Rhode Island
GoLocalProv | News | On Federal Hill Mobsters Used to Kill Mobsters, Now Tourists Get Shot
Thursday, August 24, 2023
For about 40 years, Federal Hill was virtually crime-free for “civilians.” From the 1940s through to the 1980s, the “Hill” was under the control of Raymond Patriarca, the head of organized crime in New England
Yes, there were random mob hits from time to time, but the neighborhood was for decades a close-knit, overwhelmingly Italian-American neighborhood under the control of La Cosa Nostra.
Now, Federal Hill is one of Providence’s crime hotbeds and a black eye for the tourism industry.
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On Wednesday, GoLocal broadcast a video of a robbery of a couple who had come to Providence for a night out on “The Hill.”
The video shows the couple who had finished their evening on Atwells Avenue and were walking back to their Bentley bearing Florida plates when they were approached by a man demanding their valuables.
The suspect shot the male driver once before he had time to turn over personal possessions, including a Rolex watch.
The victim was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound.
It was one of the recent violent crimes to hit visitors to Federal Hill.
As GoLocal had reported in July, two men from Massachusetts reported being robbed of their Rolex watches at gunpoint on Federal Hill.
Sadly, these are just some of the latest violent episodes — there were high-profile murders tied to the clubs on Federal Hill.
In 2019 a man was stabbed to death at Nara Lounge, also in 2019, a man was beaten and stabbed to death by a group.
Tale of Two Neighborhoods
State Representative and Chief Justice of the Providence Municipal Court John Lombardi tells GoLocal, “It is the tale of two neighborhoods. From morning until about 9 PM or 10 PM is pretty safe, but after that the neighborhood has its challenges.”
Lombardi grew up on Federal Hill and represented the area on the City Council.
City Council President Rachel Miller said more needs to be done to make the area safe. In July of 2020, Uprise RI reported that Miller was one of six members of the Providence City Council who supported defunding the Providence Police and refused to support the budget that year. “Councilmembers Kat Kerwin (Ward 12) and Rachel Miller (Ward 13) also confirmed that they will not vote for a budget that does not reallocate money from the police,” reported Uprise RI. Kerwin had a stressed relationship with the police. SEE VIDEO
Kerwin did not run for reelection in 2022.
Miller, in an interview with GoLocal on Wednesday, said it is critical to remove guns from Providence Streets. “Any amount of gun violence is unacceptable,” said Miller.
She said her early position on police funding is neither a factor in the crime on Federal Hill nor how the police respond.
“I have a great relationship with police leadership and Chief [Oscar] Perez. I don’t have concerns about the policing and their reaction to headlines of a few years ago,” said Miller.
However, Providence faces a significant police staffing issue.
Years of inaction to properly staff the police force under then-Mayor Jorge Elorza and Providence City Council President Sabina Matos allowed police staffing to plummet.
Today, the police staffing has dropped from a fully staffed 505 officers to under 419 — increasing callbacks, overtime, and stress to department personnel.
Miller said the city needs to be constantly recruiting for new recruitment classes.
Federal Hill of Years Gone By
“It is no secret that organized crime was prevalent in Rhode Island, and when Ray Patriarca was the boss he ran all of all New England from his chair outside of ‘The Office’ on Atwells Avenue,” said former State Police Superintendent Col. Brendan Doherty in an interview with GoLocal in 2014.
Doherty served for 24 years in the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit, focusing on organized crime in the 80s and 90s.
“Back then, in the 60s and 70s, there was, shall we say, an ‘arrangement’ between the police and organized crime. And it was an unspoken arrangement. The mafia was expected to keep the lid on [violence pouring out onto the streets]. To keep violence out of their places of business, restaurants on Federal Hill would pay tribute to Patriarca for ‘protection,’ said Providence City the late City Archivist Paul Campbell.
Lombardi said the safety of the neighborhood was more complicated than the control of the mob. “It was a stable neighborhood. U.S. Senator John Pastore lived in the neighborhood,” said Lombardi.
Today, Rhode Island’s two U.S. Senators live in multimillion-dollar homes in affluent coastal communities far from the urban corridor — Jack Reed lives in Jamestown and Sheldon Whitehouse in Newport.
“There is a perception that things were less violent on Federal Hill during the Raymond Patriarca era but I disagree since it is only the NATURE of the violence that has changed,” argues former Attorney General Arlene Violet.
To see a brief chronological history of the history of violence on Federal Hill — from the 19th century through the 1990s — check out the slides below.
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- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 55 Col. Stone Protecting a Source
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 54
- PHOTOS: Patriarca’s Crime Family
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- Cheat Sheet 51, FBI Files: Indictment of Patriarca, Coia, & Other Laborers International
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 51 (Patriarca Is Too Sick to Stand Trial)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – The Battle Between the Feds and Coia, Laborers, and Patriarca
- Cheat Sheet 56, FBI Files: Raymond Patriarca Dies
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- Curious Case of Patriarca Crime Family and American Nazi Party – Both Led By Providence Men
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- Cheat Sheet 61, FBI Files: Coia Called Patriarca a “Saint,” RI Country Club & Breeding Rottweilers
- Cheat Sheet 58, FBI Files: Patriarca and Coia, the Massive Effort to Prosecute
- Cheat Sheet 59, FBI Files: Coia’s Relationship with Patriarca, FBI and the Clintons
- Old School Patriarca Boss “Cadillac Frank” Salemme Dies in Prison
- Cheat Sheet 42 The Patriarca Papers – Nazis, Negroes and Buying a Chevy Dealership
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 41 (The Mafia Rules About Bombings)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 42 (Nazis, “Negroes” and La Cosa Nostra)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 43 (Patriarca on Blacks, Jews and Education)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 44 (Hoover’s Memo to Attorney General on Patriarca)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 40: Funneling Money to the MA Governor’s Race
- Cheat Sheet 39 – The Patriarca Papers (Patriarca’s Ongoing Hatred for Robert Kennedy)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 37, Did Patriarca’s Organization Own The Warwick Tent?
