Anyone have any idea who was the Genovese Captain that saved Pete Casella from getting killed after Casella nail bombed Phil Testa ? This Capo represented Casella when Pete was called to NYC to meet with Chin, Fat Tony, and Manna. I never have heard anyone say who this Capo is ? Can only think that since Pete Casella was a junk dealer and did a bid for dealing, that it had to be a Genovese junk guy that Pete had met while doing time. Who ever it was did a hell of a job cause Pete was sent packing to Florida and the others involved were all killed. Narducci, Marinucci.

I would think that it did go down more like Phil said .Who else would know better and why would he change it.
The thing about Chin doing things at night have been true,but that does not mean he is sleeping till 4:00pm sounds like he was a mid morning guy like most of these guys.(and did hold guys till afternoon often)
I can not say for sure but i think that Casella may have been related to that Skipper through marriage,it is just in my head that way I am older and this is what keeps popping in my head.
But if it is not, something BIG to get a pass,for the killing of a boss is like the biggest pass one can get..

These meetings took place around the time where LE had the belief that Tony Salerno was the boss. So the heat wouldn't be focused all that much on Chin Gigante at that point in time. The social club meeting, Chin sitting there with a panel of guys, it's all in tune with other claims from other mobsters about meetings with Chin Gigante. Casso presents a similar setting in one of his meetings with the Chin. There isn't much reason to believe that the meeting didn't happen the way Leonetti said. Also at that time, LE had little idea of just how much of a hand NY had in Philly LCN politics at the time. Scarfo was on parole and couldn't be seen meeting with those guys, so he took an associates car and they switched on a highway when they were halfway there, according to Leonetti. So if anyone was watching them, they wouldn't of seen the Philly guys entering to be exact. They would've just figured they were more Genovese associates and would've had little reason to be alarmed.

Another thing to consider, the book claims that the capo who pleaded on Casella's behalf is someone he became close with after they were both doing fed time for drug-trafficking. It doesn't make clear if they were serving time for the same crime, in which they worked together, or if they were two drug guys who became close in prison. But it's worth going over Pete Casella's arrest record, if it's available, and seeing if he were ever indicted with a Genovese guy who's name may seem familiar. It's certainly possible. A quick google search for "Pete Casella arrest record" brings up co-conspirators for a drug trafficking indictment, among the names are a James Santore, Emilio D'Aria, James Leo Massi, Paul Lo Piccolo, Anthony Edward Tarlentino, Nicholas Narducci and a Lorenzo Orlando. This case is from the Sixties, I searched a few of those names and got little as far as a Genovese connection goes, but by order of elimination or just recognizing a name, someone may figure out who the capo actually was. Another thing is this, Pete Casella was old when he attempted that power play, he'd already been away from the scene for quite sometime, and Testa named him his underboss simply for Casella's longevity in Philly Cosa Nostra. Perhaps they let him retire because they figured he wasn't a risk to retaliate and would've been dead soon anyway, which he was.

Leonetti admits to not being at the sitdown with the Genovese panel when Scarfo was made Boss. He says that he was in another location playing cards w/ Benny Eggs, so he really can not say what happened at the table , or who was or was not present. Just trying to figure out who this mysterious Capo was who pleaded on behalf of Pete Casella.

This is why i stopped thinking about this life so many years ago.
Now to top it off not only did he get a pass but he tried to say that Nicky sr. killed Testa.(I dont know if all knew this)
I am still thinking he was blood with someone,or possible that he was in on or knew about all the moves that were made through the late 70's to get tens of millions in rackets from Philly in Jersey by the west side.
Things just do not go that good for a guy that was out of the rackets for almost 20 years and only back into it for a few years....
Then kills a boss.... Walks ...FISHY ! !

Downtown ive never heard that theory before but just by connecting some dots and having an idea how treacherous scarfo was I guess its possible...however leonetti really describes how close scarfo and phil were I doubt he woulda killed his friend for that I mean he was still consigliere but who knows with that crazy lil fuck

I forgot where I read it, but supposedly after they told Cassela he was on the shelf and not to show his face in philly, cassela tried to shake chin's hand. Haha, obviously Gigante didn't shake his hand and said "get the fuck out of here".

[quote=VegasMikey]I forgot where I read it, but supposedly after they told Cassela he was on the shelf and not to show his face in philly, cassela tried to shake chin's hand. Haha, obviously Gigante didn't shake his hand and said "get the fuck out of here".

I heard it was through Gérardo Catena that Casella got a pass.