Tony “Beaver” Ascenzia, a key figure in the New England Patriarca crime family, confessed to orchestrating $2.3 million in illegal bets, facing federal charges after an investigation involving electronic surveillance. Despite forfeiting assets, he awaited sentencing, part of a broader crackdown on the Patriarca family’s gambling empire. At 61, Ascenzia succumbed to a sudden heart attack, leaving behind a legacy of organized crime in Connecticut and marking the end of an era for the Grasso crew he once led.
Comment