Rocco DiSiglio
Encyclopedia
Rocco DiSiglio, also known as Rocky DiSiglio (born April 11, 1939 Newton, Massachusetts
- April 3, 1966 East Boston, Massachusetts
) was an American professional welterweight
boxer
and associate of the Patriarca crime family
who was involved in armed robbery and illegal gambling
.
, Joseph Barboza, Tommy Sullivan, George W. Holden
, Americo Sacramone, Edward G. Connors
and Joe DeNucci. He weighed between 141 and 148 pounds. He was also a criminal associate of mafioso boxer Joseph Barboza who would later lead Boston police to the site of his corpse.
Rocco fought his first professional fight on June 10, 1960 against Walter Giles at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. His second match on July 19, 1960 he was matched up against Eddie Grenke at Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Massachusetts
. During his professional boxing career he weighed in between 144 and 145 pounds This match was Eddie Grenke's professional boxing debut. On October 31, 1961 he knocked out competitor Donald Mendes in Revere, Massachusetts
in 1:50 and won the match. His last winning match was on February 2, 1962 when he knocked out Gene Garrison. Rocco himself was knocked out by Tommy Thibault on November 17, 1961 in Worcester, Massachusetts
and on January 9, 1962 in Revere by Jackie Lynch. His last professional boxing match was against Jesse Ammons on February 17, 1964 which he lost. His overall professional boxing record was three wins, four losses and one withdrawn match in a total of twenty-seven matches fought.
It is rumored that Rocco supplemented his petty boxer's income by being a prizefighter
for members of the Patriarca crime family who had interests in illegal betting and professional sports. In 1964 he gave up his dreams of being a professional boxer entirely and became active in the Patriarca crime family. He was married to an Italian-American housewife and drove a burgundy 1962 Ford Thunderbird
on a desolate street at night in his home city of Newton. He left behind a wife and no children.
, acting as an informant told FBI agent H. Paul Rico
that Rocco was robbing illegal card and dice games. There had been two dice games and three high-stakes card games that were held up by DiSiglio within three weeks. The most recent brazen robbery was on April 9, 1966 when five men burst in on a dice game that was happening at an address on the corner of Morton and Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan, Boston with Bernard Zinna and Richard DiVincent, armed with sawed-off shotguns. They were robbing lucrative card games that he controlled in his territory of Newton and Lowell, Massachusetts
overseen by Gennaro Anguilo, gambling czar for the Patriarca crime family which at the time was headed by Raymond Patriarca
. They robbed the players of an estimated $4,500. None of the individuals bothered to wear ski masks during and all appeared to be of Italian ethnic extraction. DiSiglio was the "inside man" who saw to it that the door was unlocked for Zinna and DeVincent to come in unannounced and surprise the card players. One of them made a comment to the card players, "Larry told you not to run." Flemmi advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) that this was a reference to Ilario Zannino
who oversaw a lucrative illegal barboot game that ran on Sundays in the neighborhood. One of the card players at this game had been relieved of $10,000 and he had just borrowed the money from a Jewish loan shark named "Richfield" in the North End, Boston so he could act as a loan shark
at the high stakes card game for unfortunate players.
quickly became infuriated with DiSiglio's maverick actions and robbing the patrons of his gambling operations.
In 1968, Patriarca crime family capo Gennaro Anguilo and two others were arrested and charged with first degree homicide but later acquitted. In August 1967, after H. Paul Rico testified before a Suffolk county grand jury about his conversations with Joseph Barboza concerning the murder of DiSiglio, the Boston SAC sent an urgent teletype to J. Edgar Hoover
at 1:03 a.m. The Special Agent in charge noted that Suffolk County District Attorney Garret Bryne was commented that this "tremendous penetration into the La Cosa Nostra and the hoodlum element was effected through the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI and his office." Joseph Barboza stated that Gennaro Anguilo summoned Bernard Zinna and Richard DeVincent and gave them a choice, to either carry out the murder of their former gang mastermind or be murdered themselves.
The following week, Zinna and DeVincent set up DiSiglio at a bar in East Boston, luring DiSiglio to ride with them. They drove over to a dark street and Mario exited the Thunderbird under the guise of picking up a stolen car for a robbery they had planned. As he sat in the driver's seat of his Ford Thunderbird
Landau on a desolate street he was shot three times at close range in the head by DeVincent. They drove the car out to Danvers, Massachusetts
and left it in the woods. Shortly after his murder Joseph Barboza became a stool pigeon and he identified DiSiglio's triggermen as police officers in the Boston Police Department
, including the murderers of Edward Deegan.
