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Italian-American organized crime group From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Patriarca crime family (/ˌpætriˈɑːrkə/, Italian pronunciation: [patriˈarka]), also known as the New England Mafia, the Boston Mafia, the Providence Mafia or the Office, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family operating in New England. The family consists of two distinct factions, one based in Providence, Rhode Island, and the other in Boston, Massachusetts. The Patriarca family is primarily active in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with other territory throughout New England.
 Raymond Patriarca, who was the boss from 1954 to 1984. | |
| Founded | c. 1916 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Gaspare Messina |
| Named after | Raymond Patriarca |
| Founding location | Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
| Years active | c. 1916–present |
| Territory | Primarily Greater Boston, the Providence metropolitan area and Eastern Connecticut, with additional territory throughout New England, as well as Las Vegas and South Florida[1] |
| Ethnicity | Italians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates |
| Membership (est.) | 30 made members (2012)[2] |
| Activities | Racketeering, gambling, murder, narcotics, waste management, robbery, fencing, loan sharking, extortion, bookmaking, money laundering, smuggling, fraud, prostitution and pornography[3] |
| Allies | |
| Rivals |
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Raymond Patriarca became boss of the family in 1954 and led the organization from the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence until his death in 1984. Under Patriarca's leadership, the family profited primarily from illegal gambling, loansharking, pornography and trafficking in stolen goods.[2][5] Patriarca also held a stake in the Dunes hotel and casino in Las Vegas, from which he benefited from the "skimming" of the casino's revenue.[6] At peak membership, the Patriarca family consisted of over 100 "made men".[2]
Upon the death of Patriarca Sr., his son Raymond Patriarca Jr. succeeded him as boss of the family. Patriarca Jr. was an ineffective leader, and he was the target of an attempted coup led by family consigliere Joseph "J. R." Russo of the Boston faction during the late 1980s. Patriarca Jr., Russo and numerous others were imprisoned on RICO charges in 1992, and Boston mobster Frank Salemme subsequently emerged as boss of the family. Internal warfare in the Patriarca family continued in the 1990s as a renegade faction within the Boston underworld led by Robert F. Carrozza challenged Salemme loyalists for control of the family. Salemme and Carrozza were imprisoned during a string of convictions, and Luigi Manocchio took over as boss in 1996, returning the family's leadership to Providence.
The family is currently led by Carmen "The Cheese Man" Dinunzio, who is part of the Boston faction. As of 2012, the family's membership is estimated at approximately 30 "made" members.[2]
Before the start of Prohibition, two separate Mafia families emerged in New England: one based in Boston, Massachusetts, and the other based in Providence, Rhode Island.[7] Gaspare DiCola acted as boss of the Boston family until his assassination on September 21, 1916.[8] This allowed Gaspare Messina, a Sicilian mobster who had close ties to Bonanno crime family in New York City, to become the new boss.[9][10] Meanwhile, the Providence family formed in 1917 under Frank Morelli,[11] who went on to control bootlegging and illegal gambling operations in both Providence and Connecticut.[12]
In 1924, Messina stepped down as boss of the Boston family, assuming a businessman's role while working with Frank Cucchiara and Paolo Pagnotta from a grocery store on Prince Street in the North End.[13] A power struggle ensued within the Boston mob as rival gangs fought for illegal gambling, bootlegging, loan sharking and rackets. East Boston mobster Filippo Buccola emerged as the boss of the Boston family.[12] In December 1930 or early 1931, a Mafia meeting was held in which Messina was elected the temporary Capo dei capi of the wider American Mafia.[14]: 184 He retired from Mafia affairs in the early 1930s and died at his home in Somerville, Massachusetts, in June 1957.[14]: 231
During the early 1930s, Buccola battled other ethnic gangs for territory in Boston, along with his underboss Joseph Lombardo, another mobster from the North End.[12] In December 1931, Lombardo arranged the murder of Frank Wallace, the boss of South Boston's Irish Gustin Gang.[15] In 1932, Morelli merged his Providence family with Buccola's Boston family, forming the New England crime family.[12] Buccola ruled as boss of the combined family from East Boston as he continued to fatally dispatch his competition. After the murder of Jewish mob boss Charles "King" Solomon at Buccola's command, Buccola became the most powerful gangster in Boston.[10] On April 27, 1952, Buccola held a party in Johnston, Rhode Island, to celebrate his retirement and Raymond Patriarca's ascension to boss of the family.[11] He retired to Sicily in 1954, where he ran a chicken farm. He died in 1987 of natural causes at the age of 101.[12]
In 1956, Patriarca made drastic changes in the family, the biggest being the relocation of their base of operations to Providence, using the National Cigarette Service Company and Coin-O-Matic Distributors, a vending machine and pinball business on Atwells Avenue, as a front organization.[16] The business was known to family members as "The Office."