- Cheat Sheet 38 – The Patriarca Papers (Helen Patriarca Dies of Cancer, Numerous Hits Ordered)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 38: Ordering the Murder of Willie Marfeo
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 39
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 45 (How Murders Are Approved)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 46 (Secret Indictments Against Patriarca and Tameleo)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 47 (Mob Radio Ad Infuriates Raymond Patriarca)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 48 (Memo from Hoover to AG Mitchell)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 49 (Bonded Vault Robbery Okayed By Patriarca)
- FBI Files – The Patriarca Papers – Entry 50 (Patriarca and Bevilacqua’s Relationship)
- Cheat Sheet 53, FBI Files: Key Witness is Killed
- Cheat Sheet 48, FBI Files: Patriarca Asks to Appear on CBS News with Cronkite
- Cheat Sheet 49, FBI Files: Las Vegas Casinos, RI Corruption, Callei Murder, Bonded Vault
- Cheat Sheet 54, FBI Files: FBI Track Alleged Bribes to NJ Governor Brendan Byrne
- Cheat Sheet 60, FBI Files: Is Coia Son Like Father?
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Rhode Island
RI Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 24, 2024
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 24, 2024, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 24 drawing
11-14-38-45-46, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 24 drawing
16-22-24-43-47, Lucky Ball: 11
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from Dec. 24 drawing
Midday: 0-9-5-1
Evening: 2-0-2-3
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from Dec. 24 drawing
08-21-26-33-38, Extra: 36
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Rhode Island
When will Santa Claus be in RI? Follow the 2024 Santa Trackers from NORAD and Google
How NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve
Every year, for the past 68 years, NORAD tracks the global progress of Santa and his sleigh. John Cornelio from NORAD explains how they track this highly anticipated mission.
It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, the children were wondering where’s that guy Claus?
If you’re looking to track Santa Claus’s flight over Providence and Rhode Island’s other cities and towns this Christmas Eve, there are a few ways you can track the big guy with nearly the same accuracy as a late Amazon package.
The military is on it with the NORAD Santa Tracker, and Google, which often feels all-knowing, is also on the case with its own Santa Tracker.
Check out the trackers to see Santa’s location:
See Santa’s location with the NORAD Santa Tracker
NORAD is the most reliable name in Santa tracking. On the job since 1955, when a young child from Colorado Springs accidentally called in (he meant to call a number advertised by a local department store), they’ve been following Santa’s journey using their radar technology ever since.
Now, NORAD, the joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations, staffs up for the big night, with a number available for children to call for status reports and an online tracker.
When does the NORAD Santa Tracker start?
On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, of course.
How do I follow Santa’s journey with the NORAD tracker?
Santa is on the move, as you can see below. If it doesn’t load, it can be found at www.noradsanta.org
You can also call NORAD directly at +1 (877) HI-NORAD.
See Santa’s location on the Google Santa Tracker
In 2004, Google started tracking Santa as well, because, well, there’s a lot of interest in Old St. Nick. Google has a website. While you’re waiting around for Santa, Google’s guide includes a family guide, quizzes and various Christmas-themed games to play.
Why might the NORAD Santa Tracker and Google Santa Tracker disagree?
All of our tracking technology is made for mere mortals, but Santa is magic, and he likes to create a little bit of mystery. It wouldn’t do for children all over the world to be catching him as he comes down the chimney to deliver presents. He would never get any work done! So sometimes, to keep the magic alive, he throws off the trackers, just a little bit.
Rhode Island
Up to $5,000 reward offered for tips on who dumped emaciated dog’s body in trash bag in Rhode Island
Lincoln, RI – PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction on cruelty charges of the person(s) responsible for dumping a dead dog at Barney’s Pond on Smithfield Avenue.
On December 14, the Lincoln Police Department responded to a report of a dead animal in a trash bag in the parking lot of the pond and discovered the body of a severely emaciated dog with visible signs of trauma. They believe the body was left between the evening of December 13 and the morning of December 14. A white Toyota RAV4 may be connected to the case and is considered a vehicle of interest.
Police are searching for this vehicle of interest, a Toyota RAV4. Photo: Lincoln Police Department
No leads or suspects have been identified, so PETA is asking for the public’s help.
“This poor dog was apparently starved, abused, and then dumped on the side of the road like garbage,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “There may be other animals in the perpetrator’s possession, so PETA asks anyone with information to come forward immediately—other lives may depend on it.”
Anyone with information about the deceased dog or the vehicle should contact Detective Lieutenant Brad Stewart at 401-333-8485.
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