of being one of his gang members. 

Driving instructor Madlin Enwiya, 55, was among half-a-dozen alleged members of Marrogi’s gang to front the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday after being arrested in raids across Melbourne on January 31. 

Her youngest son, Jesse Marrogi, was also charged amid accusations the pair helped launder money for Marrogi’s Notorious Crime Family gang.

Madlin Enwiya, 55, fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday amid claims she is part of her son’s crime gang 

Melbourne woman Jessica Homa was also accused of doing Marrogi’s bidding 

Dressed in a white t-shirt, Jesse struggled to keep his eyes open throughout the brief hearing. 

Appearing via videolink, Jesse was seated in front of a painting of his dead sister Meshilin, who died from complications related to Covid-19.

Jesse returned to Australia last year after heading overseas as police moved on his brother in April. 

Unlike his gangster brother, Jesse is known more for his relationship with Sabrine Maghnie – the daughter of dead Melbourne gangster Nabil Maghnie.  

Jesse’s mother had appeared in court just moments earlier from a different location. 

Dressed in black, the Marrogi matriarch glared down the lens of the camera during her videolink into the court. 

She is charged with offences related to dealing in the proceeds of crime. 

Marrogi’s alleged crew are accused of helping him launder the dirty money for his multi-million dollar crime empire he operates from behind bars.

The police operation, codenamed ‘Steelers’, involved wide-ranging investigations into Marrogi’s activities.

Just last week, more than a dozen of his alleged cohorts were forced to run the media gauntlet outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. 

On Friday, it was revealed another woman was among the believed 24 arrested by police. 

Jessica Homa appeared in court via videolink on similar money laundering charges. 

It is understood police were able to make the arrests after George Marrogi’s girlfriend used a ‘hot’ phone during jailhouse calls to him inside. 

Jesse Marrogi (right) is dating the daughter of dead gangster Nabil ‘Mad Lebo’ Maghnie. Pictured on left: Sabrine Maghnie 

Charity worker Antonietta Mannella has pleaded guilty to helping Marrogi run his business from jail

Detectives allege those involved with the crime gang funnelled drug money through property, companies and luxury vehicles. 

It was reported police seized a $400,000 stolen Porsche, $20million in proceeds of crime, more than $2.2million in cash and almost 6kg of cocaine. 

Last week it was revealed Marrogi was still able to mastermind a $50 million drug trafficking operation while caged in one of Australia’s toughest jails.

He was aided in his drug business by ‘cleanskin’ girlfriend Antonietta Mannella, who pretended to be his lawyer to help him move a massive drug shipment.

It was the use of her phone, which was bugged with secret police listening devices, that unravelled the alleged crime operation that culminated in the police sting on Marrogi’s alleged minions.  

Last year, Marrogi was sentenced  in the Supreme Court of Victoria to a total of 32 years in jail over the cold blooded public execution of a drug rival.

But jail has not seemed to have stopped Marrogi from taunting police from within.

Marrogi was back before a judge last month after being caught in a scheme to traffic massive quantities of drugs. 

Jesse, Meshlin, Madlin and George Marrogi in happier times. Meshlin is dead, George is in jail and Madlin and Jesse are up on charges

Jesse Marrogi, pictured with girlfriend Sabrine Maghnie, appeared to be nodding off during his court appearance on Friday 

A woman (left) was among those alleged to have helped Marrogi run his criminal empire, Unlike those that appeared in court on Friday, she was made to appear in person

 Mannella, 28, of Mickleham, has pleaded guilty to helping Marrogi run his business from Barwon. 

She also faces accusations of helping to hide Marrogi’s ill-gotten booty.  

The County Court of Victoria heard last month Mannella had been the best friend of his dead sister when she inexplicably hooked-up with the jailbird. 

Until then, Mannella had lived a faultless life and had previously handed out food to the homeless on Melbourne’s streets for a charity established in memory of Marrogi’s sister Meshilin, who died from complications related to Covid-19. 

The court heard Mannella and some of Marrogi’s cohorts attempted to move 800 litres of the drug Butanediol from South Australia to Victoria. 

Marrogi and Mannella have pleaded guilty to attempting to traffic a large commercial quantity of illicit drugs. 

George Marrogi in happier times. He will spend most of his life behind bars 

Antonietta Mannella pretended to be a lawyer to help George Marrogi attempt to deal drugs 

The $50 million plan had hinged on a brazen scheme that saw Mannella pose as Marrogi’s lawyer. 

While all prisoner phone calls are monitored and recorded by Corrections Victoria, the pair banked on a well known exemption that allows unmonitored calls with legal personal, which are regarded as privileged. 

In circumstances that were not explained, the court heard a phone used by a real lawyer representing Marrogi diverted to Mannella whenever the crook rang it. 

Mannella would answer the phone by impersonating ‘Cassidy’ in a poor attempt to throw off prison snoops.  

The pair would then speak in code as they went about organising the movement of four 200-litre drums of Butanediol – the key ingredient in gamma hydroxybutyrate, or GHB.

The court heard Marrogi was able to convince a man who owed him cash to organise the shipment, which revolved around a 71-year old truck driver driving the drums across the border into Melbourne. 

The elderly driver was picked-up by police as he drove into Horsham in Victoria’s west. 

The mission had been doomed from the start. 

The court heard Australian Federal Police had Mannella’s phone tapped and had listened to every conversation she had with the crime boss. 

Marrogi and Mannella will be sentenced over that crime this month.