Boston mob boss Carmen DiNunzio, known as The Cheeseman, dies at 68

Carmen DiNunzio, a rotund Boston mobster known for his nickname The Cheeseman for running a cheese shop in Boston's North End, died at 68, according to an obituary published Sunday. He reportedly battled several health problems in recent years, including diabetes, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease and sleep apnea, and died peacefully, the obituary said.

DiNunzio joined the Rhode Island–based New England Mafia in the late 1990s and was named underboss in 2004, FBI documents viewed by The Boston Globe show. In that role, he was described as second in command of the Rhode Island faction and the top boss of the group in Boston and eastern Massachusetts. Police described him as nice and respectful; Retired Massachusetts State Police Maj. Pasquale Russolillo, who headed the organized crime unit, said he was charismatic and old-school, the kind of leader who preferred to sit down and talk things out rather than resort to violence.

DiNunzio had several run-ins with the law over the years, but was described by police as nice and respectful. Court records and FBI documents show that he acknowledged a pattern of criminal activity, including bribery, extortion and operating a gaming enterprise. In 2006, he pleaded guilty to bribing an undercover cop posing as a state official and served five years in prison. FBI materials cited in reporting by The Globe indicate he admitted paying $10,000 to obtain a lucrative contract to supply 300,000 cubic yards of loam for the Central Artery Tunnel Project, better known as the Big Dig. As part of his plea deal, he acknowledged that in 2001 he extorted $500 per month from a North End bookmaker in exchange for allowing a gaming and numbers operation to operate. He also confessed to managing a gaming organization that took bets on professional and college sporting events and conspiring with others to operate a gaming enterprise. During one courthouse appearance, it was reported that his pants were slipping as he walked up the stairs, and the trooper escorting him helped pull them up.

DiNunzio's lawyer, Anthony Cardinale, told Boston media at the time that his client was a low-key, well-liked neighborhood guy who happened to be Italian, and that he had been unfairly portrayed by law enforcement. Cardinale said DiNunzio was a serious man, humble and well-read, and that he valued family and education. Cardinale also framed DiNunzio as someone who carried himself with a measure of restraint, noting that he understood the consequences of his actions and accepted his punishment.

The obituary notes that DiNunzio is survived by three siblings, several nieces and nephews, and his long-time partner. In the years after his 2006 case, investigators described him as maintaining a network that stretched across Boston and eastern Massachusetts, even as he faced health issues that ultimately contributed to his death. While law enforcement and prosecutors described him within the context of organized crime, those who knew him in his North End neighborhood recalled a man who could be courteous, respectful, and personable in everyday life, a contrast to the often harsh portrayal of underworld leadership. The life of the man known as The Cheeseman serves as a reminder of the complex, intertwined history of organized crime in New England and the way public records capture both the brutality of criminal enterprise and the human dimensions of those who inhabit it.