PROVIDENCE, RI (WPRI) – William “Blackjack” DelSanto, a retired capo in the Patriarca crime family, has passed away.
DelSanto, 78, was in poor health and suffered a series of strokes in the past year, sources say. He passed away on Sunday.
Living in Cranston at the time of his death, DelSanto was originally from Federal Hill and was a throwback to when La Cosa Nostra was a significant force in New England. Police sources say DelSanto became a member of the Mafia in the 1970s, when Raymond LS Patriarca was the boss.
DelSanto made headlines in the 1980s when he was fired from his post as a sidewalk inspector for the city of Providence on charges of being an “absent” worker. Police arrested DelSanto after observing him on Federal Hill during working hours. But the charges were later dropped for lack of a speedy trial and an arbitrator awarded him more than $ 200,000 for back wages and interest.
DelSanto – who called himself “Billy” – was on the law enforcement radar screen for years as a major player in organized crime, but investigators considered him removed from the Mafia for more than ‘a decade.
Tim white (twhite@wpri.com) is the Editor-in-Chief of Target 12 and Chief Investigative Journalist at 12 News, and the host of Newsmakers. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.
