Philadelphia crime family

Beginnings In the early 20th century, several Italian immigrant and Italian-American street gangs in South Philadelphia formed what eventually became the Philadelphia crime family. Salvatore Sabella was the first leader of the group that would later bear his name. They busied themselves with bootlegging, extortion, loansharking, and illegal gambling, and it was during the Prohibition era that Sabella and his crew were recognized as members of the wider Sicilian crime syndicate of New York City and Chicago. Sabella retired in late 1931. First Philadelphia Mafia War After Sabella's retirement, two of his top lieutenants, John Avena and Giuseppe Dovi, began a five-year war for control of the family. Avena was murdered by members of his own faction on August 17, 1936, and Joseph "Joe Bruno" Dovi became boss of the Philadelphia family. Dovi had good connections with the Chicago Outfit and the Five Families of New York City, and he expanded operations outside of South Philadelphia to the greater Philadelphia area, including Atlantic City, New Jersey and other parts of South Jersey. Narcotics, illegal gambling, loansharking, and extortion activities provided the family's income, and connections to the Genovese and Gambino crime families grew throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. On October 22, 1946, Dovi died of natural causes at a New York City hospital, and Giuseppe “Joseph” Ida was appointed by the Commission to run the Philadelphia family and its rackets. Vito Genovese Joe Ida ran the family throughout the 1940s and early 1950s. Ida and the Philadelphia organization were heavily influenced by the bosses of the Five Families, especially the Genovese family, which sought to control the Philadelphia family. Vito Genovese, an underboss at the time, assumed control of what would become the Genovese family in 1957 after the shooting of former boss Frank Costello, who subsequently retired due to illness. As the Philadelphia family gained more power in Atlantic City and South Jersey, it was viewed merely as a Genovese faction due to the Genoveses' substantial amount of influence over the Philadelphia family at the time. After a 1956 Commission meeting, however, the crime families of Philadelphia and Detroit, headed by Ida and Giuseppe "Joseph" Zerilli respectively, were added to the Commission, establishing the Philadelphia family as its own organization independent of control by New York crime families. Ida and his underboss Dominick Olivetto were present during the Apalachin meeting in 1957 with roughly 100 other top mobsters. The meeting was raided by U.S. law enforcement, and over 60 mafiosi were arrested and indicted for association with known organized crime members. Ida was named in the indictment and fled to Sicily not long after the meeting, leaving Antonio "Mr. Migs" Pollina as acting boss in Ida's absence. Angelo Bruno in 1943 chart of La Cosa Nostra Commission in 1963 After Ida retired in 1959 and Pollina was demoted, Angelo Bruno was appointed by the Commission to run the Philadelphia family. Bruno, the first boss of Philadelphia with an influential seat on the Commission, was born in Sicily and was a close ally of Carlo Gambino, solidifying his position as leader of the Philadelphia Mafia. Bruno used his contacts and his own business mind to maintain respect and power among other Mafia bosses in the country. He expanded the family's profit and operations in Atlantic City, which, due in part to its location within the Philadelphia metro area, had naturally become known as the Philadelphia family's turf. Bruno himself avoided the intense media and law enforcement scrutiny and kept violence down. He spent almost three years in prison for refusing to testify at a 1970 hearing on organized crime in the state of New Jersey. After his release, he spent some time in Italy before returning to the United States in 1977. Bruno had a reputation for seeking peaceful solutions to family issues instead of violence. During the early 1960s, the Philadelphia family was officially recognized as the Bruno family. Bruno focused mostly on low-risk crimes and gave his subordinates autonomy as long as he received a share of the profits. He prohibited any of his men from getting involved in narcotics trafficking, fearing the long prison sentences that drug trafficking charges could bring. Many of his men disagreed with this decision, seeing the large profits that could be made. Some mobsters, like Philip "the Chicken Man" Testa, Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro, Harry "the Hunchback" Riccobene, and Raymond "Long John" Martorano, ran drug trafficking operations clandestinely without Bruno's knowledge. His men were further angered because Bruno accepted money from Giovanni "John" Gambino in order to allow the Gambino family to sell heroin on Philadelphia family turf in South Jersey. For decades, the Mafia controlled criminal rackets in Philadelphia's African-American neighborhoods, financing Black numbers operations and supplying heroin to Black drug dealers. In 1970, Samuel "Beyah" Christian and other African-American organized crime figures formed the Black Mafia to take control of illegal activities in the Black neighborhoods of Philadelphia from the Italian Mafia, a venture which was partially successful. After the Black Mafia began extorting Philadelphia family operatives in African-American areas, Bruno eventually acquiesced control of some gambling rackets which had historically been dominated by Italian-American mobsters. As per the agreement, Black gangsters were required to pay a "street tax" to the Bruno family in order to engage in the rackets. The Black Mafia became defunct as a result of a string of convictions and internal killings during the mid-1970s. Following its early 20th-century heyday as a respected resort town, Atlantic City had been suffering from a sharp decline in the decades prior to the 1970s. With the introduction of legalized casino gambling in 1977, Atlantic City once again became particularly desired turf for organized crime. However, Atlantic City had long been reckoned as a fief of the Philadelphia family. Under longstanding Mafia rules, the Five Families could only come into Atlantic City with the Philadelphia family's permission—something Bruno was unwilling to give. On October 15, 1976, Carlo Gambino died of a heart attack. With Gambino gone, Bruno lost his most important ally in the underworld. On March 21, 1980, Bruno was shotgunned in the back of the head while in his car in South Philadelphia by a gunman working for Caponigro. That April, Caponigro visited New York City under the assumption that he was going to be confirmed as boss. Instead, he was tortured and murdered for killing a Commission member without permission. Caponigro's co-conspirators Frank Sindone, Alfred Salerno, and John Simone were also murdered for killing a mob boss without the permission of the Commission. Second Philadelphia Mafia War (1980–1984) Beginning with Bruno's murder in 1980 and the subsequent murder of Caponigro and his co-conspirators, a violent struggle