Global InformationPhiladelphia crime family information
| Founded | c. 1911 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Salvatore Sabella |
| Founding location | South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Years active | c. 1911–present |
| Territory | Primarily the Philadelphia metropolitan area and New Jersey (especially South Jersey), with additional territory in Boston[1] and South Florida[2] |
| Ethnicity | Italians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates |
| Membership (est.) | 50 made members and 100 associates (2004)[3] |
| Activities | Racketeering, extortion, bookmaking, loan-sharking; gambling, sports betting; fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering, labor racketeering and corruption, fencing, illicit cigarette trade, political corruption, smuggling, prostitution, armed robbery, gunrunning, and murder |
| Allies |
|
| Rivals | [11]
|
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Philadelphia Mafia,[16][17] Philly Mob , Philly Mafia,[18][19][20] Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia,[21][22][23] or Bruno-Scarfo family is an Italian-American Mafia family based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed and based in South Philadelphia, the criminal organization primarily operates in Philadelphia, South Jersey, and the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area.[24][25][26][27] The family is notorious for its violence, its succession of violent bosses, and multiple mob wars.
Operating as the Bruno crime family under the 21-year reign of boss Angelo Bruno (1959–1980), the family enjoyed an era of peace and prosperity.[28][29] A complex dispute involving disgruntled subordinates and territory claims by New York's Genovese crime family led to Bruno's murder in 1980. The killing marked the beginning of years of internal violence for control of the Philadelphia family, leading to a gradual decline in the family's stability.
Beginning in 1980, however, Bruno's death led to an internal war for control of the crime family. Bruno was succeeded as boss by his loyal friend, Philip "The Chicken Man" Testa; however, within a year of Bruno's murder, Testa was also murdered, killed in a nail bomb explosion in 1981. When the dust settled from Bruno and Testa's deaths, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo emerged as boss of the crime family. During Scarfo's reign, the family was known as the Scarfo crime family.[30][17][21][22][23][29][31][32][excessive citations] Scarfo's 10-year reign saw the family grow in power, but also become highly dysfunctional. Unlike Bruno, Scarfo was infamous for his short temper and penchant for violence. Scarfo increasingly involved the family in narcotics trafficking and demanded that all criminals pay a street tax for operating in his territory. Scarfo also did not hesitate to order people murdered over moderate disputes. The dramatic rise in violence attracted increased attention from the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police and New Jersey State Police. Increased violence and law enforcement prosecutions also convinced several mobsters to cooperate with the government in order to escape death or prison. Scarfo's downfall came in 1988, when he and most of his top allies were arrested and sentenced to long prison terms.
With Scarfo's imprisonment, the mafia hierarchy was convinced that Scarfo was unfit for the position of boss. Once Scarfo was deposed due to rising tensions within the family, John Stanfa was named boss of the Philadelphia family in 1991. A faction of young mobsters led by Joey Merlino disputed Stanfa's ascension, however, launching another war in the family by 1992.
The war ended in 1994, when Stanfa and most of his supporters were arrested by the FBI, though less intensified fighting continued until 1996 and began to involve violence from outside the family until the early 2000s. Merlino subsequently took control of the family and has allegedly been running the family to varying degrees ever since. The Philadelphia family has been weakened over the past 30 years due to internal violence, government turncoats, and law enforcement action following the passage of the RICO Act. Despite this, the family still remains one of the most active and powerful mafia groups in the country.
- ^ Mob Talk: Philly Crime Family Leaders Conducted Mafia Initiation Ritual In Boston In 1990s Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (November 13, 2017) Archived October 9, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ McMahon, Paula. "Mob crackdown shows South Florida is still home for organized crime, feds say". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ The Changing Face of Organized Crime in New Jersey New Jersey State Commission of Investigation (May 2004)
- ^ Hoffa hoped Philly mob don Angelo Bruno could save his dying bid for Teamsters presidency Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (December 3, 2019) Archived October 12, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mob NJ: The Mafia is still here, tied to Port Newark and the suburbs Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press (March 28, 2019) Archived July 27, 2020, at archive.today
- ^ Burnstein, Scott M. (2006). Motor City Mafia: A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738540849.
- ^ The Irishman Left Out the Full Story of the Disastrous Angelo Bruno and Frank Sidone Murders Gabrielle Bruney, Esquire (December 2, 2019) Archived August 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ That's what friends are for: Phiily mob mover & shaker Borgesi makes more "friends" along East Coast Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (March 27, 2017) Archived October 8, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Why War Horns May Sound Over Philly, Or Not… panamericancrime.com (October 20, 2016) Archived November 15, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Mafia in New Jersey - La Cosa Nostra - State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation 1989 Report - The Bruno/Scarfo Family". Mafianj.com. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ a b Caparella, Kitty (August 30, 1989). "Sources: Mob Buys Coke From The JBM". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ "The Departed". Philadelphia CityPaper. October 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ a b Caparella, Kitty (March 11, 1999). "Mob-pagan Pact Joey's Bid For Philly Crime Boss Fueled By Link With Biker Gang". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ Greek Mob: Brotherly Mafia Love in Philly Nick Christophers, Greek Reporter (July 23, 2009)
- ^ Lewis, Larry; Colimore, Edward (May 6, 1996). "Details Emerge Of Divided Warlocks And Year-ago Killing Two Bikers Are Charged. One Was Known For Violence, The Other For Trying To Change The Club's Image". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ "Philadelphia Mafia figure returned to prison for meeting friend". TribLIVE. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Volk, Steve. "What Ever Happened to the South Philly Mob". Philadelphia Magazine. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Merlinowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Document Says Joey Merlino Still Runs Philly Mob". Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation. "State of New Jersey 27th Annual Report" (PDF). State.nj. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ^ a b "Mob chef Angelo Lutz hopes for a hit with New Jersey restaurant The Kitchen Consigliere". New York: NY Daily News. Associated Press. October 31, 2013. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Anastasia, George (March 31, 2000). "Tracing Ties Between Mob And Mayor Investigators Say A Friend Of Boss-turned-informant Ralph Natale's Funneled Cash And Gifts To Milton Milan". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Anastasia, George (November 4, 1990). "Informant Is Mob Target, Officials Say". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ Brady Shea, Kathleen (July 2, 2008). "17 arrests aimed at the mob in Delco The arrests ended a 6 1/2-year probe into gambling, selling drugs and loan-sharking, authorities said". Philly.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ Simmons, Rose (February 1, 1990). "Mafia Trial Shows Muscle Of 'Old One'". Philly.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ Anastasia, George (December 1, 1988). "Rackets Said To Own Chester Pa. Crime Panel Hears 2d Day Of Testimony". Philly.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ Barry, Jim. "Trouble With a Capital N". Philadelphia CityPaper. Archived from the original on October 14, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ "Nicodemo Scarfo". Biography.com. Bio. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Joseph F. (August 22, 1990). "41 Charged in Mob Case Based on Informer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ "How the Pagans Bested the Mob | Cover Story | News and Opinion". Philadelphia Weekly. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ LeDuc, Daniel; Anastasia, George; Terry, Robert J. (August 22, 1990). "Mobster-informant Leads To Arrests Of Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., 28 Others". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ Tulsky, Fredric N.; Pothier, Dick (May 14, 1987). "Scarfo Had Sal Testa Slain For 'Honor,' Caramandi Says". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2015.