(The sentence was eventually overturned, and in a second trial he was acquitted of the murder charge.). There were some political ads that would run in the local newspaper every day in the last week before election, and the lawyer didnt want them to run. The hit is believed by many mob sources to have been carried out by mobster Joseph Merlino as a message to the elder Scarfo that he no longer had control of the mafia in Philly. It just so happens that while these bids were being rigged, the building was under construction, right around the time that Trump met Salerno in Cohns townhouse. Longtime Boss Angelo Bruno was murdered in 1980. ", "Reputed Mob Leader and 16 Others Are Convicted", "SCARFO AND 11 INDICTED IN JERSEY AS CRIME CONSPIRATORS", "Former mob boss Nicodemo 'Little Nicky' Scarfo dead at 87", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicodemo_Scarfo&oldid=1137465961, "Little Nicky", "Little Lethal Nicky", "Lethal Nicky", "The Killer". Nicodemo Domenico Scarfo was born in Brooklyn on March 8, 1929, to an Italian immigrant family from Naples and Calabria. After stabbing a longshoreman to death in a bar, Mr. Scarfo was convicted of manslaughter and served six months. Nicky Scarfo Jr. was shot multiple times while eating dinner at Dante & Luigi's restaurant in South Philly on Halloween night 1989. Nicky Scarfo Jr., 46, the son of one-time Philly mafia boss "Little Nicky" Scarfo, was arrested in New Jersey after a three-year FBI investigation of an alleged plot to siphon millions out of FirstPlus Financial Group. Records show him graduating from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1947. He was viewed as reckless and disrespectful of mafia traditions. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To go with that, he was also serving a 14-year stretch he got in 1988 for extorting a developer to pay a $1 million bribe to a Philadelphia city councilman, who was to give a share of it to Scarfo. Salerno also controlled the local concrete workers union, and when a strike shut down construction in Manhattan in 1982, the one of the few buildings that wasnt affected was Trump Tower. Scarfo served almost two years in prison from 1971 to 1973 for refusing to testify to the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation. This led to another bizarre, dark comedic twist to the Scarfo-Merlino saga. Testa's murder sparked a war within the family. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud Mr. The family moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey when he was 12. "Mob Scene: Michael Taccetta. He was convicted on multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, racketeering and drug trafficking and went to federal prison in 1989. Scarfo had been behind bars since police arrested him at Philadelphia International Airport on suspicion of extortion back in 1987. The sons were raised in Atlantic City, where the legalization of gambling in 1976 turned out to be a windfall for what became known as the Bruno-Scarfo crime family. 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. He was discovered by his mother, and paramedics were able to resuscitate him. Merlino has repeatedly denied the allegation. Born in Brooklyn, New York on March 8, 1929, Nicodemo Domenico Scarfo was the son of Italian immigrants. While Scarfo lost most of em in court, he did win a few. He prepared lists of people to target in Riccobenes sphere for murder. Putting him in harms way, apparently, was not as important to Little Nicky as holding onto the reins of power. ", "Little Nicky" Scarfo, now 82, was the boss of the Philly mob from 1981 to 1989. [3] At the age of 12, Scarfo and his family moved to South Philadelphia, where he worked as a day laborer and later graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1947. They said he was a vicious killer, yet they were never able to convict him of these killings for years.. Prosecutors allege the FPFG fraud began in 2007. It also overlapped with some of the figures in Trumps world, past and present. When a federal judge in Philadelphia sentenced him to 55 years in prison on murder and racketeering charges in May 1989, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo just shrugged. The FBI began a case to tackle Scarfo, sending an undercover agent to pose as a representative of Rouse. [24][25], Scarfo began his sentence at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Trump Plaza, a co-op apartment building on Manhattans East Side, was specifically mentioned in the 29-count indictment. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Nicky Scarfo Jr. was sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering in 2015. He was charged last summer with committing bank fraud and other related offenses in relation to the First Plus Financial scam. But by the end of the three-hour-plus movie, the nostalgia fades and so does the pinkie-ring finery. Capone supposedly said, You can go a long way with a smile; you can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun. Mr. Scarfo preferred just the gun. ", New Jersey State Commission of Investigation, Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, "On the anniversary of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, a look at history's most fearsome mob bosses", "Nicky Scarfo, Mob Boss Who Plundered Atlantic City in the '80s, Dies at 87", "Always A Joker, Never A Rat. But it appears he has gotten his wish. Mark Scarfo was discovered by his . His attorney, Robert Simone, said the trial might be postponed for several days. Rouse immediately informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His father was Philip Scarfo, a laborer who worked at an Atlantic City hotel and who, according to Mr. Leonetti, was 100 percent legit. His mother was the former Catherine Piccolo. His future as a Mob leader brightened in 1980 when longtime boss Bruno was shot and killed on March 21, 1980, on orders from New Yorks Genovese family, which for years had affiliated with Brunos crime group. Hes unconscious and hes in critical condition.. The FBI had uncovered the concrete bid-rigging scheme at Trump Plaza by secretly bugging Mafia homes and hangouts, including the Palma Boys Social Club, where DeNiro and his rabbi Russell Bufalino, played by Joe Pesci, sit down with Salerno in Scorseses film. He moved to South Philadelphia at the age of 10, and started working as a young laborer. Nov. 1, 2011 — -- The son of a Philadelphia mob boss infamous for his violent reign was indicted today for a bloodless, white collar crime: a scheme to defraud a Texas financial firm out of $12 million. The feds hailed Scarfo as the first La Cosa Nostra boss to be convicted of first-degree murder. Sixteen of his associates were also convicted in the racketeering case. Today. During his criminal career, Scarfo had a murderous reputation,[1][2] also engaging in organized crime activities such as drug trafficking and gambling. My uncle got him involved with trying to keep control of La Cosa Nostraand almost got Nicky killed. Mr. Scarfo had a volatile temper and a penchant for wanton violence and vengeance as he rose to become head of what was known as the Bruno-Scarfo crime family. The 50 year old mobster received a stiff sentence because U.S. District Judge Robert Kugler believed it was warranted because this would be Scarfos fifth conviction and his second time in the federal prison system.