A Look Back At The South Philly Mob: My Washington Times 'On Crime' Column On George Anastasia's History Of Philadelphia Organized Crime

With the recent death of South Philly mob legend Chickie Ciancaglini, I've been thinking about an earlier era of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra crime family.

Perhaps the best book on that era is George Anastasia’s Blood and Honor.

You can read my 2020 Washington Times On Crime column on Blood and Honor below:

In a previous column, I wrote about Frank Sheeran, the late Philadelphia criminal who was portrayed by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s Netflix film, “The Irishman.” Although I don’t subscribe to Sheeran’s claim that he murdered Jimmy Hoffa and his other boasts, I liked the film. 

I especially liked the film as it featured organized crime figures from South Philadelphia, where I grew up. Readers have contacted me and asked how to learn more about the South Philly-South Jersey Cosa Nostra crime family. I responded by suggesting that they read George Anastasia’s true crime books, “Blood and Honor,” “The Goodfella Tapes” and “The Last Gangster.”

 

Jimmy Breslin said George Anastasia’s “Blood and Honor: The Scarfo Mob, the Mafia’s Most Violent Family” was the best gangster book ever written. Mr. Anastasia, a former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, covered the rise and fall of the Nicodemo “Nicky” Scarfo Philadelphia Cosa Nostra crime family in the 1980s.

 

With Mr. Anastasia’s knowledge from years of covering the mob and his interviews with Nick Caramandi, a Scarfo mob soldier turned government witness, “Blood and Honor” offers the backstory of the murder of South Philly-South Jersey mob boss Angelo Bruno (portrayed by Harvey Keitel in “The Irishman”) and the eventual rise of Scarfo. The book details the schemes, the internecine mob war and the many murders ordered by Scarfo.

       

I interviewed Philip “Crazy Phil” Leonetti, Scarfo’s nephew and underboss who became a government witness. He described his uncle as smart, devious, calculating and psychopathic. He said his uncle enjoyed committing murders. 

“He couldn’t handle the job. He talked about everybody else going power-crazy, but he went power-crazy,” Leonetti told me. “He wanted to kill everybody.”

Another fine book on the South Philly mob by George Anastasia (seen in the above photo) is “The Goodfella Tapes: The True Story of How the FBI Recorded a  Mob War and Brought Down a Mafia Don.” 

 

The book covers how the FBI secretly recorded John Stanfa, the mob boss who took over after Scarfo went to prison. Stanfa, a Sicilian-born criminal, was engaged in an internecine mob war from 1993 to 1995. As Mr. Anastasia explains, one side was old world Sicilian and the other side was born and bred South Philadelphians, the sons and nephews of the previous mob leadership.

 

Stanfa believed it was safe to talk shop and plot murders in his lawyer’s office. But the FBI convinced a judge that the lawyer was involved with crimes, so the FBI was allowed to bug the office. The FBI recorded 2,000 conversations, which is the basis of “The Goodfella Tapes.”

 

“Goodfellas don’t sue goodfellas,” one mob philosopher advised a mob associate and potential litigant as the FBI listened in. “Goodfellas kill goodfellas.” The book offers a good number of other insightful comments as well.

 

Like “Blood and Honor,” South Philly is featured so prominently in “The Goodfella Tapes” that it’s practically a character.

 

“The Philadelphia mob is probably the most dysfunctional crime family in America,” Mr. Anastasia said. “It’s the Simpsons of the underworld.”

 

A third George Anastasia book I’d recommend is “The Last Gangster: From Cop to Wiseguy To FBI Informant: Big Ron Previte and the Fall of the American Mob.”

 

Ron Previte, a 300-pound, 6-foot mobster called “the Fat Rat” by the South Philly wiseguys, was a former crooked cop, thief, gambler and Cosa Nostra capo. In “The Last Gangster,” Previte told Mr. Anastasia that he saw the mob fading, so like any good gambler, he hedged his bet by becoming an FBI informant.

 

He wore a wire from 1997 to 1999 and his recordings sent the then-mob boss Ralph Natale and underboss Joey Merlino to prison. Natale later cooperated with the feds, becoming the first mob boss to do so.

