Manuel José Sabatasso

Manuel José Sabatasso, circa early 2000s

Manuel José Sabatasso (age unknown, Argentine citizen, aliases include Cacho and Andres) has often boasted that he was a gangster and violent criminal before joining the Family. When telling his testimony at Family fellowship meetings, he often told the story of how, shortly after he joined the Family, he was approached by a political terrorist organization which was aware of his past and his criminal experience and wanted to hire him to bomb banks and other targets. He claimed to have turned them down. He was married to and had a son with current Family International spokesperson Claire Borowik. In telling the story of her relationship with Mr. Sabatasso, Borowik often mentioned that when the police in Buenos Aires found out she intended to marry Cacho, they met with her and warned her of Mr. Sabatasso's criminal history, told her that they considered him very dangerous and advised her to stay away from him. Despite his criminal past, Mr. Sabtasso was welcomed into the Family and rose to positions of regional leadership in Argentina. He is still a member of the Family International and was last known to be living in Argentina.

In 1987, Claire Borowik and Manuel Jose Sabatasso helped establish and were put in charge of the Argentine Teen Combo. Some of the teenagers that resided there have alleged that Manuel José Sabatasso, with assistance from Claire Borowik, sexually abused and raped teenage girls that had been entrusted to their care.

According to a December 14, 1993 story in the Toronto Star, one of Sabatasso's victims testified that "Borowick's husband, Jose Manuel Sabatasso, raped her when she was 13 and that Borowick not only condoned the attack, but ordered her to have sex with with other leaders of the sect."

• Toronto Star: Argentine court frees Canadians in sex case — December 14, 1993