for power erupted within the Philadelphia Mafia. Bruno's successor, his former underboss Philip Testa, lasted just under a year as the boss of the family before he was killed by a nail bomb under his front porch on March 15, 1981. Testa's murder was orchestrated by Frank "Chickie" Narducci in yet another attempt to take control of the family. Peter Casella and Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, Testa's underboss and consigliere respectively, were both vying to take over the family. Violence between the two factions ensued. Scarfo was close with Genovese family consigliere Louis "Bobby" Manna and approached the Genovese hierarchy with his suspicions that Narducci and Casella orchestrated Testa's murder. The Genovese family set up a meeting with Scarfo and Casella, where Casella confessed that Narducci killed Testa so that they could take over the family. Narducci was killed and Casella was banished from the mob and fled to Florida, leaving Scarfo the major candidate for boss of the family. However, the war continued in spite of, or because of, Scarfo's apparent nomination to boss. Nicodemo Scarfo was a powerful Bruno family mobster who operated mostly in Atlantic City prior to his accession to boss. Atlantic City witnessed an economic boom after enacting measures allowing casino gambling in the late 1970s. Scarfo was able to expand his power base by infiltrating the expanding construction and service industries in Atlantic City. Despite Atlantic City being turf of the Philadelphia Mafia, Scarfo let the Commission and New York crime families operate in Atlantic City under his discretion in return for their support for him as boss. Scarfo named Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino as his underboss and Frank Monte as his consigliere. Scarfo demoted Bruno's mob captains and replaced them with "Crazy Phil" Leonetti, Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino and Joseph "Chickie" Ciancaglini Sr., leading to further Mafia warring from disgruntled soldiers who were formerly well-situated under Bruno and Testa's reign but passed over by Scarfo, as well as from Philly Mafia soldiers in South Jersey who were angry that Scarfo was allowing New York mobsters to operate in Atlantic City. Scarfo eventually emerged triumphant despite considerable violent opposition and multiple murders. The last person to stand in Scarfo's way was the well-respected, long-time Philadelphia crime family mobster and "made man", Harry Riccobene. Believing that Scarfo was an unfit and greedy boss, Riccobene refused to pay his tribute to Scarfo. While Angelo Bruno apparently never asked Riccobene for a regular or unreasonable share of his illicit profits, Scarfo demanded a typical "kick up" tribute, which angered Riccobene, as he did not view Scarfo as a legitimate or appropriate successor to the position of boss. With Scarfo off the street serving a brief prison term in Texas, the "Riccobene War" ensued between 1982 and 1984 as part of the larger Second Philadelphia Mafia War in the 1980s. The Scarfo faction was able to kill three of Riccobene's men. The Riccobene faction was able to kill Scarfo's consigliere Frank Monte, while Riccobene himself survived two attempts on his life. In 1984, the two gunmen in the Monte murder, along with Riccobene's brother, were arrested and agreed to cooperate with authorities. They testified at trial that Riccobene ordered Monte's murder. Riccobene was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, ending the war. "Little Nicky" Scarfo's reign (1981–1990) , Joey Pungitore, Philip Narducci, and Nicholas Milano , killed in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, September 14, 1984, on orders from Philly mob boss Nicodemo Scarfo When Nicky Scarfo became boss, he wanted to unify organized crime in the area and dreamed of running a smooth criminal empire. He soon imposed a "street tax" on all criminal rackets in Philadelphia and South Jersey. Although financially extorting criminals is a common Mafia racket, it was a somewhat alien practice in Philadelphia. Enforced by soldiers and associates of the family, the tax was paid by criminals working independently from the Mafia, including drug dealers, bookmakers, loan sharks, pimps, and number runners operating in territory that Scarfo deemed his own, were forced to pay his street tax weekly. Those who refused to pay the tax were often murdered. Loan shark, drug dealer and pawn shop owner John Calabrese was killed by Joseph Ciancaglini Sr., Tommy DelGiorno, Frank Iannarella and Pasquale "Pat the Cat" Spirito. Frankie "Flowers" D'Alfonso was brutally beaten by Salvatore Testa and Joey Pungitore for refusing to pay the street tax. He was later murdered in 1985. The crime family's biggest racket was the control of labor unions. During Bruno's and Scarfo's reigns, the Philadelphia Mafia maintained some degree of influence over Roofers Union Local 30, Iron Workers Union Local 405, Laborers Union Local 332 and Teamsters Union Locals 107, 158, 331 and 837. Scarfo had inducted member Pat Spirito murdered in 1983. During the Riccobene War, Spirito switched sides and aligned himself with Scarfo, but was killed for turning down a murder contract on Riccobene's brother. Despite Testa serving faithfully under Scarfo and committing several murders on his behalf, Scarfo granted his underboss Salvatore Merlino permission to kill Testa for breaking off his engagement with Merlino's daughter. After this, other members and crime families saw Scarfo as untrustworthy and paranoid. He also started to earn a negative reputation within his organization, which led to members turning informant in the late 1980s. After Merlino's drinking problem got out of hand, Scarfo demoted him to soldier and promoted his nephew Phil Leonetti as his new underboss. In November 1988, Scarfo and 16 of his men were convicted of racketeering, ten murders, five attempted murders, extortion, gambling and narcotics trafficking. The prosecutions were strengthened by Mafia members Tommy DelGiorno and Nicky Caramandi agreeing to cooperate with law enforcement and testify at trial for the government in order to escape long prison terms and Scarfo's ruthless regime. Leonetti was the next defector who agreed to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after being sentenced to 45 years in prison. Many more mobsters would later be sentenced to long prison terms for crimes such as racketeering, narcotics trafficking and murder. This caused the number of Mafia members in the family to dwindle in the 1990s, with fewer new guys available to replace all those being convicted of serious crimes. By 1990, 21 members were incarcerated, 11 were under indictment, and six turned government witnesses. The Pennsylvania Crime Commission reported that there were only 24 members who were free and not facing criminal charges. John Stanfa and the Third Philadelphia Mafia War (1990–1996) (right) talking to Tommy "Horsehead" Scafidi . Veasey later became a government turncoat, testifying for the prosecution at Stanfa's trial. With many of Scarfo's loyalists serving lengthy