Gennaro Angiulo
Encyclopedia
Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo was a New England mob boss who rose through the Mafia under Raymond L. S. Patriarca. He was convicted of racketeering in 1986 and was in jail until being released in 2007. One of the Angiulo Brothers
, Angiulo was "probably the last very significant Mafia boss in Boston’s history".
. In 1963. Gennaro's reputation for being a shrewd businessman, along with his successful racketeering, led to Patriarca appointing him underboss of the Providence, Rhode Island
-based Patriarca crime family
. Angiulo later headed up Boston's underworld from the 1960s to the 1980s. He and his brothers ran the criminal organization out of Francesco's Restaurant at 98 Prince Street in the North End, the neighborhood in which he grew up.
(FBI) placed wiretaps in the restaurant and at a nearby social club, located at 51 North Margin Street, for three months. It was later revealed in a federal court that rival gangsters Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi
drew a diagram for FBI agents telling them where to plant the bugs. As Angiulo was being taken in handcuffs from the restaurant on September 19, 1983, he yelled, "I'll be back before my pork chops get cold."
At the highly-publicized trial, jurors heard hours of taped conversations of Angiulo and his associates planning numerous illegal activities, including murder, gambling, loan sharking and extortion
. In one conversation, Angiulo ordered the killing of a bartender after concluding that was set to testify before a federal grand jury investigating gambling and loan-sharking. The FBI thwarted the plot by warning the witness.
At the eight-month-long trial, the mobster often sarcastically commented on the evidence presented and cracked jokes, prompting District Court
Judge Davis Nelson to repeatedly reprimand him.
. As his own lawyer, Angiullo argued
numerous times, unsuccessfully, to have his conviction overturned. One argument claimed that he was framed by the FBI, Bulger, and Flemmi.
In an affidavit
filed in federal court in 2004, he wrote that he was in poor health and his term was "tantamount to an illegal death sentence". Angiulo, who had been incarcerated at the federal prison hospital in Devens, was paroled on September 10, 2007. He had been undergoing dialysis
treatment since his release while living at his waterfront home in Nahant. Prior to his death, he was spending time with his wife, Barbara, with whom he had three children (Jason, Gennaro Jay, and Barbara).
Angiulo died on August 29, 2009 at the Massachusetts General Hospital
of renal failure
from kidney disease. His funeral was at the Joseph A. Langone Jr. Funeral Home in Boston's North End.
Angiulo Brothers
The Angiulo Brothers , were the leading Italian-American crime group from Boston's North End, during the 1950s and early 1960s...
, Angiulo was "probably the last very significant Mafia boss in Boston’s history".
Early life
Gennaro J. Angiulo was born in 1919 to Italian immigrants Caesar and Giovannina (Jeannie) Anguilo, who owned a mom-and-pop grocery store. Even though he was from the South End neighbourhood, he graduated from Boston's Franklin High School in 1938, where his ambition was to attend Suffolk Law School and become a criminal lawyer. His high school year book quote says, "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." During his lifetime, Gennaro never applied for a social security number. The family, which had six boys and one girl, lived on Prince Street in the North End. Gennaro was the second of six sons, Francesco “Frank” J., and his late siblings Mrs. Stella Orlandella, Nicolo V. (March 3, 1916), Donato F."Danny Smiley" (March 21, 1932 - May 3, 2009), Antonio R., Michele "MIkey" and James "Jimmy Jones" Anguilo (December 28, 1939). Gennaro Angiulo enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the beginning of World War II and served 4 years in the Pacific theater; he achieved the rank of Chief Boatswain's Mate. Upon completion of his service, he moved back to the North End of Boston.Mob career
The Angiulo brothers, who owned nightclubs, were publicly named as members of Cosa Nostra, more commonly known as the American MafiaAmerican Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
. In 1963. Gennaro's reputation for being a shrewd businessman, along with his successful racketeering, led to Patriarca appointing him underboss of the Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
-based Patriarca crime family
Patriarca crime family
The Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
. Angiulo later headed up Boston's underworld from the 1960s to the 1980s. He and his brothers ran the criminal organization out of Francesco's Restaurant at 98 Prince Street in the North End, the neighborhood in which he grew up.
Arrest
In 1981, the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) placed wiretaps in the restaurant and at a nearby social club, located at 51 North Margin Street, for three months. It was later revealed in a federal court that rival gangsters Whitey Bulger and Stephen Flemmi
Stephen Flemmi
Stephen Joseph "The Rifleman" Flemmi is an Italian-American mobster and close associate of Winter Hill Gang boss James J. Bulger. Beginning in 1965, Flemmi was a top echelon informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation...
drew a diagram for FBI agents telling them where to plant the bugs. As Angiulo was being taken in handcuffs from the restaurant on September 19, 1983, he yelled, "I'll be back before my pork chops get cold."
Trial
As Angiulo sat in jail without bail awaiting trial on federal racketeering charges, he was demoted from the mob.At the highly-publicized trial, jurors heard hours of taped conversations of Angiulo and his associates planning numerous illegal activities, including murder, gambling, loan sharking and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
. In one conversation, Angiulo ordered the killing of a bartender after concluding that was set to testify before a federal grand jury investigating gambling and loan-sharking. The FBI thwarted the plot by warning the witness.
At the eight-month-long trial, the mobster often sarcastically commented on the evidence presented and cracked jokes, prompting District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
Judge Davis Nelson to repeatedly reprimand him.
Sentence and later life
In February 1986, Angiulo and his co-defendants were convicted of "an avalanche of charges". He was sentenced to 45 years in prison on 12 counts of racketeering, gambling, loan sharking, and obstruction of justiceObstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
. As his own lawyer, Angiullo argued
Oral argument
Oral arguments are spoken presentations to a judge or appellate court by a lawyer of the legal reasons why they should prevail. Oral argument at the appellate level accompanies written briefs, which also advance the argument of each party in the legal dispute...
numerous times, unsuccessfully, to have his conviction overturned. One argument claimed that he was framed by the FBI, Bulger, and Flemmi.
In an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
filed in federal court in 2004, he wrote that he was in poor health and his term was "tantamount to an illegal death sentence". Angiulo, who had been incarcerated at the federal prison hospital in Devens, was paroled on September 10, 2007. He had been undergoing dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
treatment since his release while living at his waterfront home in Nahant. Prior to his death, he was spending time with his wife, Barbara, with whom he had three children (Jason, Gennaro Jay, and Barbara).
Angiulo died on August 29, 2009 at the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
of renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
from kidney disease. His funeral was at the Joseph A. Langone Jr. Funeral Home in Boston's North End.