 

With Mr. Anastasia’s interviews with Ron Previte and his research through a mountain of law enforcement records and court files, “The Last Gangster” is an interesting and gripping book that reads like crime fiction. 

 

George Anastasia, the grandson of Sicilian immigrants, was born in South Philly and raised in South Jersey. As a reporter, he said he was fascinated by the dark side of the Italian American experience.

 

As I’m half-Italian on my mother’s side, I asked George Anastasia how he responded to the criticism I’ve heard from Italian-Americans in South Philly. They believe his extensive coverage of Cosa Nostra promoted a negative image of Italian-Americans, the vast majority of whom, I might add, are not criminals.

 

“These guys are taking the positive values of the Italian American experience; honor, family and loyalty, and bastardizing them for their own end,” Mr. Anastasia replied. “I think you should shine a light on that.”

 

He also said that he took great pride in the positive contributions that Italians have made to this country and to the world.

 

• Paul Davis’ On Crime column covers true crime, crime fiction, mysteries and thrillers.

 

You can read my post on the death of Chickie Ciancaglini via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: South Philly Mob Legend Joseph “Chickie” Ciancaglini Passes: “Ultimate Stand-Up Guy” was 88 Years Old

And you can read my On Crime column on The Irishman via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: Oldfellas: A Look Back At Frank Sheeran and Martin Scorsese's Film, 'The Irishman' 

Two Real Life Gangster Tales Ripe For The Silver Screen

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia (seen in the below photo), who wrote a book on gangster movies, offers a piece at jerseymanmagazine.com on two recent true crime books that might make good crime films.

I agree that one of the books, Lee Server’s Handsome Johnny, The Life and Death of Johnny Rosselli: Gentleman Gangster, Hollywood Producer, CIA Assassin, which I reviewed for the Washington Times, would make an interesting film or TV miniseries. (A young Johnny Rosselli appears in the above mugshot).

I’m not convinced that the second book, Gianni Russo’s Hollywood Godfather: My life in Movies and the Mob, can even be called true crime, as the stories written by the sometimes actor who played Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather are a bit too much to be believed. He should have called the book fiction.

In George Anastasia’s piece he writes about his gangster movie book and the two crime books.  

Several years ago, I wrote a book with Glenn Macnow, the radio sports commentator, about mob movies. It was called the Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies and it opened with these lines: “Walk into any bar where guys hang out and it’s a good bet they are discussing one of three topics—sports, women or movies. It’s also a good bet that most of those guys can speak with knowledge and intelligence about two of those topics. This is a book about one of them—movies. More specifically gangster movies.”

The book went on to list what we considered the 100 best mob movies of all time and included an essay on each film along with lots of trivia and other stories related to the real life and reel life of the gangster.

Two new books, one published late last year and one that was scheduled to be released last month, have refocused attention on the mob and the movies. The first, and better of the two, is HANDSOME JOHNNY, The Life and Death of Johnny Rosselli: Gentleman Gangster, Hollywood Producer, CIA Assassin. Written by Lee Server, the book is a fascinating account of the life and times of one of the more significant—yet least publicized—gangsters in American history.

… It’s American history from the underworld’s perspective and Server has done a great job researching and writing a story that revolves around the dapper, charismatic and soft-spoken wiseguy who could have stepped off one of the movie sets in which he had a hidden interest.

Equally entertaining is HOLLYWOOD GODFATHER, My Life in the Movies and the Mob written by Gianni Russo with Patrick Picciarelli. Russo played Don Corleone’s son-in-law Carlo Rizzi in the classic mob movie and frankly writes that he has used that connection to build a series of careers in both the entertainment industry and the underworld.

His memoir is both incredible and fantastic—incredible as in hard-to-believe and fantastic as in are you making this stuff up? Russo emerges as an underworld Forrest Gump, a character who happened to be on hand for virtually every major mob-linked historic event in the 20th century.