Patriarca was a strict and ruthless leader; he ran the family for decades and made it clear that other Mafia organizations were not permitted to operate in New England. He was skilled at warding off police and maintaining a low profile, thus receiving little hindrance from law enforcement. The family ventured into new rackets such as pornography and narcotics, though mob informer Vincent Teresa insisted that Patriarca forbade the family to deal in drugs.
During his reign as boss, Patriarca formed strong relationships with the New York-based Genovese and Colombo crime families,[17] deciding that the Connecticut River would be the dividing line between their territory and his own.[17] His long-time underboss, Enrico Tameleo, was also a member of New York's Bonanno family. The New England family controlled organized crime in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, where Genovese capo Carlo Mastrototaro reigned as local boss for half a century,[18] while the Genovese family controlled organized crime in Hartford, Connecticut; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Albany, New York.[17]
In addition to having close ties to the Genovese family, Patriarca also sat on the Commission and had investments in two Las Vegas casinos. Another of his underbosses, Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo, was involved in the numbers racket in Boston and was shaken down by rival mobsters because he was not a "made" member. Angiulo solved this problem by paying Patriarca $50,000 and agreeing to pay him $100,000 per year to become a made member of his family. Angiulo continued to control his large illegal gambling network in Boston.
In 1957, more than sixty of the country's most powerful Mafia bosses, including Joe Bonanno, Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese, met in Apalachin, New York. Patriarca was also in attendance and was subsequently arrested when the meeting was suddenly raided by police, drawing much attention to him from the press, the public and law enforcement.
The situation became worse for Patriarca in 1961, when U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy began an assault on organized crime.[19] Law enforcement agencies worked to develop informants within the Mafia and finally succeeded in 1966, when Joe 'Joseph The Animal' Barboza, a Patriarca family hitman, was arrested on a concealed weapons charge. Barboza claimed to have killed twenty-six people but became concerned when Patriarca did not raise his bail and two of his friends were killed for trying to do so. He soon decided to turn informant.
Based on Barboza's testimony, Patriarca and Tameleo were indicted in 1967 for the murder of Providence bookmaker Willie Marfeo. Patriarca was convicted and began serving time in 1969, and Angiulo served as acting boss. Patriarca resumed control of the family after his release from prison in 1974. For his testimony, Barboza was given a one-year prison term, including time served. He was paroled in March 1969 and told to leave Massachusetts permanently. In 1971, Barboza pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge in California and sentenced to five years at Folsom Prison; he was murdered in San Francisco by Joseph "J. R." Russo on February 11, 1976, less than three months after his release.[20]
Patriarca was plagued by law enforcement for the rest of his life, and he was charged numerous times for a variety of crimes until his death. In 1978, Vincent Teresa testified that Patriarca had participated in a 1960 attempt by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to kill Fidel Castro that was never carried out.[21] In 1983, Patriarca was charged with the murder of Raymond Curcio, and was arrested in 1984 for the murder of Robert Candos, whom Patriarca believed was an informant.[citation needed] Patriarca died of a heart attack on July 11, 1984, aged 76.
After Patriarca's death, the New England family began a long period of decline, resulting from both legal prosecution and internal violence. Angiulo attempted to take over as boss from behind bars, while Larry Zannino, the family's top lieutenant, backed Patriarca's son Raymond Patriarca, Jr. for the position. The Commission approved Patriarca, Jr.'s ascendancy to leadership, and his position was confirmed. Zannino was made consigliere, but he was sentenced to thirty years in prison in 1987. Angiulo was sentenced to forty-five years in prison on racketeering charges. Other senior members died or were imprisoned, such as Henry Tameleo and Francesco Intiso.
William "The Wild Man" Grasso, an East Hartford-based gangster, became underboss because of the younger Patriarca's weak leadership. Some investigators believed that Grasso was actually in charge, but these rumors ended when Grasso was found dead in June 1989, slain by a gangster from Springfield as factions of the family began fighting each other for dominance. Grasso's murder weakened Patriarca, Jr.'s position. Nicholas Bianco was eventually indicted for the murder, but he became acting underboss before taking over the family's Providence operations.
On March 26, 1990, Patriarca, Jr. and twenty other family members and associates were indicted on charges of racketeering, extortion, narcotics, gambling and murder. The indictments included underboss Bianco, consigliere Joseph Russo, and lieutenants Biagio DiGiacomo, Vincent Ferrara, Matthew Guglielmetti, Joseph A. Tiberi Sr, Dennis Lepore, Gaetano J. Milano, Jack Johns, John "Sonny" Castagna, Louis Fallia, Frank and Louis Pugliono, Frank Colontoni and Robert Carrozza. The arrests were described as "the most sweeping attack ever launched on a single organized crime family." One of the most damaging pieces of evidence was a tape recording of a Mafia induction ceremony, at which thirteen mafiosi were present. Because of this embarrassment, Patriarca was replaced as boss by Bianco, who maintained a very low profile. However, Bianco was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 1991, while eight other family members were convicted on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges. Bianco died in prison in 1994.
