Olympic skier Julia Mancuso won the giant slalom at the 2006 Winter Games and took silver medals in the downhill and super combined races this week in Canada. But back in the '90s it was more about Acapulco Gold for the mancuso family when her father Ciro was arrested and spent five years in jail on marijuana smuggling charges.

From the '60s to '80s, Ciro Mancuso's operation delivered 45 tons of marijuana from Mexico and Thailand to the U.S., estimated at nearly $100 million. He lived lavishly in Lake Tahoe with his then wife Andrea and three daughters - April, Julia and Sara (at right).

Mancuso was busted in 1989 and served a five-year federal sentence from 1995 to 1999. He since returned to the Tahoe area, where he remarried and got a fresh start as a real-estate developer.

Mancuso has said about his former profession:

"I was a product of the '60s, and, to me, this wasn't criminal stuff. I didn't find it morally wrong. We didn't carry guns; we weren't involved in hard drugs. We were a bunch of close friends, guys I skied with, who decided to smuggle some marijuana. I was intrigued with the need for people to have good pot to smoke, not to mention the money we could earn.

"During Jimmy Carter's presidency, marijuana came close to being legalized. And it should be legalized. There are a lot of social ills out there, but smoking pot isn't one of them.

"But, during the '80s, what started out as a collegiate adventure stopped being fun. Political views changed, as did the public perception. I didn't want my children at risk, so I got out. I actually thought I was out of it and beyond being prosecuted, but I didn't realize the long arm of the law."

About her dad, Julia has said:

"He was in and out of jail through high school. Maybe it had an effect on me. I turned to skiing. I spent most of my time racing and skiing at Squaw Valley with my two sisters, chasing them around the mountain."

Clearly, Ciro had a positive impact on Julia, driving her to new heights. "My family is what has always grounded me, and, to tell the truth, my favorite moments are being able to do stuff with dad," she sadded. "We love skiing KT [in Squaw Valley]. He rips."


Also see:
Leighton Meester's Parents Were Smugglers Too!
Katy Perry's Dad Was a Dealer
Shia LaBeouf's Hippie Parents
Where's Ross Rebagliati?
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