You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

https://jerseymanmagazine.com/two-real-life-gangster-tales-ripe-for-the-silver-screen/?fbclid=IwAR10VD9c8h6cmL8V3Z1Rv6RW8E-C8D68BMjil7JRB0-AfLGz3gqL2IF-bNE

And you can read my Washington Times review of Handsome Johnny via the below link:

www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2019/01/my-washington-times-review-of-handsome.html 

Reputed Philadelphia Organized Crime Boss Turns Down Plea Offer In Big East Coast Mob Case

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia (seen in the bottom photo) offers a piece at Bigtrial.net on Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino (seen in the above photo) and the Fed’s big East Coast mob case

Brad Sirkin has folded his cards.

The prolific, enterprising mob associate and sometime driver for Philadelphia Mafia boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino has agreed to cop a guilty plea in that sweeping but flawed racketeering conspiracy indictment in Manhattan Federal Court, and also to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a more pointed and apparently airtight case against him and seven co-defendants in federal court in Tampa.

Merlino, on the other hand, is hanging tough and is prepared to go to trial in Manhattan where several other defendants also have opted to take deals. The insurance scam, the central charge in the Tampa case, is just a small piece of the broader New York indictment.

Sirkin, in a plea agreement filed in Florida, admitted his role in what authorities have alleged was a $157 million insurance fraud scheme that included kickbacks to doctors and pharmacist who knowingly wrote and filled bogus prescriptions for what authorities said were "compound medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, irrespective of medical necessity."

Sources said insurance companies were billed from $500 to $1,000 for a tube of the bogus cream with many prescriptions written with up to 10 refills. The mob was late arriving to the scam involving compound creams which have been described by insurance company investigators as the "snake oil of the 21st century" and which have, according to early investigations, generated tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent insurance reimbursements.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2017/05/merlino-turns-down-plea-offer.html 

George Anastasia On The Mob And A Former New Jersey Top Cop

Veteran journalist and author George Anastasia offers a look at former New Jersey cop Bob Buccino, the author of New Jersey Mob, Memoirs of a Top Cop at jerseymanmagazine.com.

Back in the 1980s, the wife of a South Philadelphia mobster had firsthand knowledge of her husband’s involvement in two gangland murders. This did not make for a happy marital abode.

She came to believe that her life was in jeopardy, so she filed for divorce and eventually became a government witness against her former spouse. While living in protective custody, she took up with one of the FBI agents assigned to guard her and married him.

Looking for some personal insights, I asked her what the difference was between the cops and the wiseguys.

Without missing a beat, she replied, “The cops have badges.”

I thought about that while reading Bob Buccino’s self-published book New Jersey Mob, Memoirs of a Top Cop. Buccino’s highly acclaimed law enforcement career was built around his crusade to take down the mob in his native New Jersey. But he frankly admits that as a teenager, he was on a different path and could have easily ended up as a made member of one of the seven organized crime families that operate in the Garden State.

Fate, happenstance and a young wife who made it clear she’d have nothing to do with him if he didn’t change his ways led him to take the New Jersey State Police exam two years after he graduated from high school in Orange, the town where he grew up and where he cut his teeth running with a teenage gang, collecting numbers bets for mobsters and bouncing in and out of trouble.

“I saw wiseguys and recognized the Mafia long before the FBI even acknowledged their existence,” Buccino says of his childhood and teenage years in 1950s North Jersey. “You could place a horse bet or a wager on almost any sport contest in almost every candy store and luncheonette.”

As a teenager, he was fascinated with the life and wanted to be a part of it.

“I started running numbers, selling football pools, and ran small nickel and dime card games,” he writes. “I always had money in my pocket. I idolized wiseguys like Little Pussy Russo in his pink Cadillac convertible. I admired that way of life. No one messed with made guys in the neighborhood.”

Street smart and never afraid to mix it up, Buccino had all the attributes that the organization valued. But instead of turning to a life of crime, he used those same character traits to build a career in law enforcement. In many ways he epitomized what the woman in South Philadelphia recognized intuitively. The attitude, the swagger, the willingness to take risks and live life on the edge were part of the wiseguy ethos. But they could also be part of what made someone a good cop.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://jerseymanmagazine.com/taking-down-the-mob/ 

No Reservations At Ristorante Merlino's

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia offers a piece at Bigtrial.net (with permission from Gangland News) on the closing of the Florida restaurant run by Joey Merlino, the reputed boss of the Philadelphia Cosa Nosa organized crime family.

