I recently was asked by someone back home in Rhode Island if I knew a Silvio Patriarca. He's presently 43 years old and he caught a RICO charge in 1999 or 2000. Anyone ever hear of him or have an info on him?

I know a Silvio that owns a strip joint out in Lodi, New Jersey the Bada Bang or something like that.

From November of 2000

Ten people were arraigned Wednesday on charges they helped run a lucrative gambling ring under the supervision of mobster Anthony M. "The Saint" St. Laurent from his Kentucky prison cell.

Michael Budz, 30, of West Warwick, is accused of talking on the phone with St. Laurent, 59, several times a day to discuss collection methods and accounting for the gambling operation that police said netted $600,000 in one month.

Police recorded the calls during a three-month investigation.

Budz ran the operation out of St. Laurent's Johnston home while Rudolph "The Captain" Sciarra, a longtime soldier in the Patriarca crime family, mediated problems, police said.

Budz and St. Laurent are both serving sentences for other crimes and will be arraigned at a later date.

Sciarra, 76, pleaded innocent to charges of racketeering, organized criminal gambling and bookmaking. He refused comment leaving the courtroom after being released on $500 bail. His attorney, John M. Cicilline, said his client was looking forward to seeing the state's evidence.

"We don't even know what they say he did," Cicilline said. "They say he's somehow linked into the gambling operation but we need to see the evidence the state has before we can proceed."

Assistant Attorney General Paul Daly would not comment on the state's case.

A grand jury indicted fifteen people on Oct. 31 on charges they were a part of the gambling operation, which police said accepted bets primarily on college and professional football games.

In addition to St. Laurent, Sciarra and Budz, they included Vito Deluca, 56, convicted extortionist and reputed soldier for New England's organized-crime boss Raymond "Junior" Patriarca, and Silvio L. Patriarca, 29, a distant cousin of the crime family.

Deluca pleaded innocent to four counts of aiding and abetting and was released on $25,000 surety bail, while Patriarca pleaded innocent to charges of racketeering, organized criminal gambling and bookmaking and was released on $5,000 personal recognizance.

Patriarca's attorney, Joseph Voccola, said his client has also been waiting to see the state's evidence.

"It's tapping the phones, tapes, conversations that were supposedly overheard - we need to get all

Cool, thanks. I wonder what he's up to now. I read on the Boston thread that there's only four or five made guys left in Rhode Island, but I've heard from a bookie friend of my late uncle that he knows of 12. He could be just bull shittin me or maybe not. I have another decent source who says five though. Sad in a way. Even though I get that they aren't sweethearts, but there was something unique and downright bad ass seeing 6, 7, 8 wiseguys having lunch at Casertas pizza on federal hill in the 80's. I guess those days are over.

I loved Federal Hill when we stayed there to work the snowstorm in February. I hope to go back this winter as well.

Anybody know the best book to read on the Patriarca's? This is one of the most interesting ones to me so far.

Trust me, there are way more than 4 or 5 made guys in RI, I'd put the number nearer to 12-15 the Old Man made more than we know in his 12 year tenure, they just lay lower now than ever before.

My cousin is very close to some people at the Foxy Lady and while not involved, hears many things.

Arguy do you have names?

I don't have names but this is the story, my cousin is a very good baseball player, played legion ball and stared at Providence College. He lived with his parents in a very nice area and one of his neighbors "has an interest" in the Foxy Lady.

This guy approached my cousin and asked if he would tutor/coach his son in baseball fundamentals. This guy has a huge backyard with a batting cage and my cousin was there a lot about 3 or 4 summers ago. He paid him extremely well... in cash of course.

My cousin said there was constant traffic of "Italian" guys always coming and going from the house and then he started getting invited to the Foxy Lady and given Foxy $$ to spend and free admission passes, etc, etc

He's a big LCN fan too and all he said was that there are more of these guys around than the public thinks.

I'm not saying they are all made men but there appears to be plenty of guys wanting to be next kicking around RI.

People forget Manocchio had a pretty quiet 12-15 year run, why wouldn't he add some guys to the books...???

I know there has been allot of guys on this site adamant that certain families are defunct and just don't exist anymore. I'm sure in this case (Patricara)and others they are so small we really don't know the exact numbers but are larger then we believe. We can only speculate until we see otherwise.