During his criminal career, Scarfo was described by some as psychotic, cruel and vicious. Scarfo frequently boasted to associates about the murders he committed and about his guile and cunning in the underworld. "What he leaves behind in terms of his actual family, his legacy there, sadly, leaves a lot be desired.". Bruno had emphasized loyalty and respect, albeit among criminals. The Piccolo brothers ran Piccolo's 500, a restaurant at 11th and Christian Streets in South Philadelphia that for years was a well-known mob hangout. He was viewed as reckless and disrespectful of mafia traditions. Scarfo's family was of Calabrian descent. He was found shot dozens of times in a car trunk and $300 in bills were jammed in his mouth and anus as a sign of his own greed. Scarfo's youngest son, Mark, tried to commit suicide during his father's 1988 racketeering trial. At this point, the elder Scarfo hoped to run his organization from behind bars. Scarfo’s son was shot in 1989 in one of Philadelphia’s most notorious attempted mob hits. But in 1986, both found themselves out of favor with the mob boss. In 1984, in an act of treachery that came to symbolize the era, Scarfo turned on Salvatore Testa and ordered him killed. It might be working. 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. Labor racketeering and political corruption brought even more money the mob's way. He joined the Bruno crime family in the 1950s, and eventually made a name for himself in Atlantic City. Years later, after earning millions as a Mafia boss and maintaining a lavish waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Scarfo continued to list the Atlantic City apartment as his residence. Mark Scarfo was discovered by his mother Tuesday afternoon at the former offices of Scarf Inc., the … At its peak, the tax brought in thousands of dollars per week to the Scarfo organization. His death was confirmed Sunday by Atlantic City criminal defense attorney James Leonard Jr., who formerly represented one of Scarfo’s sons and maintains contact with some family members. It was more than just the power and wealth, associates said. They said he was the underworld's reflection of the pinstriped outlaws who during that same time period were ravaging Wall Street and gutting the nation's savings and loan associations. “Mr. Nicky is the cousin of Phil Leonetti, an admitted former underboss of the Philadelphia crime family. Mr. Scarfo’s son was shot in 1989 in one of Philadelphia’s most notorious attempted mob hits. Philly police: Unruly crowd surrounds officers, throws objects at them, injures at least one, Iran threatens US Army post and top general, AP sources say. In the underworld where Scarfo had built his reputation, this was anathema. Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr. was born to Nicodemo Scarfo and Domenica Scarfo. Testa was gunned down in a candy store on East Passyunk Avenue and his body later dumped on the side of a dirt road in Gloucester Township, N.J. Scarfo ordered Testa killed, mob informants later told authorities, because he had offended mob underboss Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino by breaking off his engagement to Merlino's daughter, Maria, just two months before they were to be married. For a time he also held an interest in an adult bookstore. On October 31, 1989, Nicky, Jr., the son of imprisoned Philadelphia family boss Nicky Scarfo, Sr., was shot in an Italian restaurant in Bella Vista. Reputed crime boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo is led from Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, April 6, 1989, after being sentenced to life in prison. No cause of death was released. McCullough was killed, law enforcement authorities later learned, because he had tried to wrest control of a part of the Atlantic City bartenders union from Scarfo. "His life has been committed to the Mafia and all the negative values it represents: greed, viciousness, treachery, deceit, and contempt for the law...". This new style was epitomized by the brutal Christmas-time slaying of Philadelphia Roofers Union boss John McCullough, who was gunned down in the kitchen of his Bustleton home by a poinsettia carrying deliveryman. In fact, according to several mob informants, Rugnetta had recommended several times that Scarfo be killed because of the problems and unwanted publicity he created for the otherwise low-key Bruno organization. Any real or imagined slight could set off the volatile little mob despot, former gang members later told authorities. Nicky Scarfo had been a made member of the Philadelphia Crime Family since 1954. "His legacy, if you can call that, as a ruthless mob boss is unparalleled, certainly in this area," said James J. Leonard Jr. "Nicky Scarfo was the epitome of a gangster in every sense of the word. Testa's father, Philip, had shepherded Scarfo through the dangerous and often fatal internal politics of the mob. In one glaring example, documented in investigations by both New Jersey gaming regulators and the FBI, Scarfo managed to seize control of the largest labor union in Atlantic City, Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. Scarfo assumed the top spot in the organization, and with Testa's young and charismatic son, Salvatore, as his top gunman, proceeded to avenge the Testa murder and solidify his hold on the organization. Nicodemo Scarfo Jr. was sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering, conspiracy, and related offenses in July 2015. Scarfo died Saturday while in custody at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, said Nancy Ayers, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman. David Fritchey, the former head of the Organized Crime Strike Force in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia, called