"My dear Son," Scarfo wrote, "hold on to these 39 pages for the future. Review them. Tacettas and Pernas are rats and the younger ones are glorified rats by proxy. And who knows how far they will go in the future. As far as I'm concerned, they're all lying rats.
"Love, Dad xxoo"

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Pelullo and Scarfo took $12 million out of the company through a series of phony consulting contracts and bogus business deals. The cash was used to finance a lavish lifestyle. Pelullo bought a Bentley Continental for $217,000. He and Scarfo purchased a yacht for $850,000 and Scarfo and his then new wife, Lisa Murray-Scarfo obtained a fraudulent mortgage on a $715,000 home outside of Atlantic City

Whatever its impact on the FirstPlus case, the affidavit from the FBI case Agent Joseph Gilson cited by the defense offers an intriguing look at the Philadelphia - South Jersey underworld in 2006. The affidavit was submitted with a wiretap application and while the original thrust of the probe was the suspected takeover of the Philadelphia mob, those wiretaps eventually brought the feds into the FirstPlus scam.

Among other things, Gilson wrote that "Little Nicky" Scarfo from his prison cell in Atlanta was backing his son's attempt to wrest control of the Philadelphia crime family from then mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi, a one-time Scarfo ally and suspected hitman.

"Scarfo Sr. has secured the backing of some of the New York LCN Families in this attempt to take control of the Philadelphia LCN Family and is directing his son, Scarfo Jr., in the attempted takeover," Gilson wrote.

While the affidavit doesn't mention which New York families were supporting the Scarfo move, most law enforcement sources believe the Luchese organization, at least the faction loyal to Amuso, was backing Scarfo's play.

The younger Scarfo, who had been living in North Jersey under the protection of the Luchese organization, moved back to the Atlantic City area in 2006. For a time he ran a restaurant and later got involved in the construction business.

Rumors surfaced at the time that he was trying to recruit local mobsters who might still be loyal to his dad whose bloody reign between 1981 and 1989 had decimated the crime family. During that period, nearly two dozens mob members and associates were killed and nearly that same number were indicted and sent off to prison.

Whether the younger Scarfo had a chance to retake control of the family is an open question. It is hard to imagine many mobsters lining up behind him in a clash with Ligambi. The FBI affidavit said that one confidential source indicated Scarfo had approached Joseph Ciancaglini Jr. , the son of then jailed Scarfo family capo Joseph "Chickie" Ciancaglini. The source, according to the affidavit, said Scarfo approached Ciancaglini and asked if "he wanted to be with" him in a power grab.

He paints Nicky Jr in pretty much the same way he was said to be at one point in this thread, a quiet type, and an earner, not cocky or arrogant, from what you've read. And I don't know if that was the reason why he and Joey Merlino didn't get along. In fact he and Joey Merlino were quiet close when they were younger, and the reason for his hit attempt on Nicky Jr, was an attempt to end his fathers control on the mob by proxy , which didn't help , because outside of his own group Merlino wasn't looked at as someone who could run the mob, let alone be made. And as these guys said, when Nicky Scarfo Jr was on the street at that time, earning, the Perna's were young kids, so they had no real interaction with Nicky Jr. Fresolone says Nicky Jr always had a way to make money, and he always thought of new schemes to earn money for himself and those around him. There's also that newspaper article from that guy in AC who knew Nicky Jr & Mark. He says Nicky Jr was a regular guy, he never really flaunted being "wise guy" or used that to push people around and that it was more so Mark who was like that, that was during high school though, Leonetti also said Nicky Jr wasn't like that, and the only reason he was what he was , was because of influence from his father.


I don't know how he was as a Lucchese capo, but from the few sources I've read, he was liked by more than a few of those guys as well. But maybe he changed.

Who remembers the Stephen Crane Village and the legened who hailed from there, Frankie the FLY?
Can't discuss Newark without mentioning The Fly!..Name rings bells from the Jersey Shore to Vegas!

I remember we were talking about that on here before, and it was said by a reliable Philly poster that he had some actual backing for the plot in NY, and it wasn't just the Lucchese's but he actually had members of other families who were willing to get behind him. I don't know how true that is, but it's never actually been revealed through any informants or sources like that whom he had behind him , other than the rumor that he had contacted Joey Chang. And Pelullo had nothing to do with it from what was said.

Not sure what's farfetched about it but if you drive down Lincoln Ave you'll see the social clubs in plain sight. Not to mention a couple eateries as well. Just pointing out in my opinion it's busier on Lincoln Ave than on Bloomfield Ave. as far as guys hanging out. You can also add in the social club on Verona Ave. in Newark too. As far as no OC stuff going on around Lincoln, If memory serves me correctly, one of the recent large scale gambling busts involved a few guys from the furniture store on Lincoln (now closed and operating as something else) as well as from Bloomfield Ave. Raccioppi's specifically. Many more guys busted but I think more OC stuff still going on around Lincoln Ave than is advertised.