Nicholas Bianco
Encyclopedia
Nicholas "Nicky" Bianco (March 21, 1932 – November 14, 1994) was a Rhode Island
mobster who became an influential member of the Patriarca crime family
of New England
.
. In later years, he lived with his wife and children in Barrington, Rhode Island
He sent his children to private schools and one of his sons later become a lawyer.
As a young man, Bianco moved to Brooklyn, New York to work for the Colombo crime family
. In the early 1960's, the Colombo family was being torn apart by an internal war between boss Joseph Magliocco
and capo Joey Gallo. In 1963, Bianco asked Patriarca boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca
if Patriarca could serve as mediator between the two factions. Patriarca agreed and also inducted Bianco, then just a Colombo associate, as a made man
in the Patriarca family. Bianco continued to serve as a liaison to the Colombos.
In 1982, Bianco allegedly participated in the murder of Anthony Mirabella. A Patriarca associate, Mirabella had incurred disfavor with the family because he was hard to control. Mirabella was shot to death in a Providence restaurant.
In July 1984, the Patriarca family entered a period of instability with the death of boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca. After a period of jockeying, his son Raymond J. Patriarca became the new official boss. However, the younger Patriarca was not a strong boss; the family would be controlled over the next few years by a succession of powerful underbosses. It also signaled a growing rivalry between the Patriarca mobsters in Boston, Massachusetts, and the family leadership in Providence.
In 1985, Bianco was indicted on charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting in the 1982 Mirabella murder. However, soon after the trial began, the judge dismissed all charges against Bianco due to lack of evidence.
In 1989, Bianco attended a Patriarca ceremony in a Massachusetts
house in which four mob associates were admitted to the family. Unknown to the participants, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) had placed electronic surveillance devices in the room. Bianco's presence at this ceremony served as evidence that he was a member of the family in an upcoming indictment.
In March 1990, Bianco and other top Patriarca family members were indicted on charges of conspiracy to murder, loan sharking, illegal gambling, wire fraud and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. With the aid of government witness John Castagna, Bianco was convicted on August 8, 1991, of two counts of racketeering in Hartford, Connecticut
. On November 25, 1991, Bianco was sentenced to 11 and half years in federal prison.
On November 16, 1994, Nicholas Bianco died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Springfield, Missouri
.
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
mobster who became an influential member of the 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"...
of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Biography
Bianco was born and raised in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, 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...
. In later years, he lived with his wife and children in Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.-History:...
He sent his children to private schools and one of his sons later become a lawyer.
As a young man, Bianco moved to Brooklyn, New York to work for the Colombo crime family
Colombo crime family
The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
. In the early 1960's, the Colombo family was being torn apart by an internal war between boss Joseph Magliocco
Joseph Magliocco
Joseph Magliocco, also known as "Joe Malayak" was a New York mobster and the boss of the Profaci crime family from 1962 to 1963...
and capo Joey Gallo. In 1963, Bianco asked Patriarca boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca
Raymond L.S. Patriarca
Raymond Loreda Salvatore Patriarca, Sr. was an Italian-American mobster from Providence, Rhode Island who became the longtime boss of the Patriarca crime family, whose control extended throughout New England for over three decades...
if Patriarca could serve as mediator between the two factions. Patriarca agreed and also inducted Bianco, then just a Colombo associate, as a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
in the Patriarca family. Bianco continued to serve as a liaison to the Colombos.
In 1982, Bianco allegedly participated in the murder of Anthony Mirabella. A Patriarca associate, Mirabella had incurred disfavor with the family because he was hard to control. Mirabella was shot to death in a Providence restaurant.
In July 1984, the Patriarca family entered a period of instability with the death of boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca. After a period of jockeying, his son Raymond J. Patriarca became the new official boss. However, the younger Patriarca was not a strong boss; the family would be controlled over the next few years by a succession of powerful underbosses. It also signaled a growing rivalry between the Patriarca mobsters in Boston, Massachusetts, and the family leadership in Providence.
In 1985, Bianco was indicted on charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting in the 1982 Mirabella murder. However, soon after the trial began, the judge dismissed all charges against Bianco due to lack of evidence.
Underboss
In June 1989, Bianco became the new unofficial boss of the Patriarca family. On June 16th, the body of current underboss William Grasso was discovered on a river bank with a bullet wound to the head. Grasso was murdered by members of the Boston faction who wanted more control over the family. Bianco essentially had control now of the Providence-based family operations.In 1989, Bianco attended a Patriarca ceremony in a Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
house in which four mob associates were admitted to the family. Unknown to the participants, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal 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) had placed electronic surveillance devices in the room. Bianco's presence at this ceremony served as evidence that he was a member of the family in an upcoming indictment.
In March 1990, Bianco and other top Patriarca family members were indicted on charges of conspiracy to murder, loan sharking, illegal gambling, wire fraud and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. With the aid of government witness John Castagna, Bianco was convicted on August 8, 1991, of two counts of racketeering in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. On November 25, 1991, Bianco was sentenced to 11 and half years in federal prison.
On November 16, 1994, Nicholas Bianco died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
.
Further reading
- Succession of Power "The Providence Mob: Succession" TruTV Crime Library
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin's Press 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8