In 1954, Scarfo was proposed for membership into the Philadelphia family and was inducted by then-boss
Joseph Ida at a ceremony held in
New Jersey, alongside two of his uncles. Scarfo was reportedly arrogant and stubborn, having declined to marry the daughter of
consigliere Joe Rugnetta, which left Rugnetta feeling disrespected and briefly caused friction within the family. In 1963, Scarfo pleaded guilty to
manslaughter for fatally stabbing a
longshoreman and spent six months in prison. He served time with Bruno and
Genovese family members
Gerardo Catena and
Louis Manna, the latter of whom he formed a close relationship with. In 1976, New Jersey voters
approved a referendum which legalized gambling, but only within the confines of Atlantic City. Scarfo's cement contracting company, Scarf, Inc., which was shared with his nephew, received business as developers built new
casinos in the city; Scarfo would intimidate businesses into buying from his company. In 1978, Scarfo and his associate, Nicholas "Nick the Blade" Virgilio, shot and murdered Judge
Edwin Helfant for refusing a $12,500
bribe to give Virgilio a lighter sentence on murder charges. Virgilio fired numerous rounds into the judge as he dined with his wife in a restaurant; Scarfo, who acted as the getaway driver, wanted Helfant's public murder to serve as an warning to anyone who wasn't willing to give him what he wanted. In 1979, criminal associate and contractor Vincent Falcone was shot and killed by Scarfo's nephew,
Phil Leonetti, after making negative remarks about Scarfo and his cement company.
Power struggle Bruno was murdered in 1980, in a hit orchestrated by his
consigliere,
Antonio Caponigro. Weeks later, Caponigro faced the consequence of killing a boss without the approval of
the Commission, the Mafia's governing body. His body was found in a car trunk, shot dozens of times and with $300 in bills stuffed in his mouth and
anus, as a sign of his own greed.
Phil Testa became the new boss of the Philadelphia family, appointing Scarfo as his
consigliere. However, his tenure as boss would be a short one. Testa was killed by a
nail bomb under his porch in 1981; his murder was orchestrated by his
underboss, Peter Casella, as well as
caporegime (captain) Frank Narducci Sr. This move later resulted in Narducci being gunned down and Casella being banished from the mob, after which he fled to
Florida. Testa's murder sparked a war within the family. Scarfo seized the top position for himself, promoting
Salvatore Merlino to underboss and naming
Frank Monte his
consigliere. He would go on to lead the family for a decade with a bloody rampage, fueled by paranoia and aggression. Between August 1982 and January 1984, Scarfo was imprisoned in
FCI La Tuna for gun possession. While in prison, Scarfo always had two bodyguards accompanying him who were associates of the
Mexican Mafia; Scarfo referred to them as his “pistoleros”. During that time, aging captain
Harry Riccobene began to form another faction that opposed Scarfo. The war would cost Riccobene his younger brother's life, his brother Mario to become a government informant and Riccobene himself to be given a life sentence for first-degree murder. In 1984, Scarfo ordered the death of
Salvatore Testa, one of his captains and top
hitmen, as Testa's ambition and growing popularity made Scarfo feel threatened. Testa was the son of former boss Phil Testa, who had been Scarfo's close friend and mentor. As a result of Salvatore Testa's murder, Scarfo gained a reputation for disloyalty, and several criminal organizations across the United States began to distrust him.
Downfall 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. Rouse refused and immediately contacted the
FBI. The FBI began a case to tackle Scarfo, sending an undercover agent to pose as a representative of Rouse. This led Scarfo to order a hit on Caramandi, which in turn influenced the notable and feared hitman to cooperate and testify against the Philadelphia family. In 1986, Caramandi was
indicted for his role in the extortion case and decided to testify in court. ==Death==