HOW DID THE PHILADELPHIA WAR START?

JUST WANNA KNOW

you shouldn't post in all caps (just saying)

WHY CAN"T YOU POST IN ALL CAPS???

Which War?

Didn't it start when Anthony Caponigro got Angelo Bruno whacked?

When that happened Coponigro thought he had commission approval, however, he did not. This is when Phil Testa and Scarfo met with the NY bosses and got approval to take over. They then had Caponigro killed.

What year was Bruno whacked again?

Mid 80's?

Am i right?

March 1980.

Thanks TB.

Scarfo-Riccobene War: 1982-1984

After Scarfo was installed as boss in late 1981 he implemented the street tax in Philadelphia and South Jersey, which requires all independent criminals operating on Mafia turf to kick up some of their profits. Angelo Bruno never used and Phil Testa...well he never had a chance to.

Harry "The Hunchback" Riccobene a mob soldier was completely independent from the family despite being made and figured he should be an exception to the rule, Scarfo didn't. After being tired of waiting, Scarfo reached out to Mario "Sonny" Riccobene through his Consigliere, Frank Monte. If Mario killed his brother Harry, the two hated each other, he would be made as would his son. Mario instead told his brother Harry and had two members of faction, Joseph Pedulla and Victor DeLuca kill Monte...this set off the war.

Scarfo soldier, Salvatore "Wayne" Grande managed to shoot Harry six times but failed to kill him. The Riccoebene faction struck back ambushing Salvatore "Salvie" Testa, son of Phil, he was hit by a shotgun blast and nearly had his left arm dismembered. Problem for Scarfo was that both Harry and Mario Riccobene were in prison, the Riccobene faction also couldn't target Scarfo since he was serving a short stint in prison as well. Scarfo soldiers Nicholas "Nicky Whip" Milano and Philip Narducci stalked and killed Riccobene faction member Salvatore "Sammy" Tamburrino...in front of his mother. During this time the son of Mario Riccobene, Enrico, learned he was target of Phillip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti, Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino, and Salvie Testa. Enrico was so scared of the three he committed suicide, Testa and Leonetti joked "We don't even have to use bullets". Enrico was a civilian but Scarfo wanted him killed anyway because he was related.

Scarfo's top target became Robert "Bobby" Riccobene after it appeared that neither Harry nor Mario were to leave prison anytime soon. Scarfo soldier, Francis "Faffy" Iannarella shot Bobby while he was fleeing his house, he was struck in the head by Iannarella's shotgun blast. Bobby's mother tried to block Iannarella but he smashed her with his shotgun.

The Riccobene faction made one last attempt on Salvie Testa and Joseph "Joey Pung" Pungitore, the the hit failed and it was the last shots of the war. The hitmen who killed Monte later became informants and testified against Harry and Mario, both got life setences. Mario became an informant after his got his sentence. When John Stanfa became boss and the threat of Scarfo gone, Mario left WPP and wanted back in the mob despite being rat. Stanfa had Gaeton "Gator" Lucibello (Currently a Philly Capo) kill Mario in 1993 while eating lunch.

Of course there was also the Merlino/Ciancaglini-Stanfa/Piccolo War between 1991-1995 but my hands hurt of typing!

Any idea who was behind Testa's murder? According to Gravano, the whole thing was a master manipulation by Gigante to sway Philly under his control.

It makes sense seeing how when Phil Leonetti was to become underboss, he said Scarfo had to bring him to NY and get the ok from Bobby Manna (Gigante's consigliere at the time). Under Angelo Bruno, Philly was closely associated with the Gambinos, but after the dust settled it seemed they answered to the Genovese.

Any thoughts?

My understanding is that Phillip Testa was murdered by Frank Narducci, Pete Casella, and Rocco Marinucci, who were of the opinion that Casella, and not Testa, should have been named boss.

Narducci was also irritated he was not named consigliere to Testa who instead gave it to his friend Nicky Scarfo. Casella never had a prayer to be boss, he was in poor health by 1980 and not popular with New York, he died only a few years after the Testa hit. Narducci and Marinucci were both murdered by Salvie Testa and Anthony Pungitore Jr. in late 1981.