One bullet tore off part of DiSiglio's face, another went through his head and out an eye socket. The murderers drove to Topsfield, Massachusetts
and dumped the body in the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
. Barboza told the jury that he knew this because the accused triggermen Zinna and Richard "Vinnie the Pig" DeVincent told him so after the slaying. DeVincent bragged about it. Barboza even went to see Gennaro Anguilo at his office: "I told him that Benny Zinna and Vinnie DeVincent told me that he gave the order to whack out Rocky DiSiglio or he would whack them out. The reason I wanted to know this was that DiSiglio was a friend of mine and to find out if he had done anything wrong on his part to be killed. I told Anguilo they were running at the mouth. That they came down and told me everything. Anguilo said that he would talk to Zinna and that he didn't trust 'the Pig.'" Joseph Barboza later revealed the location of where they had dumped DiSiglio's corpse to the police. They found him in the backseat of his Thunderbird in the woods abandoned outside of Danvers, Massachusetts
. Soon after the charges against Bernard Zinna for his involvement in the murder of DiSiglio were dropped, he was executed gangland style by being shot twice in the back of his head as he sat in his own car by unknown gunmen. Homicide investigators were never able to charge anyone with the homicide, except Gennaro Anguilo most likely ordered his death for his mother who he allowed to give an interview to television reporter John Henning during the trial.
DeVincent was murdered by unknown members of the Patriarca crime family in Medford, Massachusetts
on April 3, 1996.
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
- April 3, 1966 East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,...
) was an American professional welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and associate 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"...
who was involved in armed robbery and illegal gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
.
Boxing career
Little is known about his personal life except that he was born in Newton. His professional boxing record does not even contain a birth date for him. There are also discrepancies in the spelling of his last name, both "DeSiglio" and "DiSiglio" have been used by sources. As a professional boxer he used the "DiSiglio" spelling. the correct spelling is diseglio. He also used the name "Rocky", a derivative of his given name "Rocco". As an amateur boxer before he became professional he trained with future professional boxers Anthony VeranisAnthony Veranis
Anthony Veranis, also known as "Mickey White" and "Tony" was an associate of the Winter Hill Gang and a professional welterweight boxer.- Early life :...
, Joseph Barboza, Tommy Sullivan, George W. Holden
George W. Holden
George W. Holden was a professional heavyweight boxer, born in Medford, Massachusetts.- Personal life :Holden was described by Howie Carr as a small-time hoodlum and boxer who became involved in organized crime...
, Americo Sacramone, Edward G. Connors
Edward G. Connors
Edward G. Connors also known as "The Bulldog" and "Eddie", was an associate of the Winter Hill Gang and successful bar owner in Revere, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
and Joe DeNucci. He weighed between 141 and 148 pounds. He was also a criminal associate of mafioso boxer Joseph Barboza who would later lead Boston police to the site of his corpse.
Rocco fought his first professional fight on June 10, 1960 against Walter Giles at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. His second match on July 19, 1960 he was matched up against Eddie Grenke at Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
. During his professional boxing career he weighed in between 144 and 145 pounds This match was Eddie Grenke's professional boxing debut. On October 31, 1961 he knocked out competitor Donald Mendes in Revere, Massachusetts
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
in 1:50 and won the match. His last winning match was on February 2, 1962 when he knocked out Gene Garrison. Rocco himself was knocked out by Tommy Thibault on November 17, 1961 in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and on January 9, 1962 in Revere by Jackie Lynch. His last professional boxing match was against Jesse Ammons on February 17, 1964 which he lost. His overall professional boxing record was three wins, four losses and one withdrawn match in a total of twenty-seven matches fought.
It is rumored that Rocco supplemented his petty boxer's income by being a prizefighter
Prizefighter
A prizefighter is a boxer.Prizefighter may also refer to:*Don King Presents: Prizefighter, a video game by 2k Sports released in 2008*Prize Fighter, a video game by Digital Pictures released in 1994 for the Sega CD...
for members of the Patriarca crime family who had interests in illegal betting and professional sports. In 1964 he gave up his dreams of being a professional boxer entirely and became active in the Patriarca crime family. He was married to an Italian-American housewife and drove a burgundy 1962 Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
on a desolate street at night in his home city of Newton. He left behind a wife and no children.
Criminal career
In 1966 Stephen FlemmiStephen 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...
, acting as an informant told FBI agent H. Paul Rico
H. Paul Rico
Harold Paul Rico was an FBI agent. Indicted for murder in 2003, he played a significant role in the 1968 framing of four men for murder, unjustly imprisoning them for decades....
that Rocco was robbing illegal card and dice games. There had been two dice games and three high-stakes card games that were held up by DiSiglio within three weeks. The most recent brazen robbery was on April 9, 1966 when five men burst in on a dice game that was happening at an address on the corner of Morton and Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan, Boston with Bernard Zinna and Richard DiVincent, armed with sawed-off shotguns. They were robbing lucrative card games that he controlled in his territory of Newton and Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
overseen by Gennaro Anguilo, gambling czar for the Patriarca crime family which at the time was headed by Raymond Patriarca
Raymond Patriarca
Raymond Patriarca may refer to:*Raymond L.S. Patriarca, Providence mobster and founder of the Patriarca crime family*Raymond Patriarca, Jr., Providence mobster and former leader of the Patriarca crime family...
