Published on: January 3, 2025, 08:33h. 

Last updated on: January 3, 2025, 08:33h.

The FBI’s Boston office has disbanded its organized crime unit, reflecting the diminished power of the New England Mafia. Once dominant in illegal activities across multiple states, the organization now faces significant challenges.

Sources informed The Boston Globe that agents from the anti-Mafia unit have been reassigned as the agency shifts its focus to more pressing threats like terrorism, foreign espionage, and cybercrime.

While the FBI has disbanded this unit, it remains committed to combating organized crime both regionally and internationally, stated Kristen Setera, a spokesperson for the agency to The Globe.

Decline of the Mafia

The New England Mafia has been in decline due to internal conflicts and extensive prosecutions that have eroded its power. Some members breaking the traditional code of silence have also contributed to the weakening of the organization.

Former Rhode Island State Police superintendent, Steven O’Donnell, estimates that the New England Mafia now has only about 30 “made” members, a steep decline from its peak in the 1960s.

Former Massachusetts State Police detective lieutenant Steve Johnson told The Globe, “It’s mostly figurehead people and wannabes … people pretending they are doing their best Sopranos act. They are not what they used to be.”

The recent passing of Luigi “Baby Shacks” Manocchio, a former boss of the Patriarca crime family, marks the end of an era for the New England Mafia.

Following the death of Raymond Patriarca in 1984, internal strife within the family ensued as factions from Rhode Island and Boston vied for control.

Legal Crackdown

The 1980s and 1990s saw a wave of federal prosecutions targeting Mafia bosses and underbosses, resulting in major convictions.

Improved surveillance technology played a crucial role in capturing key evidence, including the first-ever recording of a Mafia induction ceremony. This evidence was instrumental in prosecuting several members of the Patriarca crime family.

Some convictions were aided by information provided by James “Whitey” Bulger, a notorious boss of the Winter Hill Gang and longtime FBI informant.

Bulger’s Legacy

However, the Boston organized crime office faced setbacks as well. In the notorious Bulger affair, FBI handler John Connolly leaked information to Bulger about an investigation into his criminal activities, leading to further violence.

Bulger, who was on the run for 16 years, was eventually captured and later murdered in prison in 2018 by an inmate with ties to the Patriarca family.