 |
| Press |
Thomas Hillary was a Patriarca Family Associate who became a Cooperating Witness in 1992.
Born in 1945 and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island.
Born in 1945 and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island.
Around 1957 met Raymond Patriarca Jr., son of Member (and Future Boss) Raymond Patriarca. Later testified: "We were dear friends, became very close...[Raymond Sr.] took me in like family. I lived with him. [Beginning around 1960] I took care of his wife. I drove his wife when she was sick. It was like family."
 |
| R. Patriarca FBN Mafia Book |
In the mid-1960s the elder Patriarca, now the Family's Boss, spent about a year living with Hillary in an apartment on Atwells Ave: "[Raymond Sr.] owns a building. He redecorated the apartment. And Junior wound up moving into the house that they used to live in, and we moved into the apartment."
By mid-to-late 1960s criminally associated with various other Patriarca Family Members and Associates: "Well, I mean, to the average person, you'd say, what did I do. I did anything. I mean, guys would come to us. We were connected. People would come to us, they had a problem, we'd straighten it out. Union problems, we straightened it out. Guys came to you because you had respect...I mean, we did hijackings, truck hijackings, shakedowns. It's like out of the movies...In the 60's I wasn't involved in narcotics or anything in that. It was just union labor racketeering stuff, scores. A guy comes over. He says, well, we can get a truckload of furs, we can get a truckload of booze. Those are what you call scores."
Activities included illegal gambling and shakedowns: ""[A] guy would have a place, we'd go into them, he'd have a few problems with guys going in, bothering him, he'd come to us. He would take care of us, whatever it may be moneywise, a week."
After Patriarca Sr. was imprisoned in the early 1970s Hillary moved to Las Vegas: "I had different jobs in the casino business...[Crimes included] Gambling. We cheated a few casinos. We had dealers there. We fixed a couple of shoes in time. So it was like -- it was a scam." Also involved in small scale drug dealing.
Around 1976 returned to Providence.
By mid-to-late 1960s criminally associated with various other Patriarca Family Members and Associates: "Well, I mean, to the average person, you'd say, what did I do. I did anything. I mean, guys would come to us. We were connected. People would come to us, they had a problem, we'd straighten it out. Union problems, we straightened it out. Guys came to you because you had respect...I mean, we did hijackings, truck hijackings, shakedowns. It's like out of the movies...In the 60's I wasn't involved in narcotics or anything in that. It was just union labor racketeering stuff, scores. A guy comes over. He says, well, we can get a truckload of furs, we can get a truckload of booze. Those are what you call scores."
Activities included illegal gambling and shakedowns: ""[A] guy would have a place, we'd go into them, he'd have a few problems with guys going in, bothering him, he'd come to us. He would take care of us, whatever it may be moneywise, a week."
After Patriarca Sr. was imprisoned in the early 1970s Hillary moved to Las Vegas: "I had different jobs in the casino business...[Crimes included] Gambling. We cheated a few casinos. We had dealers there. We fixed a couple of shoes in time. So it was like -- it was a scam." Also involved in small scale drug dealing.
Around 1976 returned to Providence.
 |
| T. Hillary (L) and R. DeLuca (Oct. 1976) Government Exhibit |
On October 3, 1976 married at Rosecliff mansion in Rhode Island. Patriarca Associate (and Future Member / Captain) Robert DeLuca served as Best Man. Although Hillary was 'good friends' with DeLuca and the latter helped sell tickets to the bachelor party, his initial choice for Best Man was Raymond Patriarca Jr: "[Patriarca Jr.] knew that some people weren't going to get paid [and he] didn't want to be involved...[Actually] they were all connected, the caterers. [All] the booze, it was open bar. And half of that came off the side of a truck...I guess the only ones that didn't get paid was Rosecliff." (Robert and his brother Joseph DeLuca, also a made member, later cooperated as well.)
 |
| D. Lepore |
By mid-to-late 1970s closely associated with Patriarca Associate Dennis 'Champagne' Lepore: "Dennis was a kid out of Boston at the time that I met through some guys out of Boston. I think I met him in Revere, early 70's. And he was my style. We hit it off, and I started doing business with him [meaning criminal] activities. Whatever came up we did it...You've got to realize everybody came to us. Guys, legitimate people. We did a lot of legitimate deals, too...[Criminal activity included] Everything. There was gambling. There's shaking down guys, dope deals, ripping off dope deals. I mean, everything that a street guy would do. It's pretty hard to say. Anything [including] Robberies."
