Philly making ceremonies (1990's-present) and misc. research

[B.]

Great job.

Blavat came from an organized crime background, his father being Louis Blavat, a South Philly Jewish gangster associated with the mafia. Jerry Blavat's mother was an Abruzzese, like Angelo Bruno's wife and many members of the old Camden faction.

[chin_gigante]

Great job.

Blavat came from an organized crime background, his father being Louis Blavat, a South Philly Jewish gangster associated with the mafia. Jerry Blavat's mother was an Abruzzese, like Angelo Bruno's wife and many members of the old Camden faction.

Didn't know that. Very interesting

[Pogo The Clown]

Leonetti, Salvatore Grande, Martin Angelina, Salvatore Merlino and Joseph Merlino were often involved in fights at Memories, and Blavat frequently complained to Scarfo about it (as well as damage caused by roofing contractor and mob associate Rick Casale and his people) as he was afraid of losing his liquor license

So even back in the 80s Angrlina was a violent drunk.


Pogo

[NJShore4Life]

Marty is always shitfaced stumbling and a complete dick if you see him out ever. He has benefitted tremendously from being best friends with Joey.

[Ivan]

Marty is always shitfaced stumbling and a complete dick if you see him out ever. He has benefitted tremendously from being best friends with Joey.

Someone on the Real Deal posted that Angelina would get drunk at bars, spit in random people's drinks, and force them to drink it.

Great info about Blavat chin. He was really neck deep in this shit. I always thought he was just some goofy wannabe.

[chin_gigante]

Associates who were on record with Scarfo

• Gerald Blavat (officially registered with Scarfo 1981)

• Thomas Bucci (with Scarfo until 1971-1973, at which point he broke ties to be a ‘freelancer’)

• Andrew Cornaglia

• Vincent Falcone (killed 1979)

• Alfredo Ferraro (stopped hanging around before the Falcone murder)

• Harold Garber

• Frank Gerace (officially registered with Scarfo around 1977)

• Sonny Gutin

• Sy Hoeflich

• Saul Kane

• Salvatore LaRussa

• Philip Leonetti (made 1980)

• Alvin Lippman

• Robert Lumio (made 1980)

• Frank Materio

• Lawrence Merlino (made 1980)

• Salvatore Merlino (made 1980)

• Phillip McFillin

• Joseph Salerno (flipped 1979)

• Vince Sausto

• Nicodemo Scarfo Jr

• Steven Traitz

• Nicholas Virgilio (made 1982)

• Richard Wells

Associates who were possibly on record with Scarfo (by no means a definitive list)

• Vincent Bancheri (partners with Scarfo and Leonetti when they started Scarf Inc.)

• Rick Casale (described as ‘an associate of the Scarfo family’; Blavat complained to Scarfo about Casale because he knew Scarfo had influence over him; Casale also frequented the My Way Lounge)

• Alvin Feldman (unclear if exclusively with Scarfo; described as ‘an associate of the family’ and ‘a business associate of Scarfo’; killed 1974)

• Edwin Helfant (described as ‘an associate of the family’, killed 1978)

• Giuseppe Leva (killed 1977)

• Harry Joseph (Saul Kane required Scarfo’s permission to use Joseph and Parisee for his shake-down crew)

• Alphonse Parisee

Members who reported direct to Scarfo

• Following Thomas DelGiorno’s demotion in 1986, Nicholas Caramandi and Charles Iannece requested to be put direct with Scarfo

• When Leonetti was promoted to underboss his crew technically was reassigned to Scarfo, but this was in name only as Leonetti continued to oversee the crew for his uncle

• Leonetti’s crew, as of 1986, included:
  • Joseph Grande
  • Nicholas Milano
  • Phillip Narducci
  • Albert Pontani
  • Salvatore Scafidi
  • Samuel Scafidi
  • Salvatore Sparacio
  • Nicholas Virgilio

[B.]

Have you seen anything about Louis Matteo being associated with Scarfo or anyone else? He was at the 1963 Dugan stabbing and was later killed in 1972. No clue where he fit in beyond being a friend of Scarfo's.

[chin_gigante]

Have you seen anything about Louis Matteo being associated with Scarfo or anyone else? He was at the 1963 Dugan stabbing and was later killed in 1972. No clue where he fit in beyond being a friend of Scarfo's.

