Sixteen of his associates were also convicted in the racketeering case. Crazy he even got away with that murder when an eye witness testified against him. . (The title is a reference to the special kind of painting Sheeran did that left his victims brains on the wall.) ", Anastasia, George. His high school yearbook said he was out to lick the world. After graduating, he became a notoriously volatile amateur boxer before apprenticing himself to three mob-connected uncles in Philadelphia. Scarfo was a mob boss for the 1980s, a greedy, ruthless despot whose family coat of arms could have been a pair of crossed .357 magnums mounted on a blood-red shield embossed with the words Kill or Be Killed, George Anastasia wrote in Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob the Mafias Most Violent Family (1991). [7] Scarfo's nephew, Phil Leonetti, who he had promoted to Underboss in 1986, also turned state's evidence in 1989 after a RICO conviction. [7], Leonetti has alleged that, at 8 years of age, he was used as a decoy by Scarfo to dispose of a dead body, explaining to the young Leonetti that he had brutally stabbed a man in a New Jersey bar with an ice pick for disrespecting him. Contact us for franchise opportunities. 525K views 3 years ago The story of Little Nicky Scarfo's rise to power. He was brought into the family by then boss Joe Ida. Instead, he was served a huge helping of lead. In May 1988, he was found innocent with eight other defendants in the 1984 murder of Salvatore Testa, the son of Scarfos former boss, Philip Chicken Man Testa. Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, the tyrannical mob boss who ruled the Philadelphia underworld in the 1980s, has died while serving a 55-year prison sentence at a federal medical center in North Carolina. A confederate, Teddy DiPretoro, placed a nail bomb Casella made on Testas front porch and activated it remotely, mortally wounding Testa on March 14, 1981. Scarfo survived the attack, but Philly Mob expert George Anastasia says the shooting marked the end of Nicky Scarfo Sr.'s rein as leader of Philadelphia organized crime. Thanks to DelGiorno, one of those on the hook for homicide for the execution of bookmaker DAlfonso in 1985 was the big fish, Scarfo. [3] After his release, he was sent to Atlantic City, New Jersey by Angelo Bruno to oversee the operations there. Once again, the Genovese stepped in to crown the new boss, and selected Testa lieutenant Scarfo. Simone said the hanging was a suicide attempt, and Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey S. Blitz said all evidence pointed to a suicide. Shortly after the shooting Nicky Jr. headed to North Jersey where he was under the care and protection of the Newark branch of the Scarfo organization. Now 52, he had survived an assassination attempt at 24 by a gunman wearing a Batman mask. "Scarfo Jr. Gets Probation and Fine for Conviction in Hospital Beating. Some of that blood was spilled by his son. When he and 16 others in the Scarfo gang were convicted in November 1988 in a racketeering conspiracy involving 13 murders, jurors found Scarfo guilty of directly participating in eight of the slayings, as well as loansharking, bookmaking, drug dealing and 17 cases of extortion. [3] Between 1987 and 1989, Scarfo was convicted three timesfor conspiracy, racketeering, and first-degree murder, being sentenced to consecutive prison terms of 14 years, 55 years and life, although the life sentence was later overturned. He is 56 and has spent about one-third of his adult life in prison. Scarfo started to play the role of the vain don, seeking to murder those whom he felt had disrespected him. A war within the family was also brewing as short reigned boss Philip Testa was killed by a nail bomb at his home in 1981, and so Scarfo began the war as he secured the top position for himself and eventually promoting Leonetti as his underboss in 1986. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) _ The teen-age son of reputed underworld boss Nicodemo Little Nicky Scarfo was in critical condition today after he was found hanging by the neck while father was on trial on racketeering charges. Some of the shootings in the Scarfo-Riccobene gang war were carried out brazenly on the streets of South Philly in broad daylight, shocking the public. As recently as 2011, he was named in a companion indictment to the extortion of a financial group based in Texas that led to his son Nicky Jr.s conviction in 2015. He was charged last summer with committing bank fraud and other related offenses in relation to the First Plus Financial scam. As a young adult, bookmaking served as his entry to Phillys underworld. In 1972, shortly before Election Day, a prominent lawyer who was very big in the Democratic Party came to see him. In obtaining contracts, he capitalized on his close association with leaders of Local 54 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union. He entered a coma where he remained until his death in April 2014. Where Capone had wit and panache, Mr. Scarfo had neither. Salerno died in prison in 1992, but his words captured on tape live on. You could reach out for him, and he would listen, he wrote. Succeeding Mr. Testa, Mr. Scarfo muscled in on the casino boom through his company, Scarf Inc., pouring concrete for the foundations of several gambling palaces, including one that opened as Harrahs Trump Plaza. Meanwhile, Virgilio fired numerous rounds into the judge as he dined with his wife in a restaurant. He said a breathing machine was being used to help keep his lungs clear of fluids. His brother, Lawrence Yogi Merlino, became a capo. Simone said there was no sign of brain damage, but Ursani said it was too early to tell if the lack of oxygen caused serious injury. PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDY RITCHIE Continue with Recommended Cookies. Mark Scarfo was discovered by his . The investigation, which generated headlines across the world, involved the Inzerillo and Gambino factions of La Cosa Nostra. In an indictment back in 2010 for gambling and racketeering charges Scarfo was identified as a capo in the Lucchese family and was in control of the families New Jersey based operations. The problem was that he rubbed many of his superiors the wrong way. He was inducted by then boss Joseph Ida at a ceremony held in New Jersey, alongside two of his uncles who were also inducted as full-fledged soldiers. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. We want to hear it. Scarfo is already under indictment for allegedly running a South Jersey gambling operation. But the prosecutors offices major crimes unit was investigating before ruling out a homicide attempt. Nicky Scarfo in 1982. Nicodemo Scarfo Jr the son of former Philadelphia mafia boss Little Nicky Scarfo has been sentenced to 30 years on racketeering and conspiracy charges. He was out of the hospital in week, but the shooting effectively ended the Scarfo family's control of the Philadelphia mob. Donald Trump Knew Them, Exclusive: Sources Say Oligarch Funded Scheme to Paint Swastikas in Ukraine, Facebook Cracks Down on Israeli Surveillance for Hire Operations, Glenn Youngkins Underage Son Attempted to Vote on Election Day, Was Turned Away, Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud, Matt Gaetz Called Out for Citing Chinese Propaganda in Hearing, MTG, Who Harassed School Shooting Survivor, Is Livid Someone Yelled at Her, The 'God Emperor' Who Could Cost Trump the Election, McCarthy Gave Tucker the Jan. 6 Tapes. Testa was killed by a nail bomb under his porch in 1981, on orders of his Underboss and drug trafficker Peter Casella and Capo Frank Narducci Sr., which later resulted in Narducci being gunned down and Casella being banished from the Mob and fleeing to Florida. Nicky Scarfo Jr. was sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering in 2015. Trump Allies Are Threatening to Sue, The Mandalorian Season Three Gets Off to a Disappointing Start, Kodak Black Ordered to Enter Drug Rehab Facility By Judge, Ed Sheeran Announces Final Mathematical-Themed Album 'Subtract', Viewers Can Watch Prince Harry Talk to a Trauma Expert for $33.09. No one has ever been charged with the Dante & Luigi shooting which ranks among the most audacious in Philadelphia mob underworld history. However, its rise as a gambling mecca made Scarfo a powerhouse. Watch the latest Mob Talk report (and a previous episode) below, andsubscribe to the YouTube channelto view past and future episodes: In Episode 34 of Mob Talk, mob experts George Anastasia and Dave Schratwieser detail the Philadelphia connection to the so-called "Operation New Connection," an international takedown of 18 alleged Mafia figures in Sicily in July. