New England crime family

Patriarca crime family

The family is named after Raymond Patriarca who was boss from 1954–1984
Founded by	Gaspare Messina
Founding location	Boston, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island
Years active	c. 1916–present
Territory	New England: Rhode Island, Eastern Massachusetts, Eastern Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine
Ethnicity	"Made members" are Italian and Italian-American, and other ethnicities as "associates"
Membership (est.)	50 made members
Criminal activities	Racketeering, gambling, murder, narcotics, waste management, robbery, fencing, loan sharking, extortion, bookmaking, money laundering, smuggling and fraud
Allies	Five Families, Chicago Outfit, DeCavalcante and Philadelphia crime families
Rivals	Winter Hill Gang, Charlestown Mob

The Patriarca crime family (pronounced [paˈtrjarka]) is also known as the New England crime family, the Providence crime family, the Boston crime family, the Boston Mafia, the Providence Mafia, the New England Mafia, or The Office and is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in New England. The crime family has two distinct factions, one active in Providence, Rhode Island and the other in Boston, Massachusetts.

The family is currently led by Carmen Dinunzio in the Boston faction and by Matthew Guglielmetti in the Providence faction.

Two separate Mafia families emerged in New England before prohibition began, one based in Boston, Massachusetts and the other based in Providence, Rhode Island. The Boston crime family was founded in 1916 by Gaspare Messina. In 1917, Frank Morelli formed the Providence crime family. Morelli went on to control bootlegging and gambling operations in Providence, Rhode Island as well as in Maine and Connecticut. In 1924, Gaspare Messina stepped down as Boston's Mafia boss, assuming a businessman's role while working with Frank Cucchiara and Paolo Pagnotta from a grocery store on Prince Street in Boston's North End. During this time, a Mafia power struggle ensued in Boston, as rival gangs fought for loan sharking, illegal gambling, and bootlegging rackets. Filippo Buccola, a mobster from East Boston, became the boss of the Boston crime family. In December 1930 or early 1931, a Mafia meeting was held and Gaspare Messina was elected the temporary capo dei capi of the American Mafia. Messina retired from Mafia affairs in the early 1930s, and died in June 1957 in his Somerville, Massachusetts home.