prison terms, it became clear that Scarfo would not be able to maintain control of the crime family from prison much longer. To avoid a total power vacuum in the Philadelphia Mafia, Giovanni "John" Stanfa, a Sicilian-born mobster with the support and endorsement of the influential Gambino and Genovese families in New York, was named boss of the Philadelphia family in 1990. Word was sent to the imprisoned Scarfo in October 1990, with Scarfo being informed that he was no longer boss and that Stanfa had been installed as boss, though Stanfa wasn't officially installed as boss until 1991. The New York Mafia's intrusion in Philadelphia Mafia affairs was not well received by many of the younger Philadelphia-born mobsters in the crime family, including Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, the son of former underboss Salvatore Merlino, who saw Stanfa as an outsider who had not worked his way up in the organization due to being imprisoned during the entire Scarfo era. While serving prison time together in 1990, Merlino met Ralph Natale. According to Natale, he and Merlino began plotting to take over the Philadelphia family during this period. Natale named Michael Ciancaglini, Steven Mazzone, George Borgesi, Gaetano "Tommy Horsehead" Scafidi and Martin "Marty" Angelina as Merlino's key associates and co-conspirators in the plan. Stanfa was aware of the divide in his family and tried to find a peaceful solution. He named Michael's older brother Joseph Jr. as his new underboss. Stanfa hoped that this would appease the Merlino faction and bring them under his banner. However, tensions escalated, and in 1991 another war for control of the Philadelphia family was underway. Merlino loyalists shot and incapacitated Joseph Ciancaglini Jr., while Stanfa's faction killed Michael Ciancaglini. They continued attacking each other for months, including a freeway ambush Stanfa survived, and several failed attempts on Merlino's life. The Stanfa faction was still solidifying its control of the crime family and recruited many outside hitmen for the war. On March 17, 1994, Stanfa and 23 of his men were arrested on racketeering-related charges. This was the second major indictment on the crime family in seven years. The federal case was the largest prosecution of an organized crime group in Philadelphia history. and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996. With most of Stanfa's supporters also arrested and convicted, Merlino was released from prison in November 1994 and named Natale, who had also been released from prison on parole, as the new boss. Merlino positioned himself as Natale's underboss. During Natale's reign, Merlino was the real power in the family, allowing Natale to become boss to direct law enforcement attention away from himself. Natale's "front boss" reign, Merlino's ascension, and continuing Mafia violence and the nephew of Joseph Ligambi Merlino gained notoriety as a flamboyant, celebrity gangster who often went out partying with a large entourage. The press dubbed him the "John Gotti of Passyunk Avenue" due to his candid demeanor in front of news cameras; Passyunk Avenue is a prominent street in South Philadelphia. He also invited the press when he held Christmas parties for the homeless and gave away turkeys at Thanksgiving in housing projects. The arrogance and aggressiveness of Merlino's young faction turned off a lot of criminals from working with the crime family. Merlino would often make big bets with bookies and refuse to pay when he lost. This practice, known as "guzzling", was used on both independent and mob-run bookies. During this time, Merlino and Natale oversaw the crime family's gambling, loan sharking, extortion and stolen goods rackets. In 1995, Louis Turra, leader of a Philadelphia drug gang, the 10th & Oregon Crew, was severely beaten by Merlino's men, allegedly for failing to pay a Mafia street tax on the gang's illegal earnings. Angered by the beating, Turra sought vengeance. His father Anthony hosted a meeting at his house during which Anthony, Louis and his gang discussed killing Merlino. In January 1998, Louis Turra apparently hanged himself in a New York City jail while awaiting trial. In March 1998, Anthony Turra, on trial on charges of plotting to kill Merlino, was shot dead outside his home by a gunman in a black ski mask. He was shot twice as he left for the federal courthouse, where a jury was deliberating in the racketeering and drug case against him and four other men. "We consider this an organized crime assassination, a mob hit," Police Inspector Jerrold Kane said. Three years later, Merlino was put on trial for helping orchestrate the murder, but was acquitted. By the late 1990s, Merlino dodged more than two dozen attempts on his life. Merlino was friends with Steve "Gorilla" Mondevergine, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club. Merlino sometimes used the Pagans to help settle underworld disputes. The alliance between the Philadelphia Mafia and the Pagans prevented the Pagans' rivals, the Hells Angels, from expanding into Pagan territory in southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In June 1998, Natale was jailed for a parole violation; Merlino subsequently took control of the family and cut off support to the imprisoned boss. Angered by this, Natale offered to secretly record conversations with Merlino, but it was not until September 1999, when he was indicted for financing drug deals, that he formally struck a deal to cooperate. In doing so, Natale became the first sitting boss in the history of the American Mafia to become government informant. Natale testified against Merlino during his 2001 racketeering trial, but was unable to secure a conviction for the murders he claimed Merlino committed. On December 3, 2001, Merlino was however convicted of racketeering charges and given a 14-year prison sentence. Natale had admitted to committing eight murders and four attempted murders. In 2005, Natale was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for drug dealing, racketeering and bribery. He was released in May 2011, and placed in witness protection. The rise of Ligambi In 1997, Joseph Ligambi was released from prison after he successfully appealed his murder conviction and was acquitted at retrial. After ten years in prison, Ligambi returned to a much different Mafia family that saw two violent regime changes and the family under the control of a group of young mobsters. Ligambi, who is Borgesi's uncle, was a Scarfo era soldier when he was imprisoned in 1987 and was also mentored by Merlino's father, Salvatore. After the arrest of Merlino, Borgesi and several others in 1999, Ligambi was chosen to take over as acting boss of the family. In 2001, Merlino was sentenced to 14 years in prison. After Ligambi took over, he remained in the shadows, rarely being mentioned in the media, while taking a much less "trigger-happy" approach to running the family. Ligambi stabilized the crime family when he took over, maintained membership and restored relations with the New York families. His inner circle included longtime Philadelphia