If you picked up a snazzy Merlino's wineglass on your last trip to Boca, don't throw it away. It may soon be a collector's item. It looks like Joey Merlino is out of the restaurant business.

Reports from Boca Raton, where his posh, eponymous nightspot was located, indicate that the restaurant is closed and the property is for sale. In June, Skinny Joey denied a Miami Herald report that Merlino's had gone belly up. He insisted that his joint was shutting down for the summer season and would reopen in the fall. 

Who knows? That may have been the plan. But that was before the racketeering indictment that snared him and 45 co-defendants for being part of what federal prosecutors have dubbed an East Coast LCN Enterprise. 


You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2016/11/reprinted-with-permission-from-gangland.html

Note: George Anastasia mentions former mobster Ron Previte in the piece. You can read my Philadelphia Inquirer review of his book on Previte and Merlino, The Last Gangster, via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2013/08/my-philadelphia-inquirer-review-of_7773.html

Former South Philly Mob Boss Joey Merlino Packs Them In At Federal Hearing

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia is covering Joey Merlino's federal proceedings for Bigtrial.net.

Joey Merlino can still draw a crowd.

The one-time South Philadelphia celebrity mobster had a nearly packed courtroom for his probation violation hearing this morning. Friends, family members, law enforcement officials and more than a dozen members of the media showed up for a 90-minute proceeding that revolved around mundane technical issues and that offered all the drama of a first-year law school seminar.

The proceeding before U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick ended without any resolution. But Merlino, 52, attracted a swarm of television cameramen and newspaper photographers as he exited the building at Sixth and Market Streets.

"The Mummers Parade," Merlino said cryptically as reporters shouted questions at him and a small entourage that made its way toward Seventh Street and a parking garage. Merlino was scheduled to return to Florida later today.
In an earlier interview with Bigtrial.net, Merlino said that one of the few things he missed since relocating to Florida three years ago was the New Year's Day parade.

Whether he has to return to Philadelphia for another hearing will depend on how Surrick rules on what amounted to conflicting legal arguments posed by defense attorney Edwin Jacobs Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Troyer.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/10/merlino-packs-them-in-at-federal-hearing.html#more

Masterworks, Murder And Mobsters, A Philadelphia Story?

 



Veteran organized crime reporter George Anastasia is covering the federal organized crime trials in Philadelphia for Bigtrial.net.

 

Is jailed mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi or any other member of his organization a secret "patron of the arts?"

That question surfaced this week as the FBI in Boston said it was close to solving a $500 million art heist that may have had a Philadelphia underworld connection.

In a week full of wild speculation, rumor and innuendo about the 1990 robbery -- one bizarre and unfounded report had some of the masterpieces stashed in the backroom of a South Philadelphia bar -- the story of mobsters and stolen masterworks was getting lots of traction.

In more mundane courtroom developments, meanwhile, two major players from the crime family, underboss Joseph "Mousie" Massimino and mob soldier Damion Canalichio are scheduled to be sentenced in May following their convictions last month on racketeering conspiracy charges. Each faces a potential double-digit prison term, given the nature of the charge and their lengthy criminal records.

Canalichio, 41, has two prior federal drug convictions. Massimino, 62, has been jailed on drug dealing and racketeering charges.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2013/03/masterworks-murders-and-mobsters.html#more

You can also read an earlier post on the Philly connection to the Gardner Museum theft via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2013/03/philly-mob-connection-to-gardner-muesum.html

North Philadelphia Drug Kingpin Trial: Christmas, Cocaine And A Red Lobster Gift Certificate

Veteran organized crime reporter George Anastasia is covering the federal drug kingpin trial of Kaboni Savage in Philadelphia for Bigtrial.net.

Kaboni Savage worked holidays.

The North Philadelphia drug kingpin made major cocaine purchases on Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to a big-time coke dealer who testified for the prosecution this afternoon at Savage's drug trafficking/murder trial.

