Ruggiero Boiardo (December 8, 1890 – October 29, 1984), also known as "the Boot", was an Italian-American mobster and powerful Caporegime in the New Jersey faction of the Genovese crime family.
Boiardo later became known as "The Boot", a nickname which he developed in his youth, had been said to have derived from the heavy footed way he disposed of his gangland foes.
At the time, the press suspected Abner Zwillman was responsible,[3] but later evidence pointed to the members of another rival gang led by the Mazzocchi brothers, whom the Boot subsequently had murdered.
In his hospital room they gave the seriously wounded gangster descriptions of the men who had allegedly shot at him, but the Boot shrugged and said he did not know.
With Abe Zwillman's death in 1959, Boiardo became the undisputed mob boss of Newark, who also owned residences in Havana, Cuba and Florida, where he had major gambling interests.
[8] Boiardo died of natural causes on October 29, 1984, aged 93, and was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, New Jersey.
At the time of Anthony's death, he was awaiting trial on an indictment that had resulted in the conviction of Mayor of Newark, Hugh Joseph Addonizio.