RI Hells Angels figure to be released from prison after attending mob wake

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – The former head of the Rhode Island chapter of the Hells Angels will soon be released from prison after agreeing to new parole conditions.

Joseph Lancia, 33, of Smithfield, was taken back into custody earlier this month after attending the wake of Eddie Lato, the late underboss of the New England crime family.

Lancia was accused of violating conditions of his parole which included having no contact with Hells Angels members, or being an officer of the club, as well as not having contact with convicted felons.

At a hearing before the R.I. Parole Board on Monday afternoon, two violations against Lancia were dropped, and he admitted to another. (He had not been charged with a crime.)

Acting parole board administrator Sarah Parrillo said when Lancia is released from the Adult Correctional Institution in the coming days, he will be on a GPS monitoring bracelet until July 2025, when his parole ends.

Lancia is also prohibited from “wearing any clothing or paraphernalia associated with the Hells Angels motorcycle club that contains or has any Hells Angels Motorcycle club logos/insignias” and “may not knowingly associate or ride motorcycles with any member, prospect or associate member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club,” according to Parrillo.

At the wake, Lancia was seen being flanked by two members of the Red Devils motorcycle club, an affiliate group of the Hells Angels, as he walked into the funeral home.

The new conditions also prohibit Lancia from having contact with the Red Devils, “or any other known criminal organization that is associated with drugs and violence or that advocates criminal activity,” Parrillo said.

As Target 12 previously reported , Lancia sought and received permission from his parole officer to attend the wake. His attorney Lisa Holley said in an email that Lancia admitted he did not inform the parole board of Lato’s criminal record when asking to attend.

Lato, a longtime member of the New England crime family who eventually rose to the second in command, died late last month after battling cancer. He was 77.

Lancia was originally released on parole in June. He was sentenced to five years behind bars in 2022 for shooting at a rival outside the biker gang’s Providence headquarters, and for a separate case where he was charged with knocking out a bouncer at the Cadillac Lounge strip club.

Tim White ( twhite@wpri.com ) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook .

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