On January 6, 1992, all of the defendants in the RICO trial pleaded guilty and received lengthy sentences and large fines. Patriarca, Jr. was sentenced to eight years in prison in June 1992 after pleading guilty to racketeering charges. In 1993, 26 others were indicted and convicted for running a bookmaking operation.
Frank Salemme took control of the family after the RICO trial of Patriarca Jr. which moved the family's base of power to Boston.[22] Salemme's ascension to boss sparked tension among the family's factions. On March 31, 1994, Patriarca soldiers Ronald Coppola and Pete Scarpellini were shot and killed at a social club in Cranston, Rhode Island, by another Patriarca soldier, Nino Cucinotta, during a card game.[23] On October 20, 1994, Joe Souza was shot inside an East Boston phone booth, dying from his injuries on October 31.[24] On December 11, 1994, 25-year old drug dealer and Salemme loyalist Paul Strazzulla was shot and killed, his body recovered inside of his fire-torched car in Revere, Massachusetts.[25]
In January 1995, Salemme was indicted along with Stephen Flemmi and James "Whitey" Bulger on extortion and racketeering charges,[26] and Salemme discovered through court documents that his close allies Flemmi and Bulger were long-time FBI informants.[26] Bulger's friend, FBI agent John Connolly, let him run his criminal operations with impunity for informing on the Patriarca family.
After Salemme was imprisoned, a renegade faction led by Robert F. Carrozza, Anthony Ciampi, Stephen Foye, and Michael P. Romano, Sr. waged war on the Salemme faction. On April 3, 1996, 63-year-old Richard "Vinnie the Pig" DeVincent was shot and killed in Medford, Massachusetts, after refusing to pay street tax from Salemme loyalists. In April 1997, the FBI indicted 15 members of the renegade faction, including Carrozza, Ciampi, Romano, and others.[27] The grand jury testimony that resulted in the indictments was dominated by Sean Thomas Cote, who was the first of four indicted members to turn state's evidence. The jury ultimately acquitted the defendants of most charges but was deadlocked on murder and racketeering charges. Following Salemme's indictment, Providence family member Luigi "Baby Shacks" Manocchio took control of the family.
Several of the defendants changed their pleas to guilty during a second trial, including Ciampi and Eugene Rida. Salemme pleaded guilty to racketeering charges on December 9, 1999,[28] and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.[26] In early 2001, Salemme agreed to testify against Flemmi and Bulger.[29][22] In December 2022, Salemme died in prison.[22]
In the late 2000s, the power of the family shifted back to Boston faction when longtime family boss Luigi "Baby Shacks" Manocchio, stepped down in 2009, allowing Boston mobster Peter "Chief Crazy Horse" Limone to become the family's new boss. Limone was arrested back in December 2008 and charged with racketeering and given a suspended sentence on July 1, 2010.[30][31][32]
On January 19, 2011, Manocchio was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was charged with extortion and conspiracy.[33][34][35] Manocchio had stepped down as boss in 2009 after the FBI began investigating two strip clubs in late 2008.[36][37] In February 2012, Manocchio agreed to plead guilty and was sentenced to 5½ years in prison for extortion on May 11, 2012.[38]
It was revealed after many members of the crime family were charged in several in RICO indictments that two Caporegimes Mark Rossetti and Robert DeLuca[39] had become government informants.[2][40]
On December 17, 2011, family associate Anthony "Ponytail Tony" Parrillo was arrested after a physical altercation at his establishment in Providence, Club 295, and was later charged with two counts of felony assault.[41] Parrillo had his bouncers attack patron Jack Fernandes after misidentifying him for another man who had engaged in sexual acts in the club's bathroom then stabbed a security guard when he confronted him about it: Fernandes was using the same bathroom stall as the aggressor.[42][43] The assault began in the bathroom and continued in the back alley of the club where Fernandes's wife, Sumiya Majeed, was injured as well.[42] Fernandes suffered a broken nose, broken ribs and a shattered eye socket.[42][44] Parrillo was sentenced to serve five years of a 15-year sentence on April 11, 2016, but appealed his conviction to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.[45][46] He was released on bail pending the appeal, but his motion was denied and he began his sentence on August 5, 2020.[44][46]
In late 2009, Anthony DiNunzio became the acting boss after Limone's arrest.[2] DiNunzio operates from Boston's North End and is the younger brother to Carmen DiNunzio.[47] In 2010, DiNunzio extorted Rhode Island strip clubs with members of the Gambino crime family.[47] On April 25, 2012, DiNunzio was arrested and charged with racketeering and extortion.[47][48][49] On September 13, 2012, DiNunzio pleaded guilty to shaking down Rhode Island strip clubs[50] and was sentenced to six years on November 14, 2012.[51]