I looked into that a little bit. I was trying to ascertain whether it was a mob hit or an unrelated homicide but I didn't really get anywhere with it. Regarding his relationship to Scarfo, you mentioned everything I dug up. Don't really know anything else about him.

Should also add, I forgot to put Anthony DiGregorio and Frank Lentino on the list as Scarfo associates. Possibly some more Local 54 and Local 30 guys too.

[chin_gigante]

Phil Testa's promotion to underboss

In "Mafia Prince", while discussing Scarfo’s time with Bruno in Yardville, Testa is described in the following way:

On the days I didn’t drive my grandmother and Ange’s wife to Yardville, I’d go by myself to see my uncle or Ange and they would give me messages to take back to Philadelphia. Usually I’d bring the messages to Phil Testa or Chuckie Merlino. My uncle would also give me messages for the Blade, who was in Atlantic City.

Philip “Chicken Man” Testa was a man whose star was on the rise in the Philadelphia mob under Angelo Bruno and would soon be named the family’s underboss.

This article from 1977 also indicates that Testa was not immediately promoted to underboss following Ignazio Denaro’s death:

Philadelphia Inquirer 01 May 1977
Who’s who in the Philadelphia underworld?

Philip Charles Testa, 53, is the stocky, mustached companion and reputed heir apparent to Bruno. Investigators say that he was officially named to the position of “sottocapo” or underboss about three years ago.

I think it’s possible that Testa was left in control of the family as acting boss during Bruno’s incarceration but wasn’t officially promoted to underboss until Bruno permanently got out in 1973. This theory echoes how Bruno waited for Caponigro to be released from prison before making him consigliere (though in this case it was Bruno himself who had to get out of prison as opposed to his desired administration candidate). This also roughly fits the above “three years” timeline.

These two articles also support the idea of Testa as acting boss and Bruno’s number two by 1973:

Philadelphia Daily News 13 Sep 1973
Illness, jailings take toll in underworld

The jailing yesterday of alleged Philadelphia mob lieutenant Philip C. Testa is just the latest in a series of legal problems, deaths and illnesses that has disrupted the organized crime leadership.
Testa has reportedly been running the Philadelphia organized crime family of Angelo Bruno since Bruno was imprisoned in 1970 for refusing to testify before the New Jersey State Investigation Commission.
Bruno was released from prison last June because of bleeding ulcers, and is reportedly so ill that he hasn’t assumed full control of his underworld organization, which ranges from Central Pennsylvania through South Jersey.

Philadelphia Daily News 13 Sep 1973
Alleged mob leader jailed for silence
Fred Hamilton

Alleged organized crime lieutenant Philip C. Testa has been sentenced for up to 17 months for refusing to testify before a Federal grand jury here, despite a grant of immunity from prosecution.
[…]
Testa is listed by law enforcement officials as the No. 2 man in the organization of reputed Philadelphia underworld boss Angelo Bruno.

Testa was kept behind bars until December 1974 or January 1975, at which point the rift between boss and underboss started to open. [It should also be noted that Frank Friel believed Bruno's health problems were fabricated after his autopsy revealed no ulcers.]

I think it’s pretty well established that, as the 1960’s progressed, Testa more and more became Bruno’s chief lieutenant despite Ignazio Denaro holding the rank of underboss (similar to the Ligambi/ Staino/ Angelina situation decades later). I don’t know when exactly in 1970 Denaro died but if it was immediately before or after the start of Bruno’s incarceration, I’d say Testa probably wasn’t officially promoted to underboss until 1972 or 1973 (possibly even 1975, but I think that’s the least likely scenario).

[B.]

Good work. Never considered that he didn't get the official spot right away and you're right the same thing happened with Rugnetta -> Caponigro. CI Rocco Scafidi ID'd Testa as underboss in 1975, so he was definitely in place by then.

[Manhattan_]

Associates who were on record with Scarfo

• Gerald Blavat (officially registered with Scarfo 1981)

• Thomas Bucci (with Scarfo until 1971-1973, at which point he broke ties to be a ‘freelancer’)

• Andrew Cornaglia

• Vincent Falcone (killed 1979)

• Alfredo Ferraro (stopped hanging around before the Falcone murder)

• Harold Garber

• Frank Gerace (officially registered with Scarfo around 1977)

• Sonny Gutin

• Sy Hoeflich

• Saul Kane

• Salvatore LaRussa

• Philip Leonetti (made 1980)

• Alvin Lippman

• Robert Lumio (made 1980)

• Frank Materio

• Lawrence Merlino (made 1980)

• Salvatore Merlino (made 1980)

• Phillip McFillin

• Joseph Salerno (flipped 1979)

• Vince Sausto

• Nicodemo Scarfo Jr

• Steven Traitz

• Nicholas Virgilio (made 1982)

• Richard Wells

Associates who were possibly on record with Scarfo (by no means a definitive list)

• Vincent Bancheri (partners with Scarfo and Leonetti when they started Scarf Inc.)