mobsters Joseph "Mousie" Massimino, Gaeton Lucibello, and Anthony Staino. By the mid-2000s, the family consisted of approximately 50 members, half of whom were incarcerated, in addition to almost 100 associates. During Ligambi's tenure, around a dozen "made men" were released from prison, filling the ranks. Many of these men had been young players who fell victim to the family's unstable history and are now middle-aged. He named Anthony Staino, his closest and most loyal associate, as his underboss. In 2007, 23 people, including four members of the Philadelphia family, were charged with running an illegal sports betting operation out of a poker room at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City. The illegal operation was run by the Philadelphia Mafia, who received much of the profits. The operation was accused of taking in $60 million in bets in a 20-month period. Most of those involved pleaded guilty and received sentences ranging from probation to five years. Merlino was released from prison on March 15, 2011, and served out his three-year parole in Florida. In May 2011, Ligambi and 14 other members and associates of the crime family were indicted by the FBI on racketeering charges related to illegal gambling operations, video poker gambling machines and loan sharking. Seven of those indicted pleaded guilty to lesser charges. One became a government witness and seven went to trial in October 2012. In January 2014, two juries were hung on the racketeering charges, and Ligambi and Borgesi were acquitted and released. Current status Following Merlino's release from prison in 2011, the FBI and organized crime reporters believed he continued to run the Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia. Merlino disputed this, claiming he retired from a life of crime. As of 2015, Merlino divided his time between south Florida and Philadelphia. While the Philadelphia family's criminal operations have greatly reduced over the years, experts believe they have been able to quietly maintain power and stability, and the crime family remains one of the most active and powerful Italian-American Mafia families. In 2016, it was reported that some members were involved in Philadelphia's booming construction and home rehab industry. In January 2018, Merlino went on trial for racketeering, fraud and illegal gambling charges. After a trial ended in a hung jury, Merlino pleaded guilty to one illegal gambling charge and was sentenced to two years in prison. In April 2018, four soldiers and associates in New Jersey were arrested on drug trafficking charges. They are accused of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana. They eventually pleaded guilty and were given sentences between five and 15 years. On November 23, 2020, 15 members and associates of the crime family were indicted on federal racketeering charges; among the defendants were reputed underboss Steven Mazzone and reputed capo Domenic Grande. The primary charges were illegal gambling, loansharking, drug trafficking, and extorting other criminals, including illegal sports betting operators and loan sharks. Interest rates charged on outstanding gambling debts were as high as 264%. After previously pleading guilty, underboss Steven Mazzone was sentenced to five years in prison on December 15, 2022. In 2024, Merlino was reportedly "shelved" by the Philadelphia family, essentially suspending his membership and making his persona non grata after embarking on a career as a podcast host and sports betting tipster, and replaced as head of the crime family by George Borgesi. ==Historical leadership==

Boss (official and acting) • c.1911–1931 — Salvatore Sabella — retired, deceased in 1962 • 1931–1936 — John "Nazzone" Avena — murdered on August 17, 1936 • 1936–1946 — Giuseppe "Joseph Bruno" Dovi — died of natural causes in 1946. • 1946–1958 — Giuseppe "Joseph" Ida — deported in 1958, deceased in 1960s–1970s • 1958–1959 — Antonio "Mr. Miggs" Pollina — deposed by the Commission • 1959–1980 — Angelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno — murdered on March 21, 1980 • 1980–1981 — Philip "the Chicken Man" Testa — murdered on March 15, 1981 • 1981–1990 — Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo Sr. — removed by the Commission, deceased in 2017 • Acting 1981–1984 — Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino • Acting 1989–1990 — Anthony "Tony Buck" Piccolo – stepped down • 1991–1995 — Giovanni "John" Stanfa — imprisoned for life • 1995–1999 — Ralph Natale — mostly a front boss, arrested in 1998, turned informant in 1999 • Acting 1995—1999 — Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino — acting/street boss • 1999–2024 — Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino — arrested in 1999, released in 2011; demoted and expelled • Acting 2007–2010 — Martin "Marty" Angelina • Acting 2010–2011 — Anthony Staino • 2012–2015 — John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini — stepped down • 2015–present — Steven "Stevie" Mazzone — indicted on November 23, 2020, sentenced on December 15, 2022 • 2014–2025 — Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi • 2026–present — John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini == Current members ==

Administration • Boss — George Borgesi — former capo and nephew of former consigliere Joseph Ligambi, who served as consigliere himself, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He has a couple of other family members working as associates for the Philadelphia crime family. On January 24, 2014, Borgesi was released from prison. Since his release from prison, Borgesi has traveled to Rhode Island forming an alliance with Patriarca crime family underboss Matthew Guglielmetti. He became acting boss of the family in August 2019. In 2024, Borgesi was promoted to official boss after Joey Merlino was "shelved", or deactivated, by the family. • Acting underboss — Michael "Mikey Lance" Lancelotti — longtime member of the Philadelphia family. On November 18, 2020, Lancelotti's was confirmed as the street boss after the United States Department of Justice provided the initials "M.L.". He was promoted to consigliere in 2026. • Domenic "Dom" Grande — capo operating from South Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and South Jersey, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. and a former member of Nicky Scarfo's crew. Narducci was inducted into the family in 1986. He was released from prison in 2012 after serving 25 years for racketeering and murder. His conviction for the 1985 killing of Frank "Frankie Flowers" D'Alfonso was overturned on appeal and he was acquitted at a retrial. In 2019, Narducci was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, three years probation and to pay $48,000 in forfeiture and fines for an extortionate loan scheme. He was released in February 2020. In 1994, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison after George Fresolone recorded secret conversations, and he was charged under major gambling operations in Newark. In 2013, a mistrial was declared, and Licata was acquitted of