Scarfo "bloodthirsty" and said his penchant for violence not only was detrimental to the city, it also contributed toward factionalism and distrust within his own organization. Michael E. Riley, a lawyer for Scarfo's son, Nicodemo S. "Nicky" Scarfo, said Sunday that the elder Scarfo died at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C., over the weekend. That plan, however, was short-circuited on Oct. 31, 1989, when the younger Scarfo was shot while dining at Dante & Luigi's Restaurant on 10th and Catharine Streets in South Philadelphia. He died in 2014. Nicky Sr.’s eldest son, Chris, changed his surname to escape the family’s shadow, and his youngest son, Mark, died two years ago. Nicodemo Domenico “Little Nicky” Scarfo (March 8, 1929 – January 13, 2017) was a member of the American Mafia who eventually became the Boss of the Philadelphia crime family after the death of Angelo Bruno and Phil Testa. Scarfo's expanding wealth and power during the early days of casino gambling in Atlantic City coincided with a bloody, internecine struggle for control of the Bruno crime family in Philadelphia. Scarfo rose to power during one of the bloodiest periods in Philadelphia organized crime history. Murder had been the negotiating tool of last resort during the Bruno era. He and his associates fled the scene, but Scarfo … A lawyer for Scarfo’s son, Nicodemo S. “Nicky” Scarfo, told the Inquirer that the elder Scarfo died sometime over the weekend and that he had … He was found by his mother hanging from a noose rigged in the bathroom of a mob construction company office on North Georgia Avenue next to the apartment building where his family lived in Atlantic City. Only Scarfo's middle son, Nicodemo, appeared anxious to emulate his notorious father. "I think his family will certainly mourn his passing, but on the whole, the city wasn't a better place for him having been here," Fritchey said. Nicodemo Scarfo Jr. was dining at a crowded Italian restaurant on … He was the mob's caretaker in a resort that was clearly on the skids. Check with the IRS tracker now, Police investigate shooting in North Philadelphia, Prosecutor: Man accused in NJ killing claims he killed 16 people, Double shooting leaves 23-year-old man dead in Kensington: Police. He is also the father and namesake of Nicodemo Sca… Scarfo repaid the favor, law enforcement officials said disdainfully, by ordering Testa's son killed. His mother was Catherine née Piccolo, sister of Nicholas, Joseph and Michael Piccolo, who were made men in the Philadelphia crime family. He and seven associates had been convicted in Common Pleas Court of plotting the 1985 murder of well-known South Philadelphia gambler and mob associate Frank "Frankie Flowers" D'Alfonso, but they later won a new trial and were acquitted. Leonetti's defection came at about the same time Scarfo's oldest son, Christopher, had his name legally changed. Weeks later, Caponigro faced the consequence of killing a Boss without the approval of the American Mafia Commission. "He thought he could do whatever he wanted," said Nicholas Caramandi, a former crime family soldier who became a government witness and testified against Scarfo. Scarfo's son was shot in 1989 in one of Philadelphia's most notorious attempted mob hits. Scarfo had his first major run-in with the law in 1963. He often described himself as a "gangster" and relished his image as a tough guy, fashioning his lifestyle after that of the infamous Chicago mob boss Al Capone and the cinematic characters portrayed by one of his favorite actors, Humphrey Bogart. Scarfo’s oldest son, Chris, assumed his wife’s maiden name in an attempt to avoid the infamy associated with his father’s reputation. Rent has increased the most in the least expensive areas, Zillow report finds, President Biden’s ‘mistake’ at U.S. southern border isn’t what clueless pundits, GOP think it is | Will Bunch, Chester County man who allegedly threatened his family and shot at police charged with attempted homicide, California residents do not sell my data request. According to law enforcement accounts, he worked as a bartender and scrambled to make ends meet by engaging in some bookmaking and loansharking. However, the relationship with Joey Merlino was to prove inauspicious. His parents were Italian immigrants who hailed from Calabria, a dirt-poor region in southern Italy. After years as a lowly soldier in the Philadelphia mob, he took great satisfaction in the notoriety and celebrity that came with the top spot in the organization. September 14, 1984 – Philly mafia captain and Scarfo’s de-fact sergeant-at-arms, Salvatore (Salvie) Testa, the mob prince son of slain Godfather “Chicken Man” Testa, is killed on Scarfo’s orders because Little Nicky’s growing jealousy of the younger Testa’s popularity. So he petitioned Atlantic County Superior Court and assumed the maiden name of his wife. His earlier convictions came on charges of assault (1988), racketeering (1993), illegal possession of a knife (1996), and bookmaking (2002) _ the only one of Scarfo's three sons to follow in his father's footsteps. Nicodemo Scarfo Jr. was dining at a crowded Italian restaurant on … Phil Testabecame the new Boss of the Philadelphia crime family, appointing Scarfo as his Consigliere. Scarfo named his waterfront home in Florida "Casablanca South" and christened a 40-foot cabin cruiser he kept docked behind the property "Casablanca Usual Suspects," both references to the classic Bogart film that he loved. Scarfo struggled during his early years in Atlantic City. In a comment to a private investigator in 1991, Scarfo caustically referred to Leonetti as "my former nephew. