The Patriarca Papers

[BeatiPaoli]

To Everyone: Starting Monday, August 3, 2015, and continuing weekly every Monday for the next few months, golocalprov.com is releasing the findings of 10,000 pages of FBI transcripts of recordings of New England Family boss Raymond L. S. Patriarca, covering 1957 to the 1980s. You can go to that web site now to read more about the upcoming weeks. I would be surprised if it is only a re-hash of the smattering of transcripts that have already been released/covered by the Providence Journal over the last 40 years, since golocalprov.com said the 10,000 pages of transcripts have only been recently released. Go to the site, tell all of us here what you think.

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

[Laurentian]

http://www.golocalworcester.com/patriar ... rs-Entry-1

[Laurentian]

http://www.golocalprov.com/patriarca-pa ... y-2-part-1

[Antiliar]

The second release is much better than the first, but it only goes to the late 1950s. I don't like how they set it up so you can't download each file as a whole. You can copy each page individually only. Another issue is that when you're reading a document every now and then the webpage resets and makes you start from the beginning. The way to overcome this is to pay attention to what page you're on by looking at the display near the bottom of the webpage. After the webpage resets go down to the document display and click on the last page you were on.

The highpoints are that (as we knew already, for the most part) Patriarca participated in an interstate crime that led the FBI to investigate in 1949; the other participants included members of the New Jersey crew of the Genovese Family, then headed by Frank Costello. Patriarca succeeded Frank "Butsey" Morelli as the top man in Rhode Island. Morelli was demoted or stepped down because of his heavy drinking, which made him broke and forced him to sell his house. Morelli, I would guess, would have been a caporegime. Then after Phil Buccola moved to Italy, Patriarca became the boss.

There are enough clues near the redactions that make me think it would be easy to identify a number of names by comparing them to newspaper articles in the Boston and Providence newspapers.

[B.]

Most significant to me is it says in 1950 Patriarca was interviewed by an FBI agent and Patriarca admitted to being involved in "highly organized" gambling in NE along with other members and associates. He told them the number of bookie joints he controlled and told them that other members had their own bookie crews. He also talked about Costello and Adonis being members of the "syndicate" trying to get Luciano back in the US.

Am I reading all of that wrong? He may not have directly implicated anyone in any crimes, but if Patriarca did talk to the FBI about the organization and some of his illegal gambling operations that would be a pretty big deal.

[Antiliar]

So everyone can see it, the interview of Patriarca is here: http://www.golocalprov.com/patriarca-pa ... y-2-part-1 on page 33 (the document will say page 26). Patriarca did say those things to agents, and he was a high-ranking member at that time because in four years he would be the boss.

[B.]

Thanks.

I said he doesn't directly implicate anyone in crimes, but he did tell the agent the names of men who were equally in charge of gambling in the area, including Morelli, Tameleo, and other members. Sure sounds like informing to me.

[BeatiPaoli]

To B. and Antiliar: I read the same pages you indicated about Patriarca's conversation with the FBI agent, and have been waiting for someone to bring it up first. Quite frankly, I have a hard time believing he would actually say this in an actual "interview." Could the "interview" be an amalgamation of content of conversations Patriarca had in the Office picked up by a surreptitious microphone, planted by the FBI, and then placed in an official FBI report as an "interview"? Because if it is an actual interview, and Patriarca revealed this level of information to an actual FBI agent, this revelation, probably being overlooked by many, is astounding.

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

[B.]

To B. and Antiliar: I read the same pages you indicated about Patriarca's conversation with the FBI agent, and have been waiting for someone to bring it up first. Quite frankly, I have a hard time believing he would actually say this in an actual "interview." Could the "interview" be an amalgamation of content of conversations Patriarca had in the Office picked up by a surreptitious microphone, planted by the FBI, and then placed in an official FBI report as an "interview"? Because if it is an actual interview, and Patriarca revealed this level of information to an actual FBI agent, this revelation, probably being overlooked by many, is astounding.

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

Typically the FBI would say they received the info from an informant if it had come from a bug. I've never seen them attribute statements directly to a person like this, so I think this is legit. He tried to downplay his role as an underworld leader and used the "just a gambler" type of excuse, but in doing so he admitted there is an organized group running gambling and he cited the names of his associates.

It's been pretty common for mobsters to say "I'm just a gambler" to the media/LE over the years since it's historically been considered one of the more acceptable vices, but this is more than that. I can't say I'm shocked, though... the more info that comes out, the more we see stuff like this from seemingly unexpected people.

[dixiemafia]

I know the FBI had an illegal wire in his office but I cannot remember what years it was there.

[Antiliar]

Chicago was the first to plant bugs, and that was in 1959. This was before that.

[JCB1977]

So everyone can see it, the interview of Patriarca is here: http://www.golocalprov.com/patriarca-pa ... y-2-part-1 on page 33 (the document will say page 26). Patriarca did say those things to agents, and he was a high-ranking member at that time because in four years he would be the boss.

If people believe that Patriarca was the only guy to speak with FBI agents, they're sadly mistaken. Many of the old timers enjoyed a "cordial, polite' relationship with agents...some even felt that it was good to have that relationship "in case" they ever wanted to play that card. The FBI knew who these guys were and gambling was not the top priority of the Feds. In the 50's and 60's, it was all about Communism. John Scalish in Cleveland was very friendly with the FBI as were several other bosses and high ranking members. That's been going on forever.

[JCB1977]

Chicago was the first to plant bugs, and that was in 1959. This was before that.

Is that where they were listening to Momo at his car dealership talking about all his trysts with Judy Campbell and all the gossip during the height of JFK's popularity?

