Notorious New England mobster, ‘The Cheeseman,’ dead at 68

BOSTON — Carmen DiNunzio, a longtime figure in Boston’s organized crime scene and a high-ranking member of the Patriarca crime family, has died at the age of 68.

Nicknamed “The Cheeseman” for the North End cheese shop he operated, DiNunzio was known as a powerful underboss in the New England Mafia. His criminal career spanned decades, marked by federal investigations and high-profile charges.

In 2009, DiNunzio pleaded guilty to attempting to bribe a Massachusetts highway official in a bid to secure a lucrative “Big Dig” contract. The FBI sting revealed DiNunzio was offering cash and kickbacks in exchange for a $6 million landscaping deal. He was sentenced to six years in federal prison.

His death comes as the influence of traditional organized crime continues to fade in Boston. The FBI disbanded its local organized crime unit in 2024, citing a significant decline in Mafia activity.

DiNunzio’s legacy — part folklore, part fear — remains a colorful chapter in the city’s underworld history.

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