Mafia Hitman Joe “The Animal” Barboza
Wikimedia CommonsJoseph Barboza was murdered while in the Witness Protection Program.
Joseph Barboza was such a ruthless Mafia hitman that he once chewed a man’s cheek off and was subsequently nicknamed “The Animal.” He would become the first member of the Witness Protection Program during the mob wars of the 1960s, but nevertheless continued killing — with at least 26 ruthless murders under his belt.
Born on Sept. 20, 1932, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Barboza had Portuguese heritage but dreamt of joining La Cosa Nostra despite the organization’s exclusive entry to Italians. He would never be accepted formally, but did become an enforcer for Raymond Patriarca’s New England Mafia — violently proving his mettle.
Barboza was initially a professional light heavyweight boxer, but his violent temper and acts of burglary saw him incarcerated several times during the 1950s. His tenure in the Mafia only began in earnest in 1961 after meeting members of Boston’s organized crime in prison. His collections for Patriarca were infamous.
“I’d stab guys after 14 weeks who still continued to hide,” he said in 1970. “You know, I stabbed them in the face. I stabbed them in the legs. I stabbed them in the arms. I stabbed them in the chest. You understand?”
Wikimedia CommonsBarboza’s cooperation saw Raymond Patriarca (pictured) sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Barboza’s body count of 26 was integral to the Patriarca crime family’s ability to dominate loan sharking and gambling during the mob wars in the 1960s. Things took a turn when he was arrested on gun charges in 1966, however, and Patriarca refused to put up his bail — and killed anyone else who offered to.
Sensing their chance to turn Barboza against his boss, the FBI offered him immunity and a new life in San Francisco if he gave up Patriarca. His cooperation saw Patriarca indicted on murder conspiracy charges in 1970. Patriarca was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and another six mobsters were incarcerated for murders after Barboza testified.
While it was soon discovered that Barboza lied about these six associates in tandem with the FBI, he was still given a new identity and culinary job in Santa Rosa, California, north of San Francisco.
In the end, however, the mob never forgot his betrayals. Barboza’s bullet-riddled body was discovered in the streets of San Francisco on Feb. 11, 1976.
After learning about 11 of the most unhinged hitmen in Mafia history, read about the fearsome Colombo family killer John “Sonny” Franzese. Then, see some of history’s most infamous mob hits.