Scores: "What I mean by a score, they [may] tell us there's 200,000 in a place and we've got a shot to get in there. We robbed the place. That's what we did."
Drug robberies: "[You'd] get a tip from someone and a guy would have a load of drugs with him. In them days it was small. This is the '70s. But it would be maybe 20,000, 15,000 in drugs in them days, which was a lot of money in them days. And we'd rob him. We'd stick him up and rob him. And most of the time the guy that steered us, we'd tie him up with them."
The pair might have also collaborated on drug deals during Hillary's time in Las Vegas.
Hillary specified that Lepore was not a member 'at that time' but was later inducted.
Around 1980 moved to Boston.
Scores: "What I mean by a score, they [may] tell us there's 200,000 in a place and we've got a shot to get in there. We robbed the place. That's what we did."
Drug robberies: "[You'd] get a tip from someone and a guy would have a load of drugs with him. In them days it was small. This is the '70s. But it would be maybe 20,000, 15,000 in drugs in them days, which was a lot of money in them days. And we'd rob him. We'd stick him up and rob him. And most of the time the guy that steered us, we'd tie him up with them."
The pair might have also collaborated on drug deals during Hillary's time in Las Vegas.
Hillary specified that Lepore was not a member 'at that time' but was later inducted.
Around 1980 moved to Boston.
Family Boss Raymond Patriarca died July 11, 1984.
 |
| R. Patriarca Jr. (c. Late 1980s) |
Hillary maintained a close relationship with Patriarca's son Raymond Jr., whom he identified as taking his father's place at the head of the Family: "[Our relationship] was like it always was. It was good."
Around 1985 moved to Palm Springs, California where he associated with unspecified Los Angeles Family Members / Associates.
During this time period involved in cocaine and marijuana sales through Colombian suppliers: "I'd have a guy come in. He'd bring in whatever he brought in, and then we would move it and I'd [get] a piece of it...I never moved it myself. [All] I did was handle the distribution."
By 1988 returned to Boston.
Around this time arrested in Framingham, Massachusetts for operating under the influence. Accused of intimidating the arresting officer: "[I] went to his house with a friend who knew him in the neighborhood, and I was in his Corvette with him. And I told the cop, listen, any time you need, you want to go to Vegas or something, I'll take care of you. Is that intimidating him? It may be trying to bribe him." Nonetheless pleaded guilty to the intimidation charge.
Around 1985 moved to Palm Springs, California where he associated with unspecified Los Angeles Family Members / Associates.
During this time period involved in cocaine and marijuana sales through Colombian suppliers: "I'd have a guy come in. He'd bring in whatever he brought in, and then we would move it and I'd [get] a piece of it...I never moved it myself. [All] I did was handle the distribution."
By 1988 returned to Boston.
Around this time arrested in Framingham, Massachusetts for operating under the influence. Accused of intimidating the arresting officer: "[I] went to his house with a friend who knew him in the neighborhood, and I was in his Corvette with him. And I told the cop, listen, any time you need, you want to go to Vegas or something, I'll take care of you. Is that intimidating him? It may be trying to bribe him." Nonetheless pleaded guilty to the intimidation charge.
 |
| F. Salemme |
The same year began associating with Frank Salemme:
"
"
[Dennis Lepore] and I went down to see [Raymond Patriarca] Junior on some other business, and he asked us to do us a favor [and] take care of [Salemme]. He just come out of the can and see what you can do for him, make some money with him.
...We talked to him the first time [in Braintree]. We talked about different things, and we told him what we were doing...This was the first time I met him. I think -- I'm not sure if Dennis had met him before, but that was the first time I met him. I knew that he was a nice fellow, that he did a lot of time, and that was it and to see if we can make money with him.
[We didn't collaborate] right away because he was in Providence. But after a while he came back...[Plan was to] start putting poker machines in all the bars. And we also came up with the idea that we should shake down all the bookmakers...For us, for me with Frankie, it was the western part of the state. It was like Worcester and up into Springfield, Framingham, all that area there.