racketeering. Boston faction • Shawn Vetere — capo of the family's Boston faction. He was one of ten mobsters arrested on narcotics conspiracy charges by the FBI on June 28, 1999, due to the work of informant Ron Previte. On April 24, 2000, Vetere pleaded guilty to drug charges. He was released from prison in July 2006. Soldiers Philadelphia faction • Damion Canalichio — born in August 1969. Current soldier in the crew of captain Marty Angelini. In July 2013, Canalichio was sentenced by former U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno to 11 years in prison with 3 years of supervised release and a $1000 fine, for loansharking and illegal gambling. • Nicholas "Nicky the Hat" Cimino — soldier; born in June 1969. In July 2008, Cimino was indicted for operating an illegal gambling operation in Delaware County. The Pennsylvania State Police alleged Cimino of involvement in loansharking, narcotics, fencing stolen property, bookmaking and illegal gambling, and also alleged that during December 23 through to December 29 in 2004, the operation alone supervised over $220,000 in bets. In February 2009, Cimino pleaded guilty and he was sentenced to over 1 year in prison. • Eric Esposito — soldier. He was born in August 1970. In 2014, Esposito was convicted of operating an illegal gambling business at the “First Ward Republican Club”, a private social club in South Philadelphia, and in May 2014, he was sentenced to over 2 years in prison, former U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno also ordered 3 years of supervised release and a fine of $4,000. • Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi — served as consigliere and longtime acting boss for boss Joey Merlino. Ligambi's position was confirmed on November 18, 2020, when the Department of Justice provided the initials "J.L." as the current consigliere for the Philadelphia crime family. — former capo and acting consigliere. Lucibello was originally a Stanfa loyalist before defecting to the Merlino faction during the war in the 1990s. According to government witness Rosario Bellochi, Lucibello acted as the getaway driver on the attempted murder of former Stanfa soldier Biagio Adornetto at La Veranda Restaurant on December 30, 1992. He was indicted along with Stanfa and 21 others on March 17, 1994, on racketeering and attempted murder charges. Lucibello testified in his own defense on April 25, 1996, and became the only defendant in the Stanfa case to be acquitted on May 15, 1996. He was born in April 1950. In July 2013, Massimino was sentenced to 15 years in prison for extortion, loan sharking, and illegal gambling, with 3 years of supervised release and a fine of $5000, according to prosecutors, Massimino engaged in extorting “street tax” payments from bookmakers, using threats of violence against debtors to collect loanshark payments and he had forced the owners of a vending company to sell the portion of their business related to the operation of illegal video poker machines, also according to prosecutors, Massimino ran an illegal electronic gambling device business and sports bookmaking business, providing video poker machines and other gambling devices for bars, restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops, and other locations in Philadelphia. • Salvatore "Sonny" Mazzone — brother of underboss Steve Mazzone. In November 2020, Mazzone was indicted along with his brother underboss Steve Mazzone, capo Dominick Grande and others on racketeering and gambling charges. Staino became the acting consigliere in 2024 working under Ligambi. Borgesi was inducted into the family in October 2015. In November 2007, Filippelli was indicted for conspiracy to promote gambling, promoting gambling, possession of gambling records, possession of steroids and money laundering, as well as possession of prohibited weapons and devices, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. In March 2008, Filippelli was sentenced to 5 years in prison, with 3 years of supervised release and fine of $10,000, for interstate travel in aid of racketeering, as he admitted that he had traveled from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to threaten a man who he believed owed an illegal sports gambling debt, who happened to be an undercover New Jersey State Police detective. • Salvatore "Sammy" Piccolo — soldier serving under captain Dom Grande. In November 2019, Piccolo was sentenced by former U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to years in prison with 5 years of supervised release and over $174,000 in restitution, for selling over 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine and for insurance fraud. According to prosecutors, Piccolo made 3 transactions of crystal methamphetamine to undercover FBI agents from between June 2017 and September 2017 worth over $11,000. Piccolo later admitted that in April 2014, he had robbed a pawn shop in Union County, Pennsylvania with an accomplice and netted approximately $60,000, and that he had also scammed an insurance company for $174,000. His release from FCI Butner is scheduled for November 2, 2027. North New Jersey faction • Vincent "Beeps" Centorino — soldier. Centorino and other high-profile Philadelphia crime family mobsters, including Nicky Scarfo Jr., were tapped by the FBI, and all pleaded guilty in 1994. • Louis "Big Lou" Fazzini — Fazzini was identified as a soldier of the Philadelphia crime family in March 2025. He was born in January 1967. In February 2013, Fazzini was sentenced to over 4 years in prison with 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and theft from an employee benefit plan, Fazzini pleaded guilty to operating an illegal sports bookmaking business and devised a fraudulent scheme to obtain health benefits. • Joseph "Joey Electric" Servidio — soldier under North New Jersey captain Joe Licata. In October 2020, Servidio was sentenced by former U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to 15 years in prison after he had pleaded guilty to distributing heroin, fentanyl and over 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine, from between May 2016 and March 2018. He was also charged in the 2020 Eastern District of Pennsylvania indictment along with Dominic Grande, Steven Mazzone, and others. His scheduled release date from FCI Elkton is December 23, 2029. Imprisoned members • Frank Martines Jr. — former underboss. Martines joined the Philadelphia family in 1990 and became a key member of John Stanfa's faction which feuded with the "Young Turks" led by Joey Merlino during the Third Philadelphia Mafia War of the early 1990s. After Joseph Ciancaglini Jr. was left paralyzed in a shooting in March 1993, Martines was promoted to underboss. As Stanfa's second-in-command, he organized a series of murders and attempted murders of members of Merlino's faction. After being shot three times by Martines, Veasey managed to wrestle a knife from Pagano and slash Martines in the eye before escaping his assailants. Martines was convicted on November 21, 1995. He was sentenced to life in prison. • Anthony Nicodemo — soldier serving under Philadelphia