• Rick Casale (described as ‘an associate of the Scarfo family’; Blavat complained to Scarfo about Casale because he knew Scarfo had influence over him; Casale also frequented the My Way Lounge)

• Alvin Feldman (unclear if exclusively with Scarfo; described as ‘an associate of the family’ and ‘a business associate of Scarfo’; killed 1974)

• Edwin Helfant (described as ‘an associate of the family’, killed 1978)

• Giuseppe Leva (killed 1977)

• Harry Joseph (Saul Kane required Scarfo’s permission to use Joseph and Parisee for his shake-down crew)

• Alphonse Parisee

Members who reported direct to Scarfo

• Following Thomas DelGiorno’s demotion in 1986, Nicholas Caramandi and Charles Iannece requested to be put direct with Scarfo

• When Leonetti was promoted to underboss his crew technically was reassigned to Scarfo, but this was in name only as Leonetti continued to oversee the crew for his uncle

• Leonetti’s crew, as of 1986, included:
  • Joseph Grande
  • Nicholas Milano
  • Phillip Narducci
  • Albert Pontani
  • Salvatore Scafidi
  • Samuel Scafidi
  • Salvatore Sparacio
  • Nicholas Virgilio

Tyrone DeNettis ? (Maybe) this name comes up from time to time

[Stroccos]

when did big ron previte come into the picture was it with stanfa ? I remember in his book he said some guys came to his hotel cant remember if it was scarfo guys or not

[chin_gigante]

when did big ron previte come into the picture was it with stanfa ? I remember in his book he said some guys came to his hotel cant remember if it was scarfo guys or not

Leonetti approached him in the Tropicana to shake him down. Leonetti wanted $2,000 a week but they settled on $500. Previte suspected Scarfo didn't know about him and that Leonetti was just keeping the cash for himself. He says he paid Leonetti for about 2 years so he maybe started around 1984 or 1985.
In early 1991, Stanfa sent Phil Colletti and some others to shake Previte down but he refused to pay because Colletti was allegedly being disrespectful. Stanfa called Previte to meet with him in Philadelphia and explain. During their conversation, Stanfa recruited him as an associate.
Stanfa informally initiates him during the war with Merlino, and then in late 1994 he's called in by Natale and made captain in South Jersey.

[chin_gigante]

Associates who were on record with Scarfo

• Gerald Blavat (officially registered with Scarfo 1981)

• Thomas Bucci (with Scarfo until 1971-1973, at which point he broke ties to be a ‘freelancer’)

• Andrew Cornaglia

• Vincent Falcone (killed 1979)

• Alfredo Ferraro (stopped hanging around before the Falcone murder)

• Harold Garber

• Frank Gerace (officially registered with Scarfo around 1977)

• Sonny Gutin

• Sy Hoeflich

• Saul Kane

• Salvatore LaRussa

• Philip Leonetti (made 1980)

• Alvin Lippman

• Robert Lumio (made 1980)

• Frank Materio

• Lawrence Merlino (made 1980)

• Salvatore Merlino (made 1980)

• Phillip McFillin

• Joseph Salerno (flipped 1979)

• Vince Sausto

• Nicodemo Scarfo Jr

• Steven Traitz

• Nicholas Virgilio (made 1982)

• Richard Wells

Associates who were possibly on record with Scarfo (by no means a definitive list)

• Vincent Bancheri (partners with Scarfo and Leonetti when they started Scarf Inc.)

