The city of Springfield in Western Massachusetts is located in Hampden County. It has a landmass of approximately 32 square miles and has been a vibrant city almost from its inception in 1636.
It sits beside the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near the confluence of its three rivers, the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern Mill River.
Springfield has become the urban, economic, and media capital of Massachusetts’ section of the Connecticut River Valley area.
Springfield has several nicknames – “The City of Firsts”, due to the many innovations developed there, such as the first American dictionary, the first machine lathe for interchangeable parts, and the first American gas-powered automobile.
Two more nicknames are “The City of Homes”, for its beautiful Victorian architecture. And “Hoop City”, because the popular game of basketball was invented there in 1891.
As of the year 2020, its estimated population exceeded 156,000, making it the third largest city in Massachusetts, the fourth most populated city in all of New England after Boston, Worcester, and Providence, and the 12th-most populous in the entire Northeastern United States.
The greater Metropolitan Springfield area boasts a current population of just over 690,000 residents that call the area their own.
Springfield has always been home to a very large Italian population. The “South End” is considered the city’s “Little Italy” neighborhood.
Every year it is very traditional to celebrate several Italian Feast Days, the largest of which is the “Our Lady Mount Carmel Society” feast.
Early Italian immigrants flocked to Springfield, settling a large community of Italian-born natives that continues to this very day.
Among these immigrants were many who hail from the Napolitano City of Bracigliano, outside of Salerno, in the Campania region of Southern Italy.
And among these legitimate hard-working people who were striving to make a success of themselves in America were a small contingent of Napolitani racketeers who would establish themselves in Springfield as well.
Starting with alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s, the area always hosted a plethora of criminals and racketeers, both organized and independents.
These included Antonio Miranda, brother of a man who would later rise to become one of the most notorious and respected members of the American underworld, the NYC Genovese Family consigliere, Michele (Mike) Miranda.
This early Springfield connection may explain why and how New York City’s Genovese Family became the resident Mafia power of the area, even today.
There have been racketeers affiliated with other crews through the years, but the Genovese has been the primary power of the area.