captain Dom Grande. Nicodemo was considered a prime suspect by the FBI in the murder of John Casasanto, who was gunned down in 2003. In November 2007, Nicodemo and Michael Lancellotti were arrested for operating an illegal sports betting business in Atlantic City worth $22 million during a two-year period. He was given a 4-year suspended sentence with a $10,000 fine. In December 2012, Nicodemo was arrested in connection with the murder of Gino DiPietro, a suspected informant who was murdered the day before Nicodemo's arrest. After being on trial for the DiPietro murder, a mistrial was declared in 2014. Nicodemo later pled guilty and was sentenced to 25-to-50 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole by 2038. • Giovanni "John" Stanfa — former boss during the early 1990s. In March 1994, Stanfa and 23 other Philadelphia mob affiliates were indicted on 31 racketeering-related charges. In October 1995, Philadelphia family associate and informant John Veasey implicated Stanfa of ordering 2 murders, named Michael Ciancaglini and Felix Bochino, who both were shot to death in 1993. On October 5th, 1995, John Veasey was scheduled to testify against Stanfa, his brother, 35 year old Billy Veasey, was shot and killed, the murder was believed to be ordered by Stanfa. In November 1995, Stanfa was convicted of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and illegal gambling. In July 1996, Stanfa was sentenced to life in prison for racketeering, loansharking and murder. Inactive members in a government surveillance photo, • Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino — became boss in 1999, In 2024, Merlino was "shelved" by the family, which deposed his leadership and suspended his membership, after establishing himself as a social media personality. • Francis "Faffy" Iannarella — Born in April 1947. Iannarella previously served as a capo under former boss Nicky Scarfo. In November 1988, Iannarella was convicted of participating in 4 murders, 2 attempted murders and 7 murder conspiracies, along with illegal lottery numbers, debt collection and 9 extortion schemes, and he was given a 45-year prison sentence. He was released from prison in July 2016. • Luigi Tripodi — Born in March or April 1938. Tripodi was a former John Stanfa loyalist during the early 1990s, and was inducted into the Philadelphia crime family in 1991. As of 2026, Tripodi is considered as an inactive member of the Philadelphia Mafia. • Anthony Pungitore — Born in November 1953. In November 1988, Pungitore was convicted of participating in 1 murder, 2 attempted murders and 3 conspiracies to commit murder, and in May 1989, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, Pungitore was released from prison in 2006. Associates Philadelphia faction • Victor "Big Vic" DeLuca — sentenced in 2022 to ten years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. His release from FCI Lewisburg is scheduled for May 19, 2028. South New Jersey faction • Stephen Sharkey — sentenced to four years in federal prison in 2021 for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. == Former members ==

• Felix "Tom Mix" Bocchino — former soldier. Bocchino was initially a member of the North Jersey faction of the Bruno family and was in the Newark crew headed by Antonio Caponigro during the 1960s and 1970s. His younger brother Richard was also a Mafia associate. Bocchino was allegedly among the conspirators in the March 1980 assassination of family boss Angelo Bruno. Bocchino was active in gambling, extortion, fraud and drug trafficking, and was released from prison in 1985 after serving a sentence for tax evasion. making him the first victim of the Third Philadelphia Mafia War. Along with Joey Merlino, he was a leading member of the "Young Turks" faction which challenged the leadership of family boss John Stanfa during the early 1990s. During the ensuing Third Philadelphia Mafia War, one of Michael Ciancaglini brothers, Joseph Ciancaglini Jr., joined the Stanfa faction, while his father and other brother, John Ciancaglini, were imprisoned. Stanfa's attempts at diplomacy proved futile, however, and the war continued, with Joseph Ciancaglini Jr. being left paralyzed by a shooting in March 1993. Ciancaglini died from chest wounds, aged 31, while Merlino survived. • Joseph "Joe Crutch" Curro – Curro first became noticed by law enforcement in 1976 overheard on a wiretap at the restaurant of caporegime Frank Sindone. He died of cancer in 2004. • Frank "Chickie" Narducci Sr. — former capo. Frank Narducci was the father of Philadelphia family members Philip and Frank Narducci Jr. Narducci and seven others were indicted in July 1980 on federal charges of racketeering, conspiracy, gambling and bribery. In April 1981, he was convicted of bribing two Philadelphia police officers for protection. Narducci was shot dead on January 8, 1982, aged 49, as he left his car near his home in South Philadelphia. He was denied a Roman Catholic funeral because his marriage to his wife, Adeline, was considered invalid by the church. • Frank "Frankie Windows" Narducci Jr. – former soldier. Narducci was the son of Frank Narducci Sr. and brother of Philip Narducci. He died of natural causes on October 10, 2019. • Vincent "Al Pajamas" Pagano — Pagano was a caporegime under John Stanfa during the Merlino-Stanfa war. In January 1994, Pagano along with Frank Martines, was involved with the botched murder on FBI witness John Veasey. Veasey testified against Pagano and he was found guilty of racketeering in 1995 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Pagano died of natural causes at the age of 89 in February 2019. • Nicholas "Nick the Blade" Virgilio – former soldier. Virgilio was a bookmaker, extortionist and hitman who operated in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. In 1952, he was sentenced to three-to-ten years in state prison after stabbing 19-year-old sailor Glenn Long to death during a bar fight in Philadelphia's red-light district. Virgilio became an associate of Nicky Scarfo in Atlantic City during the 1960s. In 1970, he pleaded no contest to killing bricklayer Robert Welsh. Despite Scarfo bribing Superior Court Judge Edwin Helfant with $12,500 to give Virgilio a light sentence, he was sentenced to twelve-to-fifteen years in state prison. After serving six years, Virgilio exacted revenge on Helfant. Virgilio was inducted into the Philadelphia Mafia in May 1982 after Scarfo became boss of the family. In 1988, Virgilio was convicted on RICO charges and sentenced to forty years in federal prison. He was imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary in Lompoc, California from 1990 until he was sent to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri for heart treatment on February 18, 1994. Virgilio died there from a heart attack on March 15, 1995, aged 67. == Former associates ==

• Frank Palumbo – former associate. Palumbo was a power broker, political fixer and owner of Palumbo's restaurant, which served as a meeting place for Philadelphia mobsters. He died on February 12, 1983, aged 71. == Government informants and witnesses ==