The fact that Savage was under house arrest and wearing a court-ordered electronic ankle bracelet at the time didn't slow him down, said Juan Rosado as he described holiday deliveries that he made to Savage's home on Darien Street in North Philadelphia in November and December 2000.Rosado, a self-described "multi-million dollar cocaine trafficker," was the second supplier to testify for the government in the Savage trial, which is now in its third week. The trial, which is expected to last from three to four months, stems from a 12-year FBI investigation into the Savage organization.

The case includes allegations of drug dealing, money-laundering and 12 murders. Authorities allege that Savage, 38, a former boxer, used fear, intimidation and violence to control a drug network that pumped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine onto the streets of Philadelphia.
You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2013/02/christmas-cocaine-and-red-lobster-gift.html#more

Video Poker Machines And Expresso, A South Philadelphia Tradition

Veteran organized crime reporter and true crime author George Anastasia is covering the federal organized crime trial in Philadelphia for www.bigtrial.net.

A South Philadelphia video poker machine vendor reluctantly offered jurors a look at the finances of the illegal gambling business Friday when he put a dollar figure on his 10-year run as a distributor.

Curt Arbitman, testifying in the racketeering trial of mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and six co-defendants, said when he agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors he was forced to forfeit $600,000.

The money, he said, was an estimate of his take from a distribution network that he controlled from about 2000 until his arrest in September 2009.

His income, he told the jury, was based on a profit-sharing arrangement he had with the owners of the stops -- bars, restaurants and social clubs -- where his machines were placed. He said he worked a 75/25 split, meaning the stop owner got 75 percent of the take and he got 25 percent.

In effect, the buisness generated $2.4 million over that 10-year period.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2012/11/video-poker-machines-and-espresso-south.html

You can read George Anastasia's earlier posts at www.bigtrial.net.

Philadelphia Area Members Of Alleged Sports Betting Ring Charged With Racketeering

 

 

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information on August 8th:

PHILADELPHIA—A 23-count indictment was unsealed today charging 16 defendants in a conspiracy case involving the Mastronardo Bookmaking Organization, a multi-million-dollar sports betting operation with bettors throughout the U.S. At its peak, the alleged organization had more than 1,000 bettors and was generating millions of dollars a year. All but one defendant (Joanna Mastronardo) are charged with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (RICO) and conducting an illegal gambling business.

The indictment alleges that between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2011, the organization utilized Internet websites and telephone numbers that allowed bettors to place sports bets on football, baseball, basketball, golf, horse racing, and other sporting events. Residents of Costa Rica staffed the Internet and telephone sites. The defendants allegedly hid more than $1 million in and around their homes, including in specially-built compartments and in PVC pipes that were buried in a yard.

Charged are Joseph Vito Mastronardo, Jr. (seen in the above photo) and John Mastronardo, the two alleged leaders; Joseph F. Mastronardo, Eric Woehlcke, Harry Murray, Joseph Vitelli, Anna Rose Vitelli, Patrick Tronoski, Edward Feighan, Kenneth Cohen, Schuyler Twaddle, Michael Loftus, Michael Squillante, David Rounick, Ronald Gendrachi; and Joanna Mastronardo, the wife of Joseph Mastronardo, Jr. All, with the exception of Twaddle, were arrested this morning.

The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger, FBI Special Agent in Charge George C. Venizelos of the Philadelphia Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Eric Hylton of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman.

The indictment alleges that the defendants ran the organization using telephone, Skype, e-mail, text messaging, and in-person communication. They allegedly met bettors in-person, often in public buildings and parking lots, to collect or deliver payments that ranged from $1,000 to more than $100,000. The organization also allegedly used a gas station on Norristown Road in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, as a mailing address and drop-off site to collect gambling payments.

According to the indictment, members of the Mastronardo Bookmaking Organization laundered the gambling proceeds using check cashing agencies, private bank accounts, and international bank accounts and provided instructions so that a losing bettor could pay a gambling debt through a charitable donation.

