Willie Marfeo

Birth Name:

William Marfeo

Birth Date:

October 1, 1925

Birth Place:

Providence, Rhode Island

Death Date:

July 13, 1966

Place of Death:

Korner Kitchen Restaurant, Providence, Rhode Island

Age:

Cause of Death:

Gunshot wounds from mob hit

Cemetery Name:

St Ann Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Crime and their Victims

Associates:

Rudy Marfeo

Willie Marfeo was a New England mobster who operating his card games and dice games in various locations in Providence, Rhode Island. In the early 1960s Willie was doing quite well - well enough to loudly brag that he didn't need Raymond Patriarca and refused to pay his weekly "tribute" money. To add insult to injury Willie also refused to pay his gambling debts to the Jewish bookmakers that worked for Raymond. This incensed Raymond so much that he order a hit on Willie Marfeo. Luckily for Willie, for one reason or another, several contracts for his life were set in play only to be called off due to external circumstances. On July 13, 1966 a gunman burst into the Korner Kitchen restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island and ordered everyone except Willie to lay down on the floor. The unidentified gunman then forced Willie into the phone booth and filled him with 4 shotgun blasts. Based on notorious mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza's testimony, Raymond Patriarca and underboss Enrico "Henry" Tameleo were indicted in 1967 for the murder of Providence bookmaker Willie Marfeo. Patriarca was convicted and began serving time in 1969 during which time Gennaro "Jerry" Angiulo served as acting boss. Patriarca resumed control of the family after his release from prison in 1974.

More to the Story

In March 1969, Raymond Patriarca began his prison term. While serving time, he received a ten-year sentence from Rhode Island for conspiring to kill Willie Marfeo’s brother, Rudolph, and Anthony Melei. Both were shot gunned to death on April 20, 1968 in Providence. Patriarca completed his federal sentence in April 1973 and was transferred to a Rhode Island prison where he remained until paroled on January 9, 1975.

The murders of the Marfeo brothers are considered to be one of the most important events in Costa Nostra history that eventual crippled the New England mob and their operations.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

St Ann Cemetery

73 Church Street

Cranston, Rhode Island, 02920

USA

North America

Map:

Map of St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston, Rhode Island

Grave Location:

Section 9, Lot 245, Grave 2

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery through the main entrance, drive straight ahead and turn right after the first section. Drive to the intersection of Sections 1, 2, 6 and 9 and park. From the corner of Section 9 walk 9 rows up and 5 plots to the right to the final resting place of mobster William “Willie” Marfeo. Note his brother mobster Rudy Marfeo is directly across the road in Section 2 in the same row 5 spaces in.