In 2012, the Patriarca family was estimated to have about 30 made members active in the New England area, centered in the cities of Boston and Providence.[2]
On October 2, 2014, acting boss Antonio L. "Spucky" Spagnolo, 72, and reputed made man Pryce "Stretch" Quintina, 74, were arrested for allegedly extorting thousands of dollars in protection payments from a video poker machine company, which installed machines for illegal gambling in bars and social clubs.[52] Spagnolo took over as acting boss after DiNunzio was arrested back in 2012.[52] Both Spagnolo and Quintina are reputedly old members of the Patriarca crime family's Boston faction.[52]
DiNunzio was released from prison on February 17, 2015, after serving five and a half years on bribery charges.[53][54] Upon his release, he was thought to renew his position within the family and reconvene with his old North End crew.[54][55] DiNunzio reportedly inducted his nephew, Louis "Baby Cheese" DiNunzio and two other members of his crew, Johnny Scarpelli and Salvatore "Tea Party Tore" Marino into the family during a ceremony held in the basement of a North End restaurant and attended by Limone, acting boss Anthony "Spucky" Spagnolo and Providence capo Matthew "Good-Looking Matty" Guglielmetti.[56][57] At that same event, DiNunzio promoted his bodyguard Gregory "Fat Boy" Costa to capo of the North End crew.[58][56]
Limone died of cancer on June 19, 2017.[59][60] He was succeeded by his acting boss Carmen DiNunzio, another powerful Boston mobster.[61][62]
When Carmen DiNunzio became the new boss his administration consisted of underboss Guglielmetti and consigliere Joseph "Joe the Bishop" Achille, both members of the Providence faction.[63][64] On August 7, 2018, Achille died.[65][66] In 2020, Guglielmetti relinquished the position of underboss to Edward "Eddie" Lato because of health concerns and regained the rank of capo.[67][68]
On July 18, 2022, former boxer and actor Dino Guilmette was arrested on drug trafficking charges in Cranston, Rhode Island.[69][70] He had been the target of a two-year investigation by the Rhode Island State Police into the sale of cocaine and lorazepam, which he reportedly engaged in, in September and November 2021.[71][72] According to a State Police affidavit, Guilmette has ties to the New England Mafia and dealt in narcotics trafficking under the authorization of Guglielmetti.[71][73][72] Several evidence files in the case were taken from surveillance records of the Toscan Social Club, an organized crime meeting place for which Guilmette was vice president.[71][74]
On October 27, 2022, Rhode Island State House senior deputy chief of staff John Conti resigned from his post amid allegations that he was a silent partner in a marijuana growing business with Patriarca family associate Raymond "Scarface" Jenkins.[67][75] A State Police probe revealed the two shared an interest in the Organic Bees marijuana grow operation, which started in 2017 and shut down in 2022 because Conti and Jenkins would not disclose their involvement in the business.[67][75] Conti and Jenkins were also surveilled in December 2020 camera recordings meeting just outside the State House and conversing for approximately 20 minutes.[67][75] The former chief of staff was also mentioned meeting with several other high-ranking Patriarca mobsters, including a 2020 Christmas party at a Providence restaurant attended by Conti, Guglielmetti, and Lato.[67][75] Conti's attorney Jimmy Burchfield Jr. stated to WPRI "Mr. Conti had no role in the business organization, Organic Bees […] Mr. Conti has been employed by the House of Representatives honorably, serving under four speakers since first hired in December 2006."[67][75]
On August 23, 2024, family Underboss Edward Lato died of natural causes after surviving a heart attack and undergoing treatment for cancer.[76][77]
Excluding: Frank Morelli the leader of the Providence family from 1917–1932, when he stepped down becoming underboss to Buccola.[12]
North End (DiNunzio) crew
North End Boston (former Angiulo brothers) crew
North End Boston (former Salemme) crew
East Boston (former Russo) crew
Providence faction
Connecticut faction
| Name | Rank and Year |
|---|---|
| Vincent Teresa | Soldier (1971) |
| Angelo "Sonny" Mercurio | Soldier (1987/1988) |
| John "Sonny" Castagna | Soldier (1991)[154] |
| Gaetano Milano | Soldier (1991) |
| Antonino "Nino" Cucinotta | Soldier (1995)[155] |
| Frank "Cadillac Frank" Salemme | Boss (1999) |
| Mark Rossetti | Capo (2010)[156] |
| Robert "Bobby" DeLuca | Capo (2011)[157] |
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