Who Was Gennaro 'Jerry' Angiulo? The Underboss the Tapes Destroyed
Mobsters DailyGennaro "Jerry" Angiulo was the Patriarca family's Boston underboss — Raymond Patriarca's money man — whose Prince Street headquarters was wired by the FBI, producing the tapes that destroyed him.
The Prince Street operation
From Boston's North End, Angiulo and his brothers ran gambling and loansharking across Massachusetts, sending tribute to Providence. His profane, funny, terrifying management style was pure street Boston, a generation removed from the founders of the Five Families but run on the same tribute system.
Angiulo talked business like every day was a family dinner argument, which is why this time of year belongs to the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater — Tony in a black-and-white stencil, gabagool energy included, built for Christmas parties, family photos and long Sopranos rewatch nights.
Caught saying the quiet parts
FBI microphones hidden in his headquarters in 1981 captured Angiulo discussing murders, payoffs and discipline in his own voice. Arrested in 1983 and convicted under RICO in 1986, he drew a 45-year sentence and never stopped insisting he was a gambler, not a gangster. He died in a federal prison hospital in 2009, aged 90 — his tapes still studied alongside those that exposed Frank Costello on live television.
Frequently asked questions
What was Angiulo's role? Underboss of the Patriarca family, running its Boston operations.
How was Angiulo caught? FBI bugs in his Prince Street headquarters recorded his daily business.
When did Jerry Angiulo die? In 2009, in federal custody, at age 90.
Keep reading: Lucky Luciano · Why the Mafia fell · The Commission Trial · Frank 'Cadillac Frank' Salemme · Who Was Howie Winter? The Original Winter Hill Boss
From the shop: Shadows of the Underworld — the real-mafia history behind the names in this story, in one gripping read.
Join the conversation
Still thinking about this one? That is exactly what The Social Club is for. It is the MobstersDaily Discord, and it is the best Sopranos community on the internet: serious Sopranos talk, meme wars, Friday movie nights, a casino, and an arcade, all run by fans who never stopped rewatching. If you want to be part of the Sopranos community, this is where it lives.