• Biagio Adornetto – former soldier. He survived a failed assassination attempt on his life as friend and fellow Philly mob soldier, Rosario Bellocchi, loaded the shotgun with the wrong size of bullets; Adornetto was accused of flirting with John Stanfa's niece. • Peter "Pete the Crumb" Caprio – former capo. In July 2000, he admitted to conspiring to commit murder, extortion and other crimes. During the case, he was accused of participating in the murder of William Gantz in 1994 and Joseph Sodano in 1996. Caprio testified against the absent Genovese crime family captain Lawrence Ricci in October 2005, who was murdered a few weeks before his trial. • Nicholas "Nicky Crow" Caramandi – former hitman and soldier. In 1986, Caramandi alongside Robert Rego and former Democratic-Pennsylvania House of Representatives member, Leland Beloff, attempted to extort $1 million from real estate developer Willard Rouse, for funding revolved around the construction of Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. As a result of the 1984 slaying of Philadelphia captain Salvatore Testa, Caramandi, Joseph Grande and Charles Iannece were inducted into the Philadelphia family. After he received a message from Philadelphia crime family member Raymond Martorano while in prison, who alleged boss Nicky Scarfo was planning to have him murdered, and facing over 20 years in prison, Caramandi agreed to become a government witness. • Rosario Conti Bellocchi – former soldier and hitman. He was engaged to John Stanfa's niece. Along with fellow Philadelphia mob soldier, Biagio Adornetto, he departed Sicily to work for Stanfa. • Philip Colletti – former soldier. He was part of the Stanfa faction. According to Colletti, he created a remote-control bomb which was planted under Joey Merlino's car in 1993 and failed to detonate multiple times. His wife testified that Colletti and his wife participated in the disposing of a car which was used in a mob hit, the death of Michael Ciancaglini and wounding of Merlino, and fellow Philadelphia mob member and informer John Veasey testified that Colletti was with him when the shooting took place. • Andrew Thomas DelGiorno – former capo. DelGiorno first became active with the Philadelphia crime family around 1964 and had gotten involved in the bookmaking business. He admitted to his participation in 5 murders during the 1980s. He testified against boss Nicky Scarfo and 16 other Philadelphia mobsters in November 1988. • Salvatore "Wayne" Grande – former soldier. On September 14, 1984, he shot and killed captain Salvatore Testa, the son of Phil Testa, who became boss of the Philadelphia mob for a brief period and who also inducted Grande four years earlier. According to former Philadelphia crime family underboss and government witness Phil Leonetti, Grande repeatedly attempted to murder Harry Riccobene but failed, an enemy of the Scarfo faction, including an incident where Riccobene managed to survive 5 gunshot wounds to his face. In 1988, he was convicted on federal racketeering charges and informed on American Mafia mobsters later on during his imprisonment. Some of his relatives remain in the mob, including his son, who was allegedly inducted in 2011. • George Fresolone – former soldier. During his imprisonment for illegal gambling and loansharking, Fresolone became an informant for the New Jersey State police in 1988. He recorded more than 400 conversations and his information was responsible for the indictment of nearly 40 mobsters. He wore a wire during his ceremony in July 1990 to become an official member of the Philadelphia mob. He died in 2002. • Phil "Crazy Phil" Leonetti – former underboss and nephew of former Philadelphia crime family boss Nicky Scarfo. He participated in his first murder at the age of 10 and helped Scarfo dispose of a corpse, a man Scarfo killed with an ice pick in a New Jersey bar for disrespecting him, the young Leonetti was used as a decoy. The first person he killed was a drug user named Louie DeMarco in 1976 on orders of boss Angelo Bruno. In 1978, he shot Vincent Falcone twice and killed him, which prompted associate Joe Salerno to become a government witness. He was inducted into the Philadelphia mob as a soldier in 1980. Leonetti was sentenced to 45 years in prison in 1987. He decided to become a government witness in 1989. Leonetti admitted to being the trigger man in 2 murders and participated in 8 separate murders. He was scheduled to testify against Gambino crime family boss John Gotti on January 21, 1992, however Gambino underboss Sammy "the Bull" Gravano agreed to testify instead. In May 1992, former federal judge Franklin Van Antwerpen reduced Leonetti's sentence to 6-years imprisonment. He testified against Genovese crime family boss Vincent Gigante in 1997 and claimed Gigante ordered 6 murder contracts as retaliation for murdering Philadelphia bosses Angelo Bruno and Phil Testa without approval from the other crime families, specifically in New York. He released a book about his life in 2012. • Robert "Boston Bob" Luisi Jr. – former capo under Joey Merlino. Originally an associate of the Patriarca crime family, he joined the Philadelphia mob and became inducted in 1998. On November 6, 1995, his father, cousin, brother and family friend were killed by gunman Anthony Clemente who fired 13 shots inside of a Charlestown restaurant. It is noted that he attempted to seize control of the criminal rackets of Whitey Bulger in Boston during the 1990s, and attempted to meet Kevin Weeks in 1998. He was indicted by the FBI on June 28, 1999, alongside 13 others for conspiracy to acquire and distribute cocaine. In 2000, he admitted to the murder of Anthony DiPrizio in 1997. He later became a pastor and relocated to Tennessee using the alias Alonso Esposito. • Lawerence "Yogi" Merlino – former capo. He is the deceased uncle of the former boss Philadelphia family boss Joey Merlino and the brother to Chuckie Merlino. Due to his ownership of a construction company based in Atlantic City, Merlino relatives have been repeatedly denied a gaming license by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission since 1989. In 1989, he agreed to become an informer and pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges and to a murder charge. He died in 2001. • Eugene "Gino" Milano – former soldier and hitman. In 1981, he and captain Salvatore Testa allegedly beat up Frank D'Alfonso, on orders of Scarfo. In January 1988, he was indicted on murder, attempted murder, extortion, gambling and conspiracy to distribute narcotic charges, alongside boss Nicky Scarfo and 18 others. Milano became a government witness in early 1989 and admitted to participation in the murder of Frank D'Alfonso on July 23, 1985. It is noted that he has testified against his younger brother. In 1990, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, however in 1993, his sentence was reduced to 9-years imprisonment. • Ralph Natale – former boss between 1994 and 1998. Natale was inducted by Joey Merlino while in prison in 1994 however he later claimed that he became a member under Angelo Bruno. He