For well over a century now, what has been traditionally referred to as “The New England Family” has always been a small but powerful underworld network.
This Mafia family has always been led by capable mafiosi, but its most iconic leader was unquestionably the notorious family boss Raymond Patriarca.
A small, slightly built man of only 5-feet 7-inches tall and 150 pounds soaking wet, Patriarca nonetheless commanded both the respect and adherence of his direct subordinates and a palpable fear among his enemies and victims alike.
During his time at the top of New England’s underworld, he was the unquestioned boss and everybody on the streets knew it.
From his longtime Providence, Rhode Island headquarters, based out of a storefront on Atwells Avenue where he operated a jukebox and cigarette machine distributor called Coin-a-Matic Vending Company, Raymond Patriarca oversaw a Cosa Nostra family with a reputed formal inducted Mafia membership ranging anywhere between fifty to seventy soldiers as well as several hundred more close family “associates” at his command.
With help from his longtime underboss Jerry Angiulo based in the City of Boston, his consigliere, and a handful of trusted caporegime, Raymond iron-handedly led his borgata as they seized control over the majority of underworld rackets across all six New England states for decades.
What follows below is the better-known membership of this borgata.
Note: Not all those named operated in the same time period. The New England Family’s estimated average was approximately 50-70 formal inducted members at their 1960 peak.