. They robbed the players of an estimated $4,500. None of the individuals bothered to wear ski masks during and all appeared to be of Italian ethnic extraction. DiSiglio was the "inside man" who saw to it that the door was unlocked for Zinna and DeVincent to come in unannounced and surprise the card players. One of them made a comment to the card players, "Larry told you not to run." Flemmi advised 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) that this was a reference to Ilario Zannino
Ilario Zannino
Ilario "Larry Baione" Maria Antonio Zannino was the muscle and chief gambling honcho for Raymond J. Patriarca and the Patriarca crime family. Zannino was said to be the second-highest-ranking figure in the Boston faction of the Patriarca family...
who oversaw a lucrative illegal barboot game that ran on Sundays in the neighborhood. One of the card players at this game had been relieved of $10,000 and he had just borrowed the money from a Jewish loan shark named "Richfield" in the North End, Boston so he could act as a loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
at the high stakes card game for unfortunate players.
Retaliation from Gennaro Anguilo
Patriarca crime family underboss and acting boss Gennaro Anguilo of the Angiulo BrothersAngiulo Brothers
The Angiulo Brothers , were the leading Italian-American crime group from Boston's North End, during the 1950s and early 1960s...
quickly became infuriated with DiSiglio's maverick actions and robbing the patrons of his gambling operations.
In 1968, Patriarca crime family capo Gennaro Anguilo and two others were arrested and charged with first degree homicide but later acquitted. In August 1967, after H. Paul Rico testified before a Suffolk county grand jury about his conversations with Joseph Barboza concerning the murder of DiSiglio, the Boston SAC sent an urgent teletype to J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
at 1:03 a.m. The Special Agent in charge noted that Suffolk County District Attorney Garret Bryne was commented that this "tremendous penetration into the La Cosa Nostra and the hoodlum element was effected through the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI and his office." Joseph Barboza stated that Gennaro Anguilo summoned Bernard Zinna and Richard DeVincent and gave them a choice, to either carry out the murder of their former gang mastermind or be murdered themselves.
The following week, Zinna and DeVincent set up DiSiglio at a bar in East Boston, luring DiSiglio to ride with them. They drove over to a dark street and Mario exited the Thunderbird under the guise of picking up a stolen car for a robbery they had planned. As he sat in the driver's seat of his Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
Landau on a desolate street he was shot three times at close range in the head by DeVincent. They drove the car out to Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
and left it in the woods. Shortly after his murder Joseph Barboza became a stool pigeon and he identified DiSiglio's triggermen as police officers in the Boston Police Department
Boston Police Department
The Boston Police Department , created in 1838, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest police departments in the United States...
, including the murderers of Edward Deegan.
One bullet tore off part of DiSiglio's face, another went through his head and out an eye socket. The murderers drove to Topsfield, Massachusetts
Topsfield, Massachusetts
Topsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,085 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfield.-Colonial period:...
and dumped the body in the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
The Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s largest wildlife sanctuary, is located in Topsfield and Wenham, Massachusetts. Much of its landscape was created by a glacier 15,000 years ago. The park's more than ten miles of interconnected trails wind...
. Barboza told the jury that he knew this because the accused triggermen Zinna and Richard "Vinnie the Pig" DeVincent told him so after the slaying. DeVincent bragged about it. Barboza even went to see Gennaro Anguilo at his office: "I told him that Benny Zinna and Vinnie DeVincent told me that he gave the order to whack out Rocky DiSiglio or he would whack them out. The reason I wanted to know this was that DiSiglio was a friend of mine and to find out if he had done anything wrong on his part to be killed. I told Anguilo they were running at the mouth. That they came down and told me everything. Anguilo said that he would talk to Zinna and that he didn't trust 'the Pig.'" Joseph Barboza later revealed the location of where they had dumped DiSiglio's corpse to the police. They found him in the backseat of his Thunderbird in the woods abandoned outside of Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
. Soon after the charges against Bernard Zinna for his involvement in the murder of DiSiglio were dropped, he was executed gangland style by being shot twice in the back of his head as he sat in his own car by unknown gunmen. Homicide investigators were never able to charge anyone with the homicide, except Gennaro Anguilo most likely ordered his death for his mother who he allowed to give an interview to television reporter John Henning during the trial.
DeVincent was murdered by unknown members of the Patriarca crime family in Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
on April 3, 1996.
External references
- http://www.thebrothersbulger.com/Rocco%20DiSeglio.htm
- http://www.thebrothersbulger.com/Benjamin%20(Benny)%20Zinna.htm
- http://www.wrko.com/Whitey-Watch/975375
- http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=80847&cat=boxer