Scarfo crime family

The Scarfo crime family, also known as the Philadelphia crime family, Sabella crime family, Philly Mob, Philly Mafia, or Bruno crime family, are an Italian and Italian-American organized crime syndicate that are based in northern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey; Atlantic City is also considered their turf. They are allies of the K&A Gang, Chicago Outfit, Genovese crime family, Colombo crime family, Gambino crime family, Bonanno crime family, Lucchese crime family, Black Mafia, and Warlocks MC, while they are rivals of the Kielbasa Posse, Albanian Mob, Pagans MC, and various gangs over Philadelphia. The city originated under Angelo Bruno, who took over the city in 1959 with the assistance of the Gambino crime family. They became very powerful through their alliance, but after Carlo Gambino's death in 1976, the family became weak. The family split up and Nicky Scarfo took power after a very violent and brutal mob war fought as a secret war by the Genovese crime family to take control of the city.

History[]

The Philly Mob was founded by Salvatore Sabella in 1911, and were initially involved in extortion, loansharking, and illegal gambling, and come 1920, were also involved with bootlegging. In the 1930s and 1940s, the family allied with the Genovese crime family, Gambino crime family, and Chicago Outfit, making good connections in the narcotics trade, as well as securing allies against various gangs in the area. In 1959, Angelo Bruno became boss of the family and became known as "The Gentle Don", preferring racketeering and extortion to drugs, because of Vito Genovese's arrest due to drug trafficking. He was put in power by Don Carlo Gambino of the Gambino crime family, and the Gambinos fought for the Bruno family whenever they needed a proxy - Angelo Bruno earned all of the influence and cash that Philadelphia had to offer because of the Gambino's assistance in their takeover. However, in 1976 Gambino died, and Bruno lost a lot of power. The family fought itself, and Bruno was killed by Antonio Caponigro, who wanted to bring drugs into the picture. The Genovese crime family were held responsible for the hit, as they were a rival family. Caponigro thought that he had The Commission's approval to kill his boss, but he was not given permission. He was lured into a meeting where he was supposed to be crowned the new boss of Philadelphia, but he was instead garroted and stabbed - $20 bills were stuffed in his mouth and anus to show his greed. The Genovese moved behind the scenes to take control of Philadelphia, although not any other mob boss knew who was in charge. Considered the "Ivy League" of organized crime, the smart and crafty Genovese family waged the war. They hoped to take over Atlantic City, a coastal resort town in decline. After Gambino's death, the Gambino family lost its influence over the city, and the Genovese moved in, hoping to take over the crown jewel of organized crime. Afterwards, the family split up, so "Little Nicky" Scarfo decided to take over. The boss, Phil Testa ("the Chicken Man") was the best friend of Scarfo, and he made Scarfo his "lefty". However, the Bruno hit paved the way for the rise of Scarfo and his own gang. Scarfo wanted to take full advantage of the relationship with Testa, and many of his men believed that Testa would "make" his men. They formed "Scarfo Inc.", named after Testa's right-hand man, and the family regained its grip. However, Testa was later assassinated by a nail bomb in a bid by Frank Narducci, Sr. and others to take control of the city. Until 1995, there were brutal mob wars, and the Scarfo family splintered. Scarfo was later arrested, and the family was weakened.

The Philadelphia family own territory in northern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, with turf in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Trenton, Camden, Chester, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Newark. Joseph Merlino became the boss after Scarfo's arrest.