...We talked to him the first time [in Braintree]. We talked about different things, and we told him what we were doing...This was the first time I met him. I think -- I'm not sure if Dennis had met him before, but that was the first time I met him. I knew that he was a nice fellow, that he did a lot of time, and that was it and to see if we can make money with him.
[We didn't collaborate] right away because he was in Providence. But after a while he came back...[Plan was to] start putting poker machines in all the bars. And we also came up with the idea that we should shake down all the bookmakers...For us, for me with Frankie, it was the western part of the state. It was like Worcester and up into Springfield, Framingham, all that area there.
"
By 1989 Salemme associates included Chuckie Flynn, Kevin Hanrahan, Thomas Hillary, Timothy Mello and Gordon O'Brien.
Salemme directed Hillary in the shakedowns, gambling and other crimes:
"
By 1989 Salemme associates included Chuckie Flynn, Kevin Hanrahan, Thomas Hillary, Timothy Mello and Gordon O'Brien.
Salemme directed Hillary in the shakedowns, gambling and other crimes:
"
[I was with] him every day...Well, if I got to ask them, if it's something to do with their business or our business on the street. If it's a personal thing, I don't have to go to him for every time I go to the bathroom...When it came to mob shit, I went by the rules.
[Frankie] would tell me, grab this bookmaker, grab that bookmaker, or I would say there's this guy, who's he with, does he know anyone. And Frankie would tell me if he's with a nice fellow, or he's not a nice fellow because you don't shake down nice people. So Frankie knew where we were going...[Nice people meaning] connected with made guys...There were different guys that had guys there [in Framingham - Milford]. Howie Winters had guys there, this and that. So I'd go to Frankie, and Frankie would talk to them...[Steve Flemmi] might have had a few guys, of course.
[My] machines were Frankie's machines...We would take -- you owned a bar, we'd come up to you and we'd say, we want to put our machines in, because, you know, they got -- they're winning money out of this. So they got someone else with the machines in. We offer them a better deal. We put our machines in. And when you take it in a large spectrum of everything, it's a lot of money. It's a lot of money. It's volume.
[Frankie] would tell me, grab this bookmaker, grab that bookmaker, or I would say there's this guy, who's he with, does he know anyone. And Frankie would tell me if he's with a nice fellow, or he's not a nice fellow because you don't shake down nice people. So Frankie knew where we were going...[Nice people meaning] connected with made guys...There were different guys that had guys there [in Framingham - Milford]. Howie Winters had guys there, this and that. So I'd go to Frankie, and Frankie would talk to them...[Steve Flemmi] might have had a few guys, of course.
[My] machines were Frankie's machines...We would take -- you owned a bar, we'd come up to you and we'd say, we want to put our machines in, because, you know, they got -- they're winning money out of this. So they got someone else with the machines in. We offer them a better deal. We put our machines in. And when you take it in a large spectrum of everything, it's a lot of money. It's a lot of money. It's volume.
"
Those involved with Hillary in the shakedowns included Butchie Grecco, John 'Jack' Snell and Steven DiSarro.
Those involved with Hillary in the shakedowns included Butchie Grecco, John 'Jack' Snell and Steven DiSarro.
 |
| S. DiSarro Government Exhibit |
DiSarro was formerly an Associate of Patriarca (Former Colombo) Captain Nicholas Bianco: "I knew Nicky well...[Prior to 1989 DiSarro] was with Nicky for awhile...I knew he had business with him. I didn't know personally what it was. I know they had a place on Dean [Street]." Their business interests reportedly included land deals and real estate. (Nicholas Bianco [1932-1994] was inducted into the Patriarca Family in September 1963 and transferred to the Colombos two years later where he eventually rose to Captain. After the 1971 shooting of Boss Joseph Colombo he was demoted and then transferred back to the New England, where he was promoted to Captain around October 1974. Named the Family's Underboss by the summer of 1989, he was soon convicted on Federal racketeering charges and died while imprisoned in 1994.)
 |
| L to R: S. DiSarro, F. Salemme Jr., T. Hillary on Beacon St Government Exhibit |
Hillary had brought DiSarro into the Salemme crew: "Stevie was my friend [and] a good, good guy. I grew up with him. He was a young kid when he used to come around. When I was living with Raymond [Patriarca], Stevie was like a kid brother to me [and] I was friendly with the whole family...We were hanging out a lot. So I introduced him to Frankie. I knew Frankie was going to be the boss in case Stevie needed anything. Stevie was in the nightclub business. [I] introduced him, and he started coming around...We were trying to put some poker machines in these bars [and] Stevie had a connection in Florida to get the machines...We were waiting for one machine to come in. We never even got started." DiSarro and Salemme's son Frank Jr. subsequently became close associates and lived together for a time in Brookline: "They started hanging out all the time."
