Here is quite a story, the story of Biagio "Benny" Digiacomo. Biagio was born in Sicily in 1947, and came to the United States as a mariied man and a young man. His father was a Boss and a "man of honor" in Sicily, and as a young man Biagio was made into his fathers clan. A vendetta between the Digiacomo Family and the Caramazza Family forced Biagio and his wife, who is a Caramazza, to come to America, and somehow Biagio ended up in Boston working for the Patriarca Family. Law enforcment believes that old time Patriarca Boss Phillipo Buccola who retired to Sicily was tied in with Biagio's father years ago and thats how Digiacomo settled here. He came to a Family that had just been battered by the FBI, the Boss Raymond Sr, Under Boss Jerry Angiulo, and Consigliere Ilario "Larry Baione" Zannino were all indicted by the FBI for Racketeering and were off the streets. Now the Family was left to Raymond Jr., who was an ineffective and unrespected leader. Not only did he not "make his bones," he put the entire administration in Rhode Island and Connecticut. After Francesco "Paul" Intiso died in the North End of Boston, the Underboss position went to Billy "The Wild Man" Grasso in Connecticut, and the Consigliere was Nicholas "Nicky" Bianco in Rhode Isalnd. The Boston Faction felt disrepsected and began to form what the FBI called a "The Renegade Faction" against Patriarca. At this point Biagio was elected a Captain and served under Joseph "J.R" Russo's Regime in East Boston. Russo led the Renegade Faction, along with Captains Bobby Corozza, Vinny "The Animal" Ferrara, Dennis "Champagne" Lepore, and Digiacomo. The only Boston guys that went along with "Junior" Patriarca were Frank Salemme, and the Revere Faction led by Charlie Quintina and Alexander "Sonny Boy" Rizzo. The Renegade Faction made their first move by orchestrating a successful murder of Billy Grasso the Underboss in Connecticut, and the misshap on Frank Salemme who was wounded coming out an IHOP in Saugus, Ma. Junior feeling the pressure sent word to The Boston faction through a couple of Connecticut Faction soldiers asking for peace. A formal truce was arranged that a ceremony would take place, and at that ceremony 3 Boston Faction associates would be made with 2 Rhode Island associates, and the family would come together. But what no one knew was that the Patriarca's were successfully being penetrated by two informants, Angelo "Sonny" Mercurio a made soldier, and Vincent Delamontaigne, and FBI agent posing as a wiseguy. Biagio leading up to the ceremony was taking off, he opened the Roma Restaurant on Bennington street in East Boston and made that his headquarters. He ran a profitable loansharking and poker game business. He also was investing in property. But what he didnt know was local street punk Vincent Delamontaigne who frequented his restaurant, and whom Biagio brought into his crew, was an FBI agent who's sole purpose was to infiltrate Biagio Digiacomo and his crew, Anthony "Spucky" Spagnolo and Vincent "Dee Dee" Giaocchini. Vincent Dela- nailed all three for Credit Card Fraud, Illegal Poker Games, and Loansharking under the RICO act, but were not taken off the street immediately when they were told they were penetrated from 1984-1987. The crew just waited to get picked up by the Feds and believe it or not Biagio and the rest called Vincent Dela- frequently to check on when the indictments were going to come down. But the FBI kept Biagio on the street long enough to catch him conduct a Cosa Nostra ceremnony on Guild Street in Medford, Ma on an October night in 1989. Biagio presided over the meeting with J.R Russo and Raymond Patriarca Jr to make peace, and the FBI were listening as their ace in the hole Angelo Mercurio helped bug the ceremony (and even turn down a television so the microphones picked it all up), and for the first time in history a Cosa Nostra ceremony was recorded, revealing that Cosa Nostra wasn't a myth, but fact. Biagio Digiacomo became the most famous Mafia Captain in the world, being recorded saying to the 5 inductees, "Once you get into this organization alive, you come out dead, no matter what." "What you bring to your Captains, and the rest of the table, it stays here no matter what." "This thing, it comes before everything, even your own family, when we call upon you, you come even if you have to leave your families side." After talking, Biagio burned holy saint cards, pricked the fingers of Vincent Federico, Vincent Giaocchini, Robert Deluca, Carmen Tortora, and Richard Floramo, and ushered them to swear an oath on their souls not to reveal or betray the Family. As the ceremony ended the gangsters ate, and left the house, as they left Mafia Captain Vinny Ferrara said to J.R Russo "Only the ghosts know what happened here by God." Yeah the ghosts and the Feds. In 1990 the Indictment came down, and this is what became known at the time as "Most sweeping attack against a single crime family in U.S history." 20+ made guys were rounded up on murder and racketeering, and what did the Feds key off of, the ceremony conducted by Biagio. But Biagio obviously knew his time was coming and moved the family out of East Boston and to Waltham, Ma where he owned property. When he was released from prison in 1999-2000 he and his boys Joseph and Anthony went into the restaurant business, and today they operate Biagio Restaurante on Moody Street. Biagio realized it was time to go straight as the younger guys were running the Family, and being in the Mafia now didnt have its perks it did years ago, now there's rats, drug dealing, etc. I give the man credit, he lost his whole family in Italy to vendetta, he was a made guy, he did 9 years, and was smart enough to walk away, and to boot, develope a successful business and relationship with his children. God Bless Biagio you turn out to be the smartest one, and a good man, no matter what you did to get to where you are today. Check out the restaurants website, www.biagiorestaurante.com

I've actually been to his restaraunt and the man himself seated my wife and I. The food is top shelf. Very successful and classy place. Interesting back story for sure but a good move by him nonetheless. I read an article years ago shortly after he got out and entered the restaraunt business. Sounds like he turned away some of his former cohorts so as not to violate probation etc. His quote in the paper was 'That was my life then, this is my life now'.

I never met Mr D himself but I know his son joe real good. He is a class act . The food in there restaraunt is VERY good and the place itself is as nice as they come. Salute to there sucess

I once had a book about this induction ceromony but I lost it , can't think what it was called and who wrote it ?? I would love another copy

Found the answer to my own question , the ceremony by David fischer

Dom, didn't Pistone write that with Fischer?

Yeah pal , think he did the introduction , I remember having a copy years ago but lost it , just ordered another now