Patriarca Family

The New England mafia crime family headquarters established in Providence's Federal Hill
With the retirement of Buccola in 1954, Providence became the center of the New England Family’s operations. From a wood-frame, two-story building in Providence Patriarca ran his crime empire. The building, nicknamed “The Office,” housed the National Cigarette Service Company and Coin-O-Matic Distributors, a vending machine and pinball business, on Atwells Avenue in an area known as Federal Hill. Organized crime figures there were referred to as “members of the Office.” Vincent Teresa described Atwells Avenue as a noisy open-air market that was also an armed camp with “spotters” located everywhere. These “spotters” were area residents and vendors who kept an eye out for suspicious people – especially snoopy law enforcement officials. This set up was similar to other popular mob-run areas like Mulberry Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and Prince Street in Boston.

Person A: Ever eat on Federal Hill
Person B. Yea the Old Canteen, a frequent hangout for the Patriarca Family.

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