In June 1989 Frank Salemme was wounded in a shooting attempt orchestrated by members of a rival faction within the Family: "They shot Frankie...[Guys] from the east Boston crew...As a matter of fact, when he got shot I was waiting in Braintree. [Me and Dennis Lepore] were supposed to meet him that day [then] we heard the news, yeah." Salemme spent a year recuperating.
By mid-to-late 1989 the Salemmes, Lepore and Hillary were involved in a bribery scheme involving the Teamsters. Hillary later testified:
"
In June 1989 Frank Salemme was wounded in a shooting attempt orchestrated by members of a rival faction within the Family: "They shot Frankie...[Guys] from the east Boston crew...As a matter of fact, when he got shot I was waiting in Braintree. [Me and Dennis Lepore] were supposed to meet him that day [then] we heard the news, yeah." Salemme spent a year recuperating.
By mid-to-late 1989 the Salemmes, Lepore and Hillary were involved in a bribery scheme involving the Teamsters. Hillary later testified:
"
[We] had a guy [Robert Franchi] that supposedly had a producer out of California that was looking to make a movie. He's an Italian kid that used to be from the North End. He wound up in California. So Dennis asked me, let's talk to this kid, so forth and so on. I said, well, you haven't seen him in years, I said, what do we know he's doing.
Anyways, we talked to him. He come up with the idea -- they wanted to film in Boston and Rhode Island, and they didn't want to pay union wages. They didn't want to pay the union people. So we went to the Teamsters.
...Frankie's kid said to me they had a connection with the union [and so] we revived it...They brought these guys in [and] they were going to hook it up so [the] company, Rudder Productions, could film without paying the union and we'd get a kickback.
...[They] were going to give us so much money because we allowed them to film without paying the Teamsters so we could get scab help. What they would do, they'd pay us, and we'd whack it up amongst our guys who was involved in it.
Anyways, we talked to him. He come up with the idea -- they wanted to film in Boston and Rhode Island, and they didn't want to pay union wages. They didn't want to pay the union people. So we went to the Teamsters.
...Frankie's kid said to me they had a connection with the union [and so] we revived it...They brought these guys in [and] they were going to hook it up so [the] company, Rudder Productions, could film without paying the union and we'd get a kickback.
...[They] were going to give us so much money because we allowed them to film without paying the Teamsters so we could get scab help. What they would do, they'd pay us, and we'd whack it up amongst our guys who was involved in it.
"
The producer of Rudder Productions was an Undercover Agent who recorded multiple conversations of Hillary and others discussing the scheme. Hillary, Lepore and others were later indicted and Robert Franchi cooperated.
The producer of Rudder Productions was an Undercover Agent who recorded multiple conversations of Hillary and others discussing the scheme. Hillary, Lepore and others were later indicted and Robert Franchi cooperated.
Around this time Hillary also participated in scamming drug deals: "It looks like - you have a little weed on there, you make it look good, and the guy thinks he's got -- the whole thing is 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 50 pounds, whatever it is, and it's all fertilizers...What's [the buyer] going to do, come after us? [He's] scared to death." Money from ripoffs not kicked up: "[I] wasn't supposed to be in the drug business."
 |
| F. Salemme, Paul Weadick Government Exhibit |
Frank Salemme Jr. and Associate Paul Weadick were later recalled by Hillary as having been involved in at least one of the scams. (Hillary also testified that Salemme Jr. and Weadick 'did robberies together' although he didn't know specifics.)
 |
| The Channel Government Exhibit |
By 1990 the Salemmes, Hillary and Steven DiSarro were involved in purchasing The Channel nightclub:
"
"
It was a big bar. It was a popular nightspot [and] a cash cow...I think they wanted 50,000 in front as a down payment. [So] we went to Frankie, beside whoever Stevie [DiSarro] had, to see if we could put this deal together. If we could put it together, we'd have a nightclub.
