Former Mob Boss Salemme Indicted in Connection to 1993 Murder of Boston Club Owner

Former Mob Boss Salemme Indicted in Connection to 1993 Murder of Boston Club Owner

Frank "Cadillac" Salemme, a former boss of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra, and former associate Paul Weadick were charged in an indictment that was unsealed on Friday in connection with the 1993 murder of Steven DiSarro. 

Salemme, 83, and Weadick, 61, were indicted on one count of murder of a federal witness. On Aug. 10, 2016, Salemme was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint. Weadick was arrested this morning and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston this afternoon.

The Incident 

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The indictment alleges that, on or about May 10, 1993, Salemme and Weadick murdered DiSarro to prevent DiSarro from communicating with federal law enforcement officials about violations of federal laws by Salemme and others. 

Shortly after the murder, Salemme transported DiSarro’s body to Providence, where his associates arranged to have it buried in the vicinity of 715 Branch Avenue.  In March 2016, DiSarro’s remains were recovered by federal authorities behind a mill in Providence.

DiSarro was murdered after his relationship with Salemme and Salemme’s son, Francis P. Salemme, Jr., became the subject of federal investigation. Part of that investigation revolved around the operation of a South Boston night club known as “The Channel.”  Weadick was a close associate of Salemme, Jr.

Salemme was the boss of the New England La Cosa Nostra during the early 1990s until his indictment for racketeering in 1995 and conviction in 1999. He was subsequently convicted of obstruction of justice in 2008 for lying to federal authorities about the murder of DiSarro

The charge of murder of a federal witness provides for a sentence of death or life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.