Boston Mafia godfather Carmen “The Cheeseman” DiNunzio has died. He was 68.
The Eastie man, who was the underboss of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra and was the owner of Fresh Cheese in the North End, reportedly passed away peacefully on Sunday.
The large man had Type 2 diabetes, heart issues and other health ailments, his lawyer had said in the past.
Back in 2009, DiNunzio was sentenced to six years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a state official.
That bribe was in connection with a proposed sale of materials to a Big Dig-related project, and for providing a $10,000 down payment on the illegal payoff.
DiNunzio admitted that in 2006, he and two other men conspired to bribe a state official to obtain a lucrative contract to provide 300,000 cubic yards of “loam” (soil composed of sand, silt, manure, and clay) to the Massachusetts Highway Department for use on the Big Dig.
He also admitted that he provided $10,000 cash, intended as a down payment on a larger payoff, for a person he believed was a Massachusetts Highway Department inspector capable of ensuring that the group would obtain the lucrative loam contract. The inspector was, in fact, an undercover agent.
In connection with the plea agreement, he previously pleaded guilty in Essex County to state charges of extortion, promoting an illegal gambling operation, and conspiring to violate state gaming laws in connection with his role in mob-related extortion of local bookmakers.
DiNunzio admitted that in 2001, he extorted $500 per month from a North End bookmaker in exchange for allowing a gaming/numbers office to operate; managed and financed a gaming organization with several offices and numerous agents in the North Shore area that took bets on the outcome of professional and college sporting events; and conspired with others to operate a gaming enterprise.
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