...We'd put up the money if we could get the money. [We] were trying to get someone to go to the front of it if we put it because Stevie was having problems at that time, I think, with the IRS. And we were trying to put a bank roll together to get the place, and then we would all be involved. Frankie would -- he's the boss, he's going to get the end, he'd get the lion's share, and then we'd whack up what we can. [Originally] it was me, Stevie, Frank. It became Frank Jr.
...I think it was the Booris brothers. [I] went down with Stevie. He wanted me to come down and talk to these guys [so] I went with Stevie on a couple of occasions. [Stevie] made an agreement he was going to manage the place until we could get up the rest of the money or get the money actually.
...[Stevie] would manage the place. That was his expertise. So he'd take it. [Salemme]'s son was going to go as a bartender. I don't know what the hell I was going to do. But [everybody] gets on the payroll. Everybody is taking a piece out of the place. [I'd work if] I had to, you know. But basically not.
...[There's] a lot of money you can hide. You know, if the place is going real good, you're making a hundred thousand a week, you're making 20. That's what you're going to tell them you're making. You can duck a lot of money out of that. It's like laundering money...So many things. I mean, you could take advantage of it because you got the club. You can do business -- actually if you're doing illegal business in something else, you could funnel the money through that...[If] you're getting on the payroll, you're not doing nothing, but you're on the payroll and you can show you've got money coming in every week.
...We'd put up the money if we could get the money. [We] were trying to get someone to go to the front of it if we put it because Stevie was having problems at that time, I think, with the IRS. And we were trying to put a bank roll together to get the place, and then we would all be involved. Frankie would -- he's the boss, he's going to get the end, he'd get the lion's share, and then we'd whack up what we can. [Originally] it was me, Stevie, Frank. It became Frank Jr.
...I think it was the Booris brothers. [I] went down with Stevie. He wanted me to come down and talk to these guys [so] I went with Stevie on a couple of occasions. [Stevie] made an agreement he was going to manage the place until we could get up the rest of the money or get the money actually.
...[Stevie] would manage the place. That was his expertise. So he'd take it. [Salemme]'s son was going to go as a bartender. I don't know what the hell I was going to do. But [everybody] gets on the payroll. Everybody is taking a piece out of the place. [I'd work if] I had to, you know. But basically not.
...[There's] a lot of money you can hide. You know, if the place is going real good, you're making a hundred thousand a week, you're making 20. That's what you're going to tell them you're making. You can duck a lot of money out of that. It's like laundering money...So many things. I mean, you could take advantage of it because you got the club. You can do business -- actually if you're doing illegal business in something else, you could funnel the money through that...[If] you're getting on the payroll, you're not doing nothing, but you're on the payroll and you can show you've got money coming in every week.
"
An attempt to raise money through DiSarro acquaintance Henry Vara fell through, after which Salemme and Hillary planned to extort $30,000 from Vara with DiSarro's (unwilling?) participation.
The group also considered borrowing from Associate Peter Fiumara, loanshark and nightclub operator, and simply not paying it back.
Hillary soon found himself being excluded from The Channel deal: "I slowly got exited out of it. I got 86'd out of it. [Frank Salemme Jr.] moved me out of it...[He] was with Stevie [DiSarro] every day, and he had Stevie's ear and Stevie was horrified at him...[No] one said I was pushed out. It was just I could feel it. I knew it was coming."
By this time the Patriarca Family had been hit with Federal racketeering indictments: "Everybody went to jail..the whole crew, Vinnie [Ferrara], J.R. [Russo], Bobby [Carrozza], Dennis [Lepore]." (Robert Carrozza and Vincent 'The Animal' Ferrara were identified as Patriarca Captains by the late 1980s. Joseph 'J.R.' Russo [1931-1998] was in the Family's administration.)
Dennis Lepore became a fugitive for a time and was given money by Salemme through Hillary.
Late that summer Salemme summoned Hillary to meeting in Chinatown. Hillary was driven there with his brother as well as Steven DiSarro and possibly Butchie Grecco.