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'aboutthemafia_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',650,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aboutthemafia_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Nicky Scarfo Jr is an alleged member of the Lucchese crime family of the New York mafia. He survived, but barely and remained comatose for more than 20 years. The feds set their sights on the Riccobene group and got two of his hit men to testify in exchange for plea deals, leading to Riccobenes conviction for first-degree murder in November 1984. If, as Mr. Anastasia suggested, the Scarfo familys credo was kill or be killed, Mr. Scarfos management style was grounded in greed (he imposed a tax on even petty criminals operating within his turf) and paranoia (even an unwitting sneer could provoke him to take violent revenge). Scarfo was on full life support systems, although he was able to breathe on his own, Ursani said. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Scarfo's father "Little Nicky" and fellow boss Vittorio Amuso were named as unindicted coconspirators in the plot. His time at the top was one of the bloodiest in underworld history. [4], It was in 1978 that he gained the moniker "Crazy Phil" from a local radio talk show host. 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. Instead, he was served a huge helping of lead. . The mafia lineage of Scarfo Jr., an alleged Lucchese family mob member, goes back generations. [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. Giuliani went after Salerno with such zeal that the mobsters defense attorney complained that the prosecutor has made it his personal mission to bury my client.. His cement contracting company "Scarf, Inc", which was shared with his nephew, received business as developers built new casinos in Atlantic City; Scarfo would intimidate businesses into buying from his company. Everybodys dead, Mr. Sheeran, one agent says. The Biden story isnt in the movie. He suffered cardiac arrest and his brain was deprived of oxygen. During . In addition to his two sons, Mr. Scarfo is survived by his second wife, Domenica, Mr. Riley said. Thats the kind of father my uncle is. PUBLISHED CAPTION: The mob boss son, Nicodemo S. Scarfo, is accused of plotting with his father over the phone. Scarfo had three sons. On Halloween 1989, "Junior" was sitting in an Italian restaurant when a man in a Batman costume and carrying a bag of candy walked up to his table and shot him in the neck and torso eight times. Related At the time, Fresolone was secretly cooperating with the New Jersey State Police. Even in prison, Mr. Scarfo remained an unreconstructed criminal into his 80s, prosecutors say. The war would cost him his little brother's life, his brother Mario to become a government informant and Riccobene himself to be given a life sentence for first degree murder. It was yet another botched move by Little Nicky. Now we are building national connections. [16] Between August 1982 and January 1984, Scarfo was imprisoned in FCI La Tuna for gun possession. Connecticut is mine; New Jersey is mine. Nothing got built in New York without Salerno dipping his meaty hand into the till. He went into cardiac arrest. He declined further comment. In obtaining contracts, he capitalized on his close association with leaders of Local 54 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union. 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. Riccobene in turn hired hits on Scarfos men. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. 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. 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. Dr. Sekander Ursani, an emergency specialist at the hospital, said he found no visible sign of injury on Mark Scarfo except for a bruise on his neck. Mr. Scarfo nurtured his reputation early. [3] In 1988, he was convicted of multiple charges including conspiracy, racketeering and first degree murder. Mr. Scarfo had been in prison since 1988. Giuliani, by his own account, listened to countless hours of secretly recorded conversations of mobsters, and he reportedly was able to pull off a convincing impression of the mobsters scratchy voice. Authorities solved 24 homicides thanks to DelGiornos information, and three years later won convictions on nine of the murders. But these are not the kinds milestones that warrant a celebration. November 2, 1988. Junior survived. 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 citys mayor, died on Saturday at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C. Prosecutors allege the FPFG fraud began in 2007. Mr. Bruno exiled him to Atlantic City, where he was later charged, in a federal racketeering case, in connection with the murder of an uncooperative local judge. [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. In addition to being a hit man, Sheeran was president of a local Teamsters union in Delaware. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. [11] A year later, he would be initiated as a made man. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. So did Mr. Leonetti, Mr. Scarfos nephew and now an author, who was the familys second in command at the time and was known as Crazy Phil. Receive all of VladTV's hard-hitting news in our daily newsletter, as well as our exclusive interviews. ", "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. All Rights reserved. His brother, Lawrence Yogi Merlino, became a capo. Nicky Jr. has been convicted twice in federal court on racketeering and gambling charges, emerging from prison in 2005. The shooting at Dante & Luigis drove home the point in bloody detail. Well, many still remember. Only the shotgun slaying of mob boss Angelo Bruno outside his Snyder Avenue row home in 1980 and the ambush of mob boss John Stanfa in the middle of rush hour traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway in 1993 compare. Scarfo, the 24-year-old son of imprisoned mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, survived Tuesday's gangland-style shooting at a South Philadelphia Italian restaurant. The youngest, Mark, tried to kill himself because of the shame, guilt and pressure that his fathers lifestyle brought on him. After the attempted hit and fearing for his sons life the elder Scarfo struck a deal to have his son become a member of the Lucchese family. Simone gave the youths age as 17, but the hospital listed it as 18. 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