Cranston man to begin serving 5 years at the ACI for felony assault

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Cranston man will begin serving five years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) for his role in the brutal assault of a married couple on Federal Hill in 2011.

Anthony Parrillo (age 69) surrendered himself in Providence Superior Court today where he was remanded to serve a 15-year sentence, with five years to serve at the ACI and the balance suspended with probation.

Parrillo was found guilty of one count each of felony assault (serious bodily injury) and simple assault by Superior Court Justice William E. Carnes Jr. after a jury-waived trial in 2015. He was sentenced on April 11, 2016 but appealed his conviction to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. He was released on bail pending the appeal.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed his conviction on June 2, 2020, after which Parrillo asked the court to reduce his sentence that was originally imposed in 2016. The State objected to that request and the court denied Parrillo’s motion to reduce his sentence on July 27, 2020, leaving Parrillo to serve the initial sentence of 15 years with five to serve at the ACI.

“Today marks the conclusion of a case that took significant time, energy, and effort to ensure that justice was served,” said Attorney General Neronha. “The passage of time should not dull the memory of the defendant’s violent conduct. I commend the work of the Providence Police Department and the attorneys in our office who pursued this case over the past nine years.”

At trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that on the night of December 17, 2011, Parrillo participated in the brutal assault of a married couple behind the former Club 295 on Atwells Avenue.

At the time of the assault, Parrillo was the manager of Club 295. On the night of December 17, several club bouncers were involved in a physical altercation with the two patrons. Both were removed and brought behind the club where the bouncers proceeded to severely beat the male patron. Parrillo held back the female patron to prevent her from rendering aid to her husband.

Parrillo was a known associate of the Patriarca crime family during the 1980’s. In 1986, he pleaded guitly to second-degree murder and was sentenced to a 30-year full sentence, with the first 20 years to be served at the ACI. He was released from the ACI and placed on home confinement in 1994.

Detective Michael Otrando of the Providence Police Department led the investigation into the case. Special Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Morin and Assistant Attorney General Jim Baum prosecuted the case and former Assistant Attorney General Lauren Zurier handled the appeal of the case on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General.