"
An attempt to raise money through DiSarro acquaintance Henry Vara fell through, after which Salemme and Hillary planned to extort $30,000 from Vara with DiSarro's (unwilling?) participation.
The group also considered borrowing from Associate Peter Fiumara, loanshark and nightclub operator, and simply not paying it back.
Hillary soon found himself being excluded from The Channel deal: "I slowly got exited out of it. I got 86'd out of it. [Frank Salemme Jr.] moved me out of it...[He] was with Stevie [DiSarro] every day, and he had Stevie's ear and Stevie was horrified at him...[No] one said I was pushed out. It was just I could feel it. I knew it was coming."
By this time the Patriarca Family had been hit with Federal racketeering indictments: "Everybody went to jail..the whole crew, Vinnie [Ferrara], J.R. [Russo], Bobby [Carrozza], Dennis [Lepore]." (Robert Carrozza and Vincent 'The Animal' Ferrara were identified as Patriarca Captains by the late 1980s. Joseph 'J.R.' Russo [1931-1998] was in the Family's administration.)
Dennis Lepore became a fugitive for a time and was given money by Salemme through Hillary.
Late that summer Salemme summoned Hillary to meeting in Chinatown. Hillary was driven there with his brother as well as Steven DiSarro and possibly Butchie Grecco.
"
I didn't know I had a conflict [with Salemme], but I did...Things were going fine. Everything was going good. Me and Stevie were together. [They] were having a meeting down in Chinatown. So me, Stevie, my kid brother. I think we had another guy with us from Framingham.
...I go in the place and everything's fine. They're meeting these people. Whatever deal Frankie is putting through, they're in the other room. I walk in. I see Bobby DeLuca at the bar. Hey, Bobby, what's going on, boom, boom. He's a little cold to me.
...The next thing I know, I'm sitting there. I don't know. You know when you smell something? I smelled something was wrong here. I'm boxed in there with Frankie Jr., I've got DeLuca, I've got the whole crew there. And Frankie walks in, and the next thing I know [he's] got me by the throat.
...[Salemme] grabbed me by the throat, and I did not expect this. [You] listen to me. You're going to be out of this. I don't even know what the hell is going on. You've got me by the throat, what are you doing, I said, what are you doing? He's got me by the frigging throat.
..This was all peanuts, money. But anyways, anyways, I'm never used to this shit. We juggled money. I never had a boss do this stuff to me. He's got me by my throat, get out of this -- I don't want to swear over here, get out of this town. He says if I ever see you, I'll kill you myself personally.
Now, I know here [this] is serious. I says -- I can't believe, so I get out of there. [I] reached Stevie, I said, what is going on? [DiSarro] said this guy went out of his crazy -- he's going to kill us both.
...[Salemme had] accused me of taking some money. I didn't even know what he was talking about at the time. Believe me...I talked to Steven DiSarro the next day because he was with Frank all the time. I says what the -- is going on. He said, oh, it's over some shit money [from] Gillis or something. Crap money. I think it was 4,000, whatever the hell it was.
...I go in the place and everything's fine. They're meeting these people. Whatever deal Frankie is putting through, they're in the other room. I walk in. I see Bobby DeLuca at the bar. Hey, Bobby, what's going on, boom, boom. He's a little cold to me.
...The next thing I know, I'm sitting there. I don't know. You know when you smell something? I smelled something was wrong here. I'm boxed in there with Frankie Jr., I've got DeLuca, I've got the whole crew there. And Frankie walks in, and the next thing I know [he's] got me by the throat.
...[Salemme] grabbed me by the throat, and I did not expect this. [You] listen to me. You're going to be out of this. I don't even know what the hell is going on. You've got me by the throat, what are you doing, I said, what are you doing? He's got me by the frigging throat.
..This was all peanuts, money. But anyways, anyways, I'm never used to this shit. We juggled money. I never had a boss do this stuff to me. He's got me by my throat, get out of this -- I don't want to swear over here, get out of this town. He says if I ever see you, I'll kill you myself personally.
Now, I know here [this] is serious. I says -- I can't believe, so I get out of there. [I] reached Stevie, I said, what is going on? [DiSarro] said this guy went out of his crazy -- he's going to kill us both.