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1929, Nicodemo Scarfo was the child of mob-connected parents. Both came to believe they were marked for death by Scarfo and both decided their only chance for survival was to cooperate with authorities. A year after the assassination attempt against the younger Scarfo, he and several members of the Newark branch of the Scarfo organization were indicted on gambling and racketeering charges. But others within both law enforcement and the mob believe Scarfo's real motive was fear that the young and charismatic Testa would eventually become a rival for power within the organization. The then-17-year-old was found hanging in the Georgia Avenue apartment where the Scarfos lived. And for years, law enforcement officials concede, he got away with murder. In 1989, following three convictions and related sentencings, he was shipped to the federal penitentiary at Marion, Ill. In addition to Bogart films, one of his favorites was Viva Zapata!, a Marlon Brando film about the life and times of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. No doubt about that,” Bahuriak said, NBC 10 reported. Scarfo was described by former associates as a man who enjoyed his notoriety. Philip Testa was blasted out of power by a bomb his rivals planted under the porch of his South Philadelphia home. It was Philip Testa who shielded Scarfo from the wrath of Joe Rugnetta back in the 1960s. Joey Merlino - Wikipedia In 2000, the FBI used FlashCrest iSpy to obtain the PGP passphrase of Nicodemo Scarfo , Jr., son of mob boss Nicodemo Scarfo. In May 1988, he was found innocent with eight other defendants in the 1984 murder of Salvatore Testa, the son of Scarfo’s former boss, Philip “Chicken Man” Testa. While most law enforcement officials believe Scarfo had nothing to do with that murder or a series of retribution killings that followed, he clearly was the mobster who benefited from the turmoil that rocked the underworld and left a generation of potential leaders dead. I think his family will certainly mourn his passing, but on the whole, the city wasn't a better place for him having been here," Fritchey said. Nicky Scarfo ’s repressive and violent reign over Philadelphia came to an end in 1989 when he was convicted on a multitude of charges. Two successive presidents of Local 54 were forced to step down because of their alleged ties to Scarfo and, in 1990, following an out-of-court settlement of a civil racketeering suit brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey, a federal monitor was appointed to run Local 54 and rid it of mob control. As underboss, he was privy to the inner circle of the organization and accompanied his uncle to several meetings with high-ranking members of the New York crime families. According to most law enforcement accounts, he was introduced to the ways of the Mafia by his uncles, Nicholas, Joseph and Michael Piccolo, who were made members of the Philadelphia mob. Riley was not certain of the time or cause of death, but said that Scarfo, 87, had been "in deteriorating health for awhile" and that he heard about Scarfo's passing on Saturday. Scarfo's nephew was future mobster Phil Leonetti. Philly started allowing walk-ins at FEMA vaccine site to improve equity. 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. It was all over for you. Young Scarfo was ruthless and a good earner, which was what helped him get made. His role as a government informant and witness, particularly against the bosses of other organizations, made him a valuable and nationally significant mob turncoat. Norris E. Gelman, Scarfo's longtime lawyer, said he believed the cause of death was cancer. The problem was that he rubbed many of his superiors the wrong way. Bruno had operated for years in the shadows, depending on negotiation and compromise to keep his organization running smoothly and out of the limelight. "His exercise of naked, brutal power destroyed whatever loyalty he may have fostered in his subordinates and caused some to look to law enforcement for protection," read a 1987 report by the Pennsylvania Crime Commission that assessed the reasons for the demise of Scarfo and his mob family. He survived. Leonetti, nicknamed "Crazy Phil," subsequently admitted to participating in 10 murders while rising through the ranks of the Mafia. He did not know which type. Pictured: an FBI photo of … Among other counts, the jury found Scarfo guilty of ordering nine murders and of four attempted murders. Nicodemo Scarfo is a "remorseless and profoundly evil man," federal prosecutors told a judge at the time of his sentencing for that racketeering conviction. Caramandi was the key player in a botched $1 million extortion. He survived. This came in 1964, after Scarfo completed a one-year sentence following his conviction of manslaughter. Scarfo managed to sit out most of the Riccobene War, as it came to be called, in a federal prison in Texas where he served 17 months on a gun law violation. Iannece’s children, Charles “Chaz” Iannece Jr. and Vincent “Vinnie White” Iannece are allegedly connected to … However, his tenure as Boss would be a … He was 87. Scarfo ruled through fear and intimidation. Riley was not certain of the time or cause of death, but said that Scarfo, 87, had been "in deteriorating health for awhile" and that he heard about Scarfo's passing on Saturday. Scarfo would only serve a year before returning to the street… Testa and Scarfo brought blazing guns, public executions, and flash and glitter to the Philadelphia mob. While the systematic extortion made Scarfo a wealthy man, it served to destabilize the underworld and set the stage for the mob's eventual downfall. The mob boss, handcuffed and led out of the airport terminal to a waiting FBI car, would never spend another day as a free man. 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