The ranks of the New England mafia also known as the Patriarca crime family has been decimated over last few years under constant pressure by the feds.
The power base of the mafia family has seemingly now shifted from Rhode Island to Boston after losing many of its leaders and Assistant Special Agent of Boston FBI office stated that right now RI has very limited strength in the ranks of La Cosa Nostra. But the beleaguered crime family could have a chance to rebuild its ranks in 2014 as many high ranking members of the mafia in New England are set to be released from prison. If these high ranking members hit the streets and look to take back control it could be an interesting year for the New England mafia. Some could argue that there isn’t much left in New England to take control of but the mafia has shown in the past it has a knack for reviving itself and continuing to earn.
“Matthew Guglielmetti at a previous trial”
Among the high ranking, New England mobsters set to be released is the alleged caporegime, Matthew Guglielmetti. According to the bureau of prisons records the now 65-year-old mobster could be released to home confinement or a halfway house as early as June and have his sentence completed by December of this year.
He is a highly respected mobster in New England mob and was said to once be the main contact to Raymond Patriarca Jr according to former leader turned rat Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi. Guglielmetti is serving out a ten plus year sentence after a guilty plea to charges of drug trafficking promising to protect a cocaine shipment being moved through Rhode Island. He was also part of a 1989 mob induction ceremony that was secretly recorded by the feds that have been used on multiple occasions to prove the mafia in New England exists.
Also set to be released this year along with Guglielmetti are former New England mob boss Luigi “Baby Shacks” Manocchio, capo Alfred “Chippy” Scivola, and associate Raymond “Scarface” Jenkins. Manocchio and Scivola were convicted for a shakedown scheme of local area strip clubs and Jenkins for extortion conspiracy. If is still uncertain if any or all of these mobsters will look to re-establish their positions within the crime family and get back to business or if they will simply stay out of it.
The mafia today is much different then it was decades ago and these guys will quickly realize that its not a very friendly environment for them to do business in anymore. But with veteran leadership back in place perhaps the New England mafia can once again begin to rebuild at least to some extent or perhaps the once powerful crime family is finally down for the count.