• Rick Casale (described as ‘an associate of the Scarfo family’; Blavat complained to Scarfo about Casale because he knew Scarfo had influence over him; Casale also frequented the My Way Lounge)

• Alvin Feldman (unclear if exclusively with Scarfo; described as ‘an associate of the family’ and ‘a business associate of Scarfo’; killed 1974)

• Edwin Helfant (described as ‘an associate of the family’, killed 1978)

• Giuseppe Leva (killed 1977)

• Harry Joseph (Saul Kane required Scarfo’s permission to use Joseph and Parisee for his shake-down crew)

• Alphonse Parisee

Members who reported direct to Scarfo

• Following Thomas DelGiorno’s demotion in 1986, Nicholas Caramandi and Charles Iannece requested to be put direct with Scarfo

• When Leonetti was promoted to underboss his crew technically was reassigned to Scarfo, but this was in name only as Leonetti continued to oversee the crew for his uncle

• Leonetti’s crew, as of 1986, included:
  • Joseph Grande
  • Nicholas Milano
  • Phillip Narducci
  • Albert Pontani
  • Salvatore Scafidi
  • Samuel Scafidi
  • Salvatore Sparacio
  • Nicholas Virgilio

Tyrone DeNettis ? (Maybe) this name comes up from time to time

DeNittis is a possibility. Maybe after Scarfo became boss. Caramandi recalled that Scarfo kind of banished him from Atlantic City when DeNittis failed to show up with a band for a performance for Scarfo in Florida.

[chin_gigante]

Murder conspiracies 1999 to present:

• December 1999 – At a bail hearing for Joseph Merlino, the government alleges that, in November 1999, Merlino ordered the murders of cooperating witnesses Ralph Natale and Ronald Previte and their families.

• March 2000 – Peter Caprio plots the killings of Joseph Ligambi, Steven Mazzone and George Borgesi. Following Natale’s defection, the New York families weren’t recognising Merlino and Ligambi as the heads of Philadelphia, so Caprio viewed this as his opportunity to take over. Ligambi wanted Caprio to introduce him as acting boss to New York figures so Caprio decided to lure Ligambi, Borgesi and Mazzone to a warehouse in Newark and kill them. Vincent Centorino was looking for a warehouse to use for the meeting and Raymond LePore was looking for a construction site to bury the bodies. Caprio and Daniel D’Ambrosia would be the shooters. The corpses would be buried by Gambino soldier Anthony Proto and Genovese soldier Vito Alberti. The plan was stopped when Caprio was arrested.

• Early 2000 – Caprio considered having Philip Casale and Luchese associate Wayne Cross killed. Casale had become an informant and Cross was involved in a struggle over gambling and video poker machines. Caprio instead decided to cooperate with the government.

• March 2001 – FBI sends a memo to Philadelphia police districts, alerting them that Michael Lancellotti, Joseph Curro and Michael Virgilio were involved in plots to murder Natale’s relatives. The memo specifically mentioned Frank Natale (Natale’s son; a teacher and football coach) and Vanessa Natale (Natale’s daughter; a clerk).

• June 2001 – Ligambi and four others meet in South Philadelphia and plot the murder of Michael Casolaro, who was testifying at the racketeering trial of Merlino et al. The FBI learn of the meeting and warn the conspirators not to go through with it.

• 2002 – Steven Carnivale and Anthony Gagliardi are ordered to kill a poker-machine distributor who was refusing to be shaken down, but the murder never happens. Carnivale and Gagliardi answered to Gaeton Lucibello at the time.

• June 2008 – Louis Monacello considers having Martin Angelina killed for muscling in on gambling operations Monacello was overseeing in Delaware County. Monacello settles instead on having Angelina beaten but the attack never happens because Monacello’s associate Frank DiGiacomo was wearing a wire. This was an unsanctioned plot and Monacello intended to lie if questioned about it.

• September 2009 – Ligambi rants to Monacello that he wants to kill Jerry Blavat for setting up Ligambi for a disastrous interview with Philadelphia Magazine. Nothing comes of the rant and Ligambi’s attorneys argued that he wasn’t being literal when venting about Blavat.

• 2011 – Monacello suspects that he will be killed by Borgesi for attempting to orchestrate the attack on Angelina. Borgesi was scheduled to be released summer 2011.

• Summer 2015 – Scott Burnstein reports that Borgesi unsuccessfully tried to convince Merlino to sanction Angelina’s murder (or possibly a beating) for the problems he caused him in the late-2000’s.

• July 2017 – Joseph Servidio meets with Anthony Persiano and tells him that he and Carl Chianese are plotting to shoot a drug trafficker who was on record with Persiano because he had been openly disparaging Servidio. Servidio and Chianese waited outside the associate’s house and intended to shoot him inside the residence when he was alone. The FBI intervened to ensure the intended victim wasn’t harmed.