[Wiseguy]

Whitey Bulger and Raymond Patriarca: Inside the Relationship
GoLocalProv News Team with Patrick Sargent and Kate Nagle
September 21, 2015


The Patriarca organization and the Winter Hill Gang are two of the most infamous crime organizations in American history. These two groups are both linked together and yet widely different.

“The difference most notable was the area they controlled. Winter Hill Gang was pretty much Metro-Boston based. The Patriarca La Cosa Nosta (LCN) was part of a national and international crime family with history going back many years. Winter Hill was a strong, dangerous, calculating group of criminals that could rival the LCN in the area,” Retired Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police Tom Foley tells GoLocal. “They were not able to compete on a national level. Even though Winter Hill would venture into other jurisdictions if the money was there; they didn't have control of those areas (i.e. Florida, Connecticut).” Foley is the author of "Most Wanted - Pursuing Whitey Bulger, the Murderous Mob Chief the FBI Secretly Protected."

"In RI we were aware of Howie Winter and Jimmy Bulger, but there was very limited contact with Winter Hill members. The RI State Police Intelligence Unit would share information during that period of time with the Mass State Police and FBI, but it was difficult as those relations north of Providence were strained," said Brendan Doherty, former Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police. "Frank Salemme who became the boss of the New England La Cosa Nostra after Raymond Jr. (Patriarca) and Nicky Bianco were incarcerated, spent considerable time between Boston and Providence. Frank was close to Stevie Flemmi and Flemmi was Jimmy Bulgers guy. I would send my information to Tom Foley because he had a better handle on Boston than anyone. When it came to criminal intelligence information Tom Foley could hear the grass grow."

Whitey Bulger emerged as the boss of the Winter Hill gang in 1978 after Howie Winter went to prison.

Bulger, Patriarca’s Underbosses - the Anguilo Brothers and the FBI

“The relationship with the Winter Hill Gang worked through the Angiulo family which was part of the Patriarca La Cosa Nostra. Winter Hill had little to do directly with Patriarca even though Flemmi and Martorano were once recruited to go into the LCN. Flemmi had a good relationship with the Providence group,” said Colonel Foley.

Many wonder if Bulger and his fellow Winter Hill Gang member Stephen Flemmi traded information to the FBI on Patriarca’s associates.
Law enforcement experts had similar opinions of the relationship between Wnter Hill and Federal Hill. "If someone was paying protection for a bookmaking operation to the Angiulo brothers in Boston (they fell under the auspices of Raymond) they were hands off. If Providence wiseguys tried to shakedown a Winter Hill operative they would most likely be sent a message that the guys "with" Whitey and it would be generally understood that it's hands off. Whitey needed to show that he was a violent guy. Raymond wanted to show that he was a gentleman and a business man, but don't mistake kindness for weakness," said Doherty.

While a lot has been said of the Patriarca - Bulger relationship I belong to the school of thought espoused by the late John Partington, former head of the federal witness protection program, said former RI Attorney General Arlene Violet. “His (Partington’s) opinion was based on his experience with Joe Barbosa who had agreed to falsely testify in a murder case against some of "Jerry" Angiulo’s (Patriarca’s underboss in Boston) crew at the behest of FBI AGENT John Connolly which benefited Whitey Bulger's burgeoning crime empire and that of several other "made guys" under witness protection.” Violet and Partington wrote “The Mob and Me.”
“Usually their feuds were over controlling certain bookmakers and maintaining their illegal revenue stream. Often bookmakers were pressured into paying one group or the other so there were mutual agreements as who a bookmaker or loan shark would come under for payment. Occasionally members of these groups would get involved in disputes among each other that would have to be resolved by the upper echelon of these groups. This sometimes resulted in violence but neither had the appetite to go to war,' said Foley.

“Information provided by Bulger and Flemmi (to the FBI) and electronic bugs led to the convictions of almost every member of the Boston branch of the Office (Patriarca), writes Howard Abadlinsky in his book. “Organized Crime.”

"As it relates to their style or who was more of a threat it's known that Raymond Sr. ran New England LCN. He tried to avoid the spot light as did his son. But he made it known that he was the boss and after a few early challenges to his leadership racketeers in New England knew who they had to pay homage to. Raymond was also very insulated," said Doherty.

"Bulger, however, was the boss of an independent organized crime faction that ran a large neighborhood and grabbed opportunities outside of the neighborhood when the situation was right. Territories were cut up many years before Howie Winter and Jimmy Bulger so they respected those operations that were hands off. If the Bulger gang encroached on Patriarca territory it would cause a "sit down" or a meeting to resolve the dispute. No one wants a sit down because they can end in violence so situations like that are generally avoided," said Doherty.

Before the FBI - the Relationship

Before the the Department of Justice moved forward with indictment across primarily the Italian members of organized crime, the Boston crime organization and Patriarca had limited violence between the two organizations.

“Usually their feuds were over controlling certain bookmakers and maintaining their illegal revenue stream. Often bookmakers were pressured into paying one group or the other so there were mutual agreements as who a bookmaker or loan shark would come under for payment. Occasionally members of these groups would get involved in disputes among each other that would have to be resolved by the upper echelon of these groups. This sometimes resulted in violence but neither had the appetite to go to war,” said Foley.

“Depending on the situation both were very dangerous in their own right. Both were motivated by greed and power and both didn't hesitate to murder if necessary. Both would do what they had to do to protect their worlds,” added Foley.

http://www.golocalprov.com/patriarca-pa ... lationship

[Lupara]

Nice article, thanks for posting.