...[Salemme had] accused me of taking some money. I didn't even know what he was talking about at the time. Believe me...I talked to Steven DiSarro the next day because he was with Frank all the time. I says what the -- is going on. He said, oh, it's over some shit money [from] Gillis or something. Crap money. I think it was 4,000, whatever the hell it was.
"
During testimony Hillary explained the money issue:
"
During testimony Hillary explained the money issue:
"
A girl I was seeing was a designer. We were trying to make a line to get into TJ Maxx and Marshalls. We wanted to open a little factory up outside of Framingham. That's all it was. And 4,000 I was going to give to her to get started.
...[This] money had nothing to do with mob stuff. 4,000 I took from a guy, I borrowed from him. They made a big issue out of it. 4,000 I borrowed from him. And I was going to take it off the top. I would have took it -- because I was supposed to have money coming in every month with the shaking down the bookmakers and everything. There was no big deal. It was $4,000. It was no big deal. Is that enough to grab a guy by the throat? Come on.
...[I had] borrowed money on my own. I didn't ask Frankie for it. I don't know where the hell everybody got pissed off for $4,000. Anyways it ruined my whole life for 4G's.
...[This] money had nothing to do with mob stuff. 4,000 I took from a guy, I borrowed from him. They made a big issue out of it. 4,000 I borrowed from him. And I was going to take it off the top. I would have took it -- because I was supposed to have money coming in every month with the shaking down the bookmakers and everything. There was no big deal. It was $4,000. It was no big deal. Is that enough to grab a guy by the throat? Come on.
...[I had] borrowed money on my own. I didn't ask Frankie for it. I don't know where the hell everybody got pissed off for $4,000. Anyways it ruined my whole life for 4G's.
"
After the altercation Hillary and his brother left Boston for Florida. While there contacted Steven DiSarro: "I had no money. I called Steven up. I said, Stevie, I need some money. He said I can't give you anything, Tom. He says, this guy's going to kill me. He says [I] was told, if I give you anything, I'm going to get whacked, killed...I was shocked...This was the first time [he refused me money]." (DiSarro disappeared in May 1993. In 2018 Frank Salemme was convicted of his murder.)
On July 14, 1992 Hillary, Dennis Lepore, Frank Salemme Jr. and two others were indicted for the California Teamsters scheme.
On August 5, 1992 Hillary was apprehended after a traffic stop in Florida: "I got stopped. It was, I think, Treasure Island...They ran me through NCIS, and they had a federal warrant on me. And they arrested me."
After arrest spoke with an FBI Agent and agreed to cooperate. Remanded into FBI custody and put in a safehouse in the Boston area.
Subsequently pleaded guilty to bribery re Teamsters case as well as to cocaine charges in California: "[My] obligation was to tell the truth of what happened and what I did for a living and so forth and so on...[Government] said they would talk to the judge and see if it could help me."
Spent approximately one year in Federal prison then released on bail and placed in Witness Protection Program: "When I first went into the program, they give you subsistence. It's minimum wage. You get it at the end of the month...[That period] could take over a year. So meanwhile I'm not making any money. I'm barely living. And then when I got to work, they stop [subsistence]. And that's what you make, whatever you earn. It's not a free ride." (About $650,000 was ultimately spent on Hillary and his family during his time in the program.)
In December 1994 testified in Teamsters bribery case against James Moar and William Winn. On December 22 Winn was convicted and Moar acquitted.
On April 15-16, 1998 gave testimony in a failed attempt to link LIUNA International General President Arthur Coia to Former Boss Raymond Patriarca Jr.
On November 7, 2000 sentenced to time served.
On May 10, 2018 testified as prosecution witness in US District Court Boston trial of Frank Salemme and Paul Weadick.
Because the case centered on the 1993 disappearance murder of Steven DiSarro, the prosecution was limited in how much detail it could elicit in court on the Patriarca Family's structure and activities.
Hillary, at the time suffering from shingles, gave one day of testimony that briefly outlined his early relationship with Raymond Patriarca as well as his later activities as part of the crew under Frank Salemme.
His testimony became noticeably more animated when he recalled being manhandled and chased by Salemme back in 1990, and he argued with the defense more than once during cross-examination; at one point the judge had to step in and bring his repeated asides to a halt.
