Former hostage in Montreal Mafia dispute paroled in pot-smuggling case

A Montreal man who was once held hostage for more than a month as part of a dispute that involved the highest levels of the Montreal Mafia has been granted parole on a lengthy sentence he received four years ago for smuggling cannabis into the U.S.
Nicola (Nick) Varacalli, 70, was returned to Canada on June 8 by U.S. authorities after his application for a transfer to continue serving the 10-year prison term he received in 2014 in a U.S. court was accepted. The transfer was very beneficial to Va