According to the indictment, leader Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr. supervised the agents, sub-agents, websites (www.betroma.com and www.betrose.com), office employees; laundered some of the betting proceeds; collected debts; and instructed others to collect debts. Mastronardo’s brother, John, also a leader in the organization, supervised agents and sub-agents, laundered proceeds, and collected debts. John’s son, Joseph F. Mastronardo, worked as an office employee, collected debts, and performed other financial duties. Eric Woehlcke was initially a bookmaker and office employee, then worked as an office manager, and eventually became a leader supervising agents and sub-agents and laundering proceeds. Harry Murray was a bookmaker who resided in Florida and laundered proceeds in and outside the U.S. Joseph and Anna Rose Vitelli owned J&A Check Cashing where, in 2006, they allowed the organization to occupy an office for the illegal gambling business and which was also used to aid in the laundering of proceeds. Tronoski, Feighan, Cohen, Twaddle, Loftus, Squillante, Rounick, and Gendrachi were all bookmakers.

The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr., in a conversation with bookmaker Harry Murray, commented, “Well, times like this I’m happy I’m a bookmaker,” to which Murray responded, “Me too.”

“Technology allowed the defendants to allegedly expand their gambling and money laundering operation far beyond the borders of Pennsylvania,” said Memeger. “Unfortunately for the defendants, however, we have the necessary statutory tools to investigate and prosecute those who openly flout our illegal gambling and financial reporting laws.”

“Illegal gambling and money laundering are the financial engines that help drive criminal enterprises like the one alleged today,” said Special Agent in Charge Venizelos. “The type of gambling activity charged here is illegal. These types of extensive and long-term joint investigative efforts, worked with our partners like the IRS and Montgomery County Detectives, are intended to dismantle criminal organizations that profit from illegal activities.”

“This alleged racketeering operation was anchored in Montgomery County but had tentacles spreading across the U.S. and beyond,” said D.A. Ferman. “Despite our attempt to shut it down in 2006-2007 with a Montgomery County prosecution, my office discovered that the defendants, as is alleged in the indictment, were back in business. We partnered with our federal counterparts to examine the full scope of the alleged illegal gambling operation. Today’s indictment reflects the work of many law enforcement agents across multiple agencies. These defendants tried to ‘game’ the system. Today, they crapped out.”

“The indictments announced today are the result of a significant and complex investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Hylton. “With both law enforcement and financial expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to assist with these types of cases by following the trail of money. Our office will continue to work aggressively to identify and target illegal financial gains.”

Joanna Mastronardo is charged with one count of structuring in which it is alleged that she participated in making approximately 72 deposits in amounts less than $10,000, totaling more than $500,000 in a 12-month period.

Joseph V. Mastronardo, Jr. is charged in all 23 counts of the indictment. The remaining 14 defendants are each charged with the RICO conspiracy and with prohibition of illegal gambling. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $6.3 million as alleged proceeds of the illegal enterprise.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason P. Bologna.

An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Note: Joseph V. Mastronardo is the son-in-law of the late Philadelphia mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo (seen in the below photo). His daughter is Joanna Mastronardo.

You can read George Anastasia's piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the arrests via the below link:

http://articles.philly.com/2012-08-10/news/33119372_1_joe-vito-mastronardo-john-mastronardo-joey-mastronardo

Organized Crime Moving From The Back Alleys To The Boardroom: Nicodemo S. Scarfo, Son of Jailed Philadelphia Mob Boss, Arrested In Boardroom Fraud

 

As noted in a previous post, Nicodemo S. Scarfo, the son of Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, the jailed former boss of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra crime family, was arrested along with a dozen others in a scheme to take over a business firm.

George Anastasia, the veteran organized crime reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and author of  true crime books on organized crime such as Blood & Honor and The Last Gangster, covered the arrests for the Inquirer.

"This case gives new meaning to the term 'corporate takeover,' " Paul Fishman, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, said at a news conference where the charges were announced.

"This was organized crime moving from the back alley to the boardroom," added Michael Ward, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark office.

You can read the rest of George Anastasia's newspaper story and watch his Mob Scene video via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/133048563.html

You can read my previous post on the arrest of Scarfo and others via the below link:

http://pauldavisoncrime.blogspot.com/2011/11/demise-of-organized-crime-has-been.html