Asked about his long-time friend Steven DiSarro's 1993 disappearance: "I didn't even know he was missing. I was in the program [where] I got a different life. I go to work. I work like a legitimate guy. I mind my own business. I couldn't care what's going on...[Now] I live a complete different life, and it's a good life. I've got a great wife...I don't even like to watch [mob movies]."
Answering questions about life after cooperating he stated: "I had a car dealership, a small car dealership [that] was a friend of mine's. [He] gave me a shot. He would front me a few cars. Anyways, I made money to it. I sold cars. Right now I'm retired. 73 years old. Ask me if I got a lot of money, no...I didn't want to change [my life], but it happened. And it happened for the good. I just wish I kept some of the money I had."
Defendants Frank Salemme and Paul Weadick were both convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Salemme died behind bars in 2022.
After the altercation Hillary and his brother left Boston for Florida. While there contacted Steven DiSarro: "I had no money. I called Steven up. I said, Stevie, I need some money. He said I can't give you anything, Tom. He says, this guy's going to kill me. He says [I] was told, if I give you anything, I'm going to get whacked, killed...I was shocked...This was the first time [he refused me money]." (DiSarro disappeared in May 1993. In 2018 Frank Salemme was convicted of his murder.)
On July 14, 1992 Hillary, Dennis Lepore, Frank Salemme Jr. and two others were indicted for the California Teamsters scheme.
On August 5, 1992 Hillary was apprehended after a traffic stop in Florida: "I got stopped. It was, I think, Treasure Island...They ran me through NCIS, and they had a federal warrant on me. And they arrested me."
After arrest spoke with an FBI Agent and agreed to cooperate. Remanded into FBI custody and put in a safehouse in the Boston area.
Subsequently pleaded guilty to bribery re Teamsters case as well as to cocaine charges in California: "[My] obligation was to tell the truth of what happened and what I did for a living and so forth and so on...[Government] said they would talk to the judge and see if it could help me."
Spent approximately one year in Federal prison then released on bail and placed in Witness Protection Program: "When I first went into the program, they give you subsistence. It's minimum wage. You get it at the end of the month...[That period] could take over a year. So meanwhile I'm not making any money. I'm barely living. And then when I got to work, they stop [subsistence]. And that's what you make, whatever you earn. It's not a free ride." (About $650,000 was ultimately spent on Hillary and his family during his time in the program.)
In December 1994 testified in Teamsters bribery case against James Moar and William Winn. On December 22 Winn was convicted and Moar acquitted.
On April 15-16, 1998 gave testimony in a failed attempt to link LIUNA International General President Arthur Coia to Former Boss Raymond Patriarca Jr.
On November 7, 2000 sentenced to time served.
On May 10, 2018 testified as prosecution witness in US District Court Boston trial of Frank Salemme and Paul Weadick.
Because the case centered on the 1993 disappearance murder of Steven DiSarro, the prosecution was limited in how much detail it could elicit in court on the Patriarca Family's structure and activities.
Hillary, at the time suffering from shingles, gave one day of testimony that briefly outlined his early relationship with Raymond Patriarca as well as his later activities as part of the crew under Frank Salemme.
His testimony became noticeably more animated when he recalled being manhandled and chased by Salemme back in 1990, and he argued with the defense more than once during cross-examination; at one point the judge had to step in and bring his repeated asides to a halt.
Asked about his long-time friend Steven DiSarro's 1993 disappearance: "I didn't even know he was missing. I was in the program [where] I got a different life. I go to work. I work like a legitimate guy. I mind my own business. I couldn't care what's going on...[Now] I live a complete different life, and it's a good life. I've got a great wife...I don't even like to watch [mob movies]."
Answering questions about life after cooperating he stated: "I had a car dealership, a small car dealership [that] was a friend of mine's. [He] gave me a shot. He would front me a few cars. Anyways, I made money to it. I sold cars. Right now I'm retired. 73 years old. Ask me if I got a lot of money, no...I didn't want to change [my life], but it happened. And it happened for the good. I just wish I kept some of the money I had."
Defendants Frank Salemme and Paul Weadick were both convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Salemme died behind bars in 2022.
More Patriarca Family posts can be found in the Index.
