Richard Boiardi

Richard Boiardo aka "Ruggiero Boiardi" and "Richie the Boot" (November 8, 1890 - 1984 ) was a caporegime in the Genovese crime family who ran mob operations in the Newark, New Jersey area.

Born in Naples, Italy, Boiardo's family immigrated to the Newark area in 1910. His first criminal activity involved bookmaking while he worked as a milkman. Boiardo eventually controlled criminal activities in the First Ward section of Newark. During the Prohibition era, Boiardo fought with Jewish mobster Abner "Longy" Zwillman for control of criminal rackets in Newark. At one point, Boiardo survived an ambush from Zwillman that left him with 12 bullet wounds. Despite this animosity, the two mobsters eventually made peace with each other and became partners. In the 1930's, due to Zwillman's influence, Boiardo became a made man, or full member of the new Luciano crime family established by Charles "Lucky" Luciano. After Luciano was deported in 1946, this family became the Genovese family under boss Vito Genovese. With Zwillman's death in 1959, Boiardo became the undisputed mob boss of Newark. Boiardo bought a sumptuous residence in Livingston; he reported use the house furnace and statue garden to quietly dispose of several bodies.

Boiardi also owned a residence Havana, Cuba, where he had gambling interests. Boiardo was 5'7", weighed approximately 210 pounds, and had a bullet scar on his left cheek. He married Jenny Manfro and was the father of a son Anthony and two daughters Marie and Rose. Boiardo was a part owner of a hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Boiardo was described as flashy, brutal and an incurable womanizer. The nickname "Boot" reportedly derived from the pleasure that Boiardo took in stomping people. Boiardo's arrest record included manslaughter, assault and battery, and carrying concealed weapons.

In 1984, Richard Boiardo died of natural causes at age 95.

In popular culture

The creator of the TV series "The Sopranos", David Chase, claimed that the Soprano family was indeed based on Boiardo and his crew. [Malanga, Steven. [http://www.nypost.com/seven/04082007/news/regionalnews/brutal_and_grisly_truth_of_garden_states_real_sopranos_regionalnews_steven_malanga.htm?page=0 "BRUTAL AND GRISLY TRUTH OF GARDEN STATE'S REAL 'SOPRANOS'"] , "New York Post", April 8, 2007. Accessed May 19, 2008.]

References

ources

*Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Treasury Department, "Mafia: the Government's Secret File on Organized Crime, HarperCollins Publishers 2007 ISBN 0-06-136385-5

External Links

* [http://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_183.html American Mafia.com New York Stories Part I] by John William Tuohy
* [http://members.fortunecity.com/sosdie/mob/family/genovese/genovese.htm The Genovese Family]
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/revealed-the-real-tony-soprano-444869.html The Independent Revealed: the real Tony Soprano] by Rupert Cornwell