Raymond Patriarca Jr.

[2] Patriarca, Sr., continued to be pursued by law enforcement for the rest of his life, and he was charged for a variety of crimes until his death in 1984.

[3] "Il Patrone" died of a heart attack, aged 76, on July 11, 1984, bringing into question the leadership succession of the New England crime family.

The New England Mafia began a period of slow decline resulting from legal prosecution and internal violence after the death of Patriarca, Sr. Gennaro Angiulo was the family underboss until he was incarcerated, and he attempted to take over as boss despite being in jail.

The National Commission approved Patriarca's ascendancy to leadership with the backing of the Gambino crime family, and his position was confirmed.

With Zannino in jail, William Grasso became underboss; he was known for his ruthlessness, and some law enforcement officials believed that he was actually in charge.

[4] However, these rumors ended when Grasso was murdered in June 1989 by a Springfield, Massachusetts-area gangster with ties to the Genovese crime family.

On March 26, 1990, Patriarca, underboss Bianco, and 20 other family members and associates were indicted on numerous charges, including racketeering, extortion, narcotics, gambling, and murder.

However, in 1991, Bianco was sentenced to 11 years in prison, while eight other family members were convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges.