Why did Phil Testa choose Pete Casella?

After reading and watching everything i can about philly during that period that Bruno was killed and phil Testa took over i still dont know why a guy as street smart as Testa chose Pete Casella as underboss. I know new york told him to give nicky the underboss spot or consigliere but at least he had a long history with scarfo. Casella had just gotten out of prison for drug dealing and from what i can tell Didnt have a history with testa or was a big earner. I remember Phil Leonetti said that the decision was met with shock and bewilderment

I thinkTesta was just throwing him a bone after doing a bid probably Testa and Bruno were getting money from before he got pinched or just for being a member with good connections in NY and the guy can keep his mouth shut .

I don’t think it had much to do with anything else other then being close with Bruno and he knew the rackets or in other words he knew the job .

WellTesta thought !

Could be that Testa was looking to move in that direction (narcotics) and needed Pete Casella to guide that operation. Testa must have known that Scarfo was opposed to dealing drugs made Casella his underboss.

Casella was close to members of the Genovese, Lucchese, and Bonanno crime families of the New Jersey factions. It was also Gerardo Catena who saved Casella from being hit and allowed him to retire down in Florida.

Thanx Giacomo for revealing Jerry Catena as Pete Cassella's protection. This is the first time that I ever heard a name provided regarding this. Was always sourced as a "Powerful Genovese member who saved Casella.

Listening to the mafia Prince and Leonetti explains how Long John approached Scarfo about dealing narcotics. And to Scarfo's surprise Long John tells him how they were all into narcotics: Bruno, Testa,... maybe the Chicken man wanted to improve his income with Casela's understanding of the narcotic trade. Serp, I sent you a pm.

Always wondered this. My thoughts was that testa thought the old guy would be easy to control;

- just done a large bid, so trustworthy
- old guy, less ambitious easy to control
- old guys are usually old school
- knew ny guys

All the above was bs as the guy is like the majority of old mobsters who still want it all for some reason at 70+. Casella was a brokester too which didn’t help testa as he wanted more money then what was being offered clearly.

Sal should’ve found casella in Florida and whacked him. He deserved it as much as the others if not more as he was in an administration position and should’ve been grateful.

Reminds me of the Greg depalma wiretaps when the guy was over 70 - the guy was still chasing money and power like he was 20. Insane reading about how he was at that age. They’re a breed like no other these old mobsters - only the ones that never hit the millionaire status. The more successful ones tend to want to retire yesterday

If Sal did that the Genovese would have had him killed if Scarfo didn’t do it first. And to your point about retiring early, look at Greg DePalma vs Torre LoCascio... Diblutrich actually talks about that in the Scores book...

That’s true but I’m sure he wanted to whack him! Genoveses would of got Scarfo to do it. Whole lot of good it done him following the rules

Casella's case is nothing compared to Sonny Franzese for example: the guy still extorted money at 93 years; by comparison, Casella was a young boy Or Nick Rizzuto who was still active at 86 when he was whacked.

I also think that's much it plain & simple in a nutshell..a bone...just as Bruno had done w/ Caponigro by appointing him consig after Rugnetta passed.

Yeah because none of it makes any sense (Testa) had no grudges against Nick he actually had a relationship with him.

So it’s has to come down to money that was made for the family and he went away or he was a well connected member with tenure and in good standing .

Scarfo took sides with Testa when Bruno and him were beefing.

That’s the writing on the wall for Bruno when as the boss he cannot control his admin. In other families test and Scarfo would’ve been whacked immediately for beefing with the boss and rightly so. Could you imagine the same situation with Scarfo as the boss.. you can say what you want about Scarfo but no one could dare plot against him or argue with him unless they wanted a quick dirt nap

That’s also because Scarfo as Phil used to say or was it Crow preferred,’ more Indians than chiefs’

He purposely kept guys around him weak or anyone he suspected was getting ‘too big for their britches’ he’d demote/ or whack them (Chuckie) & (Salvie)

That’s why his admin was made up with his nephew and HAD Nicky jr been ready, Scarfo was grooming him to take over one day

True in our life it’s a crazy thing, but after a couple bosses went down to treason Nick was not going down like that. Now the guycould of had a different approach with keeping guys like Salvie and Chucky and Yogi he could of had someone very close listening for any type of treason ( like Tommy was constantly) he had guys loyal and just could not give them that extra inch .

Now what gets me is how vague Phil was in his book about the time leading up to Salvies murder and I totally think it was kept out to make him more likable to people buying the book and would one day in life .

Because if what really came out what was said and plotted would make him look bad I am sure . One thing is that there are many details about everything else and in Salvies murder it was my uncle wanted him dead and I (Phil) knew it after one thing his uncle said ......I say bullshit there must of been many many conversations! And yes I knew how greedy all the guys were in Philly wanted to chop up Salvies racketsfor them selves.

Something else happened and it went with Nick and Chucky and Yogi and Phil is the only one that was left privy to the info !

NEPOTISTIC.