A drugs baron benefited by nearly £1million from one of the biggest drugs rings ever to be smashed in Sussex, a court was told.

Ruthless Lorenzo Sirignano was the Mr Big behind a £5million plot to flood the streets of Brighton and Hove with cocaine.

Sirignano's life of crime brought him all the trappings of wealth paid for by the misery of others.

He lived in a luxury detached house in Ferndale Road, Burgess Hill, and had a fleet of five cars, including a Ferrari and a BMW.

Neighbours there dubbed him The Mafia because of the lifestyle he led, telling them he made his money from running a property management business.

Infact, he controlled a 17-strong-gang of dealers, pushers and enforcers through fear, intimidation and violence.

Sirignano, 52, put up the cash to import high quality cocaine from Ghana and Brazil in 2006 and 2007.

He targeted vulnerable people, including a 64-year-old grandmother to do his dirty work for him from a run-down house in Carlise Road, Hove.

Police found a haul of cocaine and amphetamines in a lock-up garage and a van there when they raided it in 2008.

They had spent months watching Sirignano and his henchmen eavesdropping on his conversations after planting listening devices in his cars.

In one chilling conversation he threatened to shoot or bomb one of the gang members after they had fallen out with each other.

He was also recorded threatening to sell his interest in a London property to controversial Brighton landlord Nicholas Hoogstraaten, the court heard.

Sirignano was arrested at Heathrow Airport in February 2008 as he waited for 10kg of cocaine worth £1.3million to arrive from Ghana.

He was jailed for 21 years and other members of the gang were jailed for a total of more than 100 years after they were convicted of their parts in the plot last year. (2009) At Brighton Crown Court yesterday (mon) Sirignano was said to have benefited by at least £866,000 from his drugs empire. He contests the figure.

Thomas Baker, prosecuting said a Sussex Police investigation showed that Sirignano had interests in properties in London and Hove.

Financial investigator Tracey Dickens said Sirignano had charges on two properties in Edgware Road, North London.

She said he had lent the owner a total of £338,000 on them and is also the registered owner of a £150,000 flat in Vallance Gardens, Hove.

Mrs Dickens told the court that Sirignano also paid a £2,750-a-month mortgage on his house in Burgess Hill.

Desmond Lennon, defending, said the Edgware Road properties were owned by Mr Michel abu Hamden and not Sirignano.

He said the flat in Vallance Gardens had Sirignano’s name on the Land Registry documents but was held in trust for Mr abu Hamden.

He added: “As far as the cars are concerned, the Ferrari is worth about £10,000 and the BMW has since been written off.”

The hearing continues.