Luigi Manocchio

Luigi Giovanni "Baby Shanks" Manocchio is an Italian-American mobster from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the boss of the New England-based Patriarca crime family, which is part of La Cosa Nostra. ["The Boston Globe", Alleged underboss of New England Mafia is arrested By Shelley Murphy and Raja Mishra, December 2, 2006]

Criminal career

Manocchio has a long history in the Patriarca family with a criminal record dating back to the 1940s. In 1969 Manocchio was indicted for his participation in the murders of Rudolph Marfeo and Anthony Melei. He fled the United States before eventually returning and residing in New York City, near Central Park. [United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, "United States v. Francis P. Salemme", et al. Cr. No. 94-10287-MLW] While there he forged ties with several reputed mobsters. In 1979 he surrendered to law enforcement authorities and served a two and a half year prison term on lesser charges. In July 1996 he was indicted with 43 others in a burglary ring sweep. Prosecutors claimed the sweep ended a wave of intrusions committed by a mob-sanctioned gang that produced $10 million in stolen goods. When his trial began in April 1999 Manocchio plead guilty and received three years probation. [All About the Providence Mob, by Allan May. Crimelibrary.com] Since then, Manocchio has continued his steady rise in the ranks of organized crime, acting as underboss from 1998 until 2000, when he was promoted to boss.

Manocchio's Reign as Patriarca Family Boss

Manocchio was promoted to boss of the Patriarca family following the imprisonment of many of the organization's other leaders. He has been described as a "shrewd, opportunistic old-school leader who excels at keeping a low profile" and is considered "tough and capable, and is well respected among the New York Crime Families." [All About the Providence Mob, by Allan May. Crimelibrary.com] However, Manocchio's reign at the top has not been an easy one thus far. In March 1999, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) charged family enforcer Eddie Lato and associates Rocco Folco and Anthony St. Laurent with loan sharking. In December 2004, Manocchio was named, but not indicted, in a case involving Boston mob captain Frederick Simone as the defendant. Evidence from that case identified Manocchio as the Patriarca family boss, Alexander “Sonny Boy” Rizzo as the Underboss, and Rocco Argenta as the consigliere. Additionally, Carmen DiNunzio, Mark Rosetti and Matthew Guglielmetti were named as captains.

Manocchio’s troubles continued after the FBI raided the Providence office of the Laborers’ International Union (LIUNA) on January 20, 2005. That same day, Capital City Concrete in Cranston, Rhode Island was also raided as part of an FBI investigation of labor racketeering in the Rhode Island construction business. Among those arrested in the Capital City raid was capo Matthew Guglielmetti, who was charged with overseeing distribution of cocaine bound for Canada, and money laundering. ["Providence Journal", April 24, 2006]

Notes

ee also

*Patriarca crime family