reached out to the FBI in the summer of 1998 while imprisoned on parole violations however a deal was worked out in 1999 after facing a charge of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine's in Philadelphia and New Jersey, alongside Joey Merlino. In 2000, he pleaded guilty to illegal gambling, extortion and drug distribution charges, including participating in 7 murders. He also admitted to handing bribes of around $50,000 to Milton Milan, the Democratic 45th mayor of Camden, New Jersey. He was interviewed by Trevor McDonald in 2015 and released a book about his mob life in 2017. • Ron Previte – former capo. Previte was a Philadelphia Police Department officer for over a decade and was forced to resign around 1979. He became a bouncer in an Atlantic City casino shortly after. In 1985, he was arrested on theft charges and agreed to become an informer for the New Jersey state police. By 1993, he was a soldier in John Stanfa's Philadelphia crime family, and although he wasn't formally inducted, Stanfa allegedly told Previte to consider himself as a made man. He became an informer in 1997 and agreed to wear a wire for the FBI, he was also paid over $700,000 for information during his time as an informant. His cooperation, in part, led to former boss Ralph Natale's decision to cooperate in 1999. His testimony and cooperation has brought down at least 50 Philadelphia crime family members and associates. He died in August 2017 at the age of 73. • Gaetano "Tommy Horsehead" Scafidi – former soldier. By 1986, he was a money runner for boss Nicky Scarfo, collecting and delivering money payments each week on behalf of Scarfo. His brother, Tori Scafidi, was also a soldier in the Philly crime family and was inducted in 1986. He joined the Merlino faction during the Philadelphia mob war in the 1990s, who opposed new boss John Stanfa. However he switched sides and was shortly after inducted into the crime family by Stanfa. In 1993, two gunmen attempted to kill him however the bullet shattered his car mirror. He became an informer in 2000. • John Veasey – former associate and hitman. He was part of the Stanfa faction during the Philadelphia mob war from 1992 to 1994. In August 1993, Veasey shot and killed Michael "Mikey Chang" Ciancaglini during a drive-by shooting, and wounded Joey Merlino with 4 gunshot wounds. In September 1993, he shot and killed Frank Baldino Sr. outside of the Melrose Diner in South Philadelphia. He alleged that Stanfa became withdrawn after Veasey's complaints and ordered a contract on him. On January 14, 1994, he was lured to a second-floor apartment and noted that the room was covered in plastic, the hitmen alleged that they were "painting". Moments after, he was shot 3 times in the head and once in the chest. Veasey managed to stab one of the attackers and hit the other one, eventually fleeing the apartment. In January 1994, he became a government witness. On the day of John Stanfa's trial in October 1995 which Veasey was scheduled to testify at, his brother, William "Bill" Veasey, was murdered. He was sent to prison in the mid-1990s and was released in 2005. He released a book about his life in January 2012. ==Factions and territories==

The Philadelphia family operates primarily in South Philadelphia and the surrounding metropolitan area, including Delaware and New Jersey. The organization's principal criminal activities include labor racketeering, political corruption, sports and numbers betting, video gambling, extortion, loansharking, manufacture and distribution of drugs, money laundering, mail fraud, prostitution, theft, and hijacking. • Pennsylvania – The family is based in South Philadelphia and operates throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. However, the organization's influence in the city has waned in recent decades. The family has a significant North Jersey faction based in the Down Neck neighborhood of Newark. The organization also operates in Trenton, Camden, along the Jersey Shore, and throughout South Jersey. • Delaware – The family has a small contingent operating in Delaware. • New York – The family conducts gambling operations in New York City. == List of murders committed by the Philadelphia crime family ==

• At the beginning of Bruce Springsteen's 1982 song Atlantic City, mention is made of the murder of Phil "The Chicken Man" Testa, who was briefly the boss of the Philadelphia crime family from 1980 until his murder on March 15, 1981. • In 2006, the film 10th & Wolf was released, and marketed as the true story of the Philadelphia Mafia. In this film, one of the two main characters is Joey "Skinny Joey" Merlino (played by Giovanni Ribisi), who was the second longest-serving boss of the Philadelphia crime family (having led them from 1999 to 2024). • The 2006 courtroom comedy-drama film Find Me Guilty focuses on Jackie DiNorscio (portrayed by Vin Diesel), a notorious soldier in the Philadelphia crime family who later defects to the Lucchese crime family due to a bloody internal feud within the Philadelphia crime family that began after the murder of his boss, Angelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno. • The Philadelphia Crime Family is the main antagonist of the 2006 video game The Sopranos: Road to Respect. In this game, the Philadelphia Crime Family (also known as the Buscetta Crime Family) are led by ruthless mob boss Angelo "Angie" Buscetta and are considered enemies of the DiMeo/Soprano crime family), mainly after Buscetta's nephew is killed by Paulie Gualtieri (the underboss of the DiMeo/Soprano crime family and Joey LaRocca (a key associate of the DiMeo/Soprano crime family). • The Philadelphia crime family is the main antagonist of the two-part episode "The Gang Gets Whacked" (episodes 3x12 and 3x13 respectively) of the third season of ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''. In this episode, the Philadelphia crime family, led by the ruthless Don Sal (played by Joe Cortese) comes into conflict with the five protagonists of the series due to the fact that they stole a precious drug shipment that belongs to him. • The Philadelphia crime family is considered an important part of the plot of the 2015 biopic film Legend. In this film, the longest-serving boss of the Philadelphia crime family, Angelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno (played by Chazz Palminteri) and his consigliere, Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro (played by English actor Alex Giannini) are sent to London by Meyer Lansky (a powerful Jewish American mafia boss and one of the heads of the National Crime Syndicate) to negotiate a deal with the Kray twins (both played by Tom Hardy), a pair of identical twin brothers and powerful gangsters who ruled the London underworld during the 1960s and 1970s. • The 2019 epic gangster film The Irishman focuses on two of the best known members of the Philadelphia crime family: Philadelphia crime family boss Angelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno (played by Harvey Keitel) and his underboss Felix "Skinny Razor" DiTullio (played by Bobby Cannavale). ==See also==