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Philadelphia had never experienced this kind of carnage before with the underworld an average of six deaths per year from 1980 to 1983. Scarfo grew up in South Philadelphia, working as a newsboy at a train station and later, though small in stature (5 feet 5, hence his nickname), trained as an amateur boxer. Nicky Sr.s eldest son, Chris, changed his surname to escape the familys shadow, and his youngest son, Mark, died two years ago. The topic led Michael to speak about the pressure and scrutiny kids who have mob parents face, and he pointed out that his siblings didn't handle it well. [6] He became an amateur boxer, fighting in small clubs throughout Philadelphia, earning himself a reputation for his aggressive temper in the ring. [4] [5] He is also the father of Nicky Scarfo Jr., a Lucchese family soldier, who was sentenced in 2015, to 30 years in prison for security fraud, racketeering, and illegal gambling. One was his underboss, Peter Casella, an expert in bomb making who felt unappreciated. My uncle got him involved with trying to keep control of La Cosa Nostraand almost got Nicky killed. Scarfo is already under indictment for allegedly running a South Jersey gambling operation. Testa's murder sparked a war within the family. [20], In 1985, Scarfo plotted to extort $1 million from major commercial developer Willard Rouse, sending his soldier Nicholas Caramandi and another associate to do it. Watch the latest Mob Talk report (and a previous episode) below, and, SEPTA to purchase 10 zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell buses, Bryce Harper to give command to start engines at NASCAR race in Las Vegas, Eagles name Alex Tanney QB coach, plus other coaching staff updates, The food you eat impacts the health of your eyes, Construction of Penn's Landing park over I-95 finally approved to begin, PennDOT says, Joanna McClinton becomes first woman elected as speaker of Pa. House. Both men are already serving long sentences in an Atlanta federal penitentiary. Nicky Scarfo, a Mafia boss who purged two dozen fellow mobsters during his 1980s reign in Philadelphia and South Jersey, milked casino profits in Atlantic City and bribed the city's mayor, died. Stay up-to-date on your favorite celebrities and news topics by signing up! Nicky Scarfo had been a made member of the Philadelphia Crime Family since 1954. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. This would not be his last murder for Scarfo. [6] He moved to Ducktown, the Little Italy of Atlantic City, New Jersey shortly after, where he was protected and supervised by his uncle and other Scarfo members. Trump wasnt the only one who knew the people in the world of The Irishman. That was 1989. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The New Jersey Commission of Investigation concluded in 1989 that through those ties the Scarfo family funneled bribes and engaged in other corrupt deals with Mayor Michael J. Matthews, who pleaded guilty to extortion in 1984 and was sentenced to federal prison. Anastasia and Schratwieser detail what's next for Merlino and what his release might mean for the local crime family. Nicodemo "Nicky" Scarfo, Jr., whose imprisoned father was an LCN crime boss in Philadelphia, was sentenced in July to 30 years in prison for racketeering, securities and wire fraud, and other . He prepared lists of people to target in Riccobenes sphere for murder. In 1963, Scarfo pleaded guilty to manslaughter for fatally stabbing a longshoreman; he spent about six months in prison. Nicky Jr. has never spoken publicly about the shooting but in phone conversations with his father at the timeconversations secretly recorded by authoritiesthe two Scarfos described Merlino as a snake. The elder Scarfo suggested that his son take Merlino to dinner, a reference to the shooting and a veiled order to do to Merlino what he was suspected of doing to Scarfo Jr. Under oath, Trump swore that wasnt true, but he also swore that he didnt know that Cohn represented Salerno, a fact that had been widely reported in Cohns obituary a few years earlier. He was charged last summer with committing bank fraud and other related offenses in relation to the First Plus Financial scam. ", "Phil Leonetti's tell-all book shows he's crazy like a fox", "Tyrannical Mafia boss Nicodemo 'Little Nicky' Scarfo, 87, dies in prison hospital", "Paying respects: When the mob bid farewell to Kellyanne Conway's grandfather", "Leonetti Rips Uncle, Says Cousin Didn't Have A Chance", List of Italian-American mobsters by organization, Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phil_Leonetti&oldid=1137166180, Holy Spirit High School (New Jersey) alumni, Federal Bureau of Investigation informants, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 45 years imprisonment; served five years after testimony, This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 04:17. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. 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