New England Organized Crime Associate Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison

PROVIDENCE, RI—Richard Bonafiglia, 58, of Providence, Rhode Island, an admitted associate of the New England La Cosa Nostra (NELCN) was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence today to 84 months in federal prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy to shakedown several Rhode Island adult entertainment businesses for protection money.

U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith also sentenced Bonafiglia to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Bonafiglia pleaded guilty on February 23, 2012 to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. Bonafiglia was charged along with eight other admitted or alleged leaders, members or associates of the NELCN with participating in a racketeering and extortion conspiracy and other acts of extortion.

Bonafiglia’s sentence was announced by Peter F. Neronha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Richard Deslauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Pare.

At the time of his guilty plea, Bonafiglia admitted that he was an associate of the NELCN and that he participated in the charged racketeering and extortion conspiracy. Bonafiglia admitted that since 2005, when he was hired to work at the Cadillac Lounge where he served as the eyes and ears of then-admitted NELCN boss Luigi Manocchio, he participated in multiple acts of extortion by assisting other conspirators in their collection and receipt of monthly protection payments of up to $800,000 from the owners and operators of several adult entertainment businesses.

Seven of the nine defendants named in superseding indictments and charged with participating in the racketeering and extortion conspiracy, including admitted longtime former NELCN underboss and boss Luigi Manocchio and admitted capo regime Edward Lato, have pleaded guilty. Manocchio was sentenced on May 11, 2012, to 66 months in federal prison; Edward Lato is awaiting sentencing.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland for the District of Rhode Island and Trial Attorney Sam Nazzaro of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rhode Island State Police, and the Providence Police Department.