Nothing says holiday season like a good documentary about the mafia.

The team over at Target 12 has launched a four-part series called “The Last Don of Providence,” which focuses on the rise and fall of Luigi Manocchio, who died last year at the age of 97.

The first episode is available now on the WPRI 12+ streaming app, and new episodes will be released every Monday over the next month. 

I asked investigative reporter Tim White to tell us more about the project.

Q: Let’s start with the most important question. How did he get the nickname “Baby Shacks” and why have so many folks called him “Baby Shanks” over the years?

White: This debate has raged for years and something we address in the docuseries. The government ultimately landed on “Baby Shacks” in their official paperwork. His former lover and others have said the nickname came because he had a baby face and could get women to shack up with him. A former detective theorizes “Shanks” came from a typo in a police report that newspapers picked up.

Q: The Manocchio story is made for the big screen. Can you give us an overview of how he rose to power?

White: Manocchio was a loyal soldier to mob boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca and many believed he would take the reins directly when the opportunity arose. But when Patriarca died in 1984, Manocchio was in prison serving time for a double gangland slaying, so Raymond Jr. took control. When Junior got jammed up in 1990, the five families in New York, at the direction of the Gambino’s John Gotti, picked Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme . He then tapped Manocchio as his underboss. When Salemme was indicted years later after a chaotic and violent stretch for the crime family, Manocchio rose to power, returning control of New England's La Cosa Nostra to Federal Hill.

Q: I know you pride yourself on trying to break news when you do these long-form projects. Did you learn anything new about Manocchio?

White: We did. Along with Eli Sherman, we were able to uncover new details about Manocchio’s life and just how closely the feds tracked his every movement. But what really stood out to me in talking to those who knew Manocchio well, was we were able to reveal a much more layered and complex individual than has been portrayed in the past. We did not want to tell this story purely through the lens of the government, and we didn’t.

Q: Was there anyone you wished you could have talked to for the documentary but you couldn’t land?

White: Yes. Which is not unusual with projects like this. But for every person that was willing to give an on-camera interview, there were dozens of people we talked to off camera who helped shape this project.

Q: The organized crime genre is quite popular in the podcast space right now. Which Rhode Island figure (whether it’s a made guy, detective, or lawyer) could have the most interesting podcast?

White: The best podcasts are the revealing ones, and there are a lot of stories that remain untold in this space. I once told legendary defense attorney Jack Cicilline — who represented just about every major mob figure in the region, including Patriarca Sr. and Manocchio — that he should write a book. But I wouldn’t hold your breath on that.