The fact that its 2018 and they're pretty much new to the "flipping houses" game is pitiful. Street gang members were doing that in the 1980s. Philly seems like a bunch of rag tag lowlifes with cheap suits

I'm not speaking 4 Serp,..but..half of the murders Scarfo carried out were justified because he had 2 save face 4 the killings of the previous 2 bosses , it was expected from New York as well, especially cause they appointed him boss.

agreed hoodlum. the frankie flowers murder seemed pointless thou. thats almost the murder that was the end of it all. overkill. guy was harmles, he should have went about it some otherway.

The Chin ruined the great city of Philadelphia. He's in hell now, and the devil's not buying his insanity act.

You gotta remember that although Scarfo was a stone hitter, he was never respected by the guys in Philadelphia. Harry the Hunch said Nick was a weasel. So of course he had to lay the murder game down. His paranoia got the best of him. He should've let Salvie run South Philly and Phil could've oversaw everything else.

Nick was not respected by Harry ....Harry was a rat since the 40’s..... look nobody is going to like everyone.Nick had his brothers in-law behind him even though they were not close they had a big crew so many made guys in Philly seen Nick as the wise as young guy so many were jealous and Nick did not sit for anyone but the boss .

Did Nick go overboard on a few of the hits ...he’ll yeah ! But in that life you have to pull the trigger quick...and would I given up Sal for Chuckie no way ! I would of let Chuckie go and Skinny with him ... but he fucked up ..and fucking Tommy was saying Nick did have a hit on Skinny later of course but while Tommy was still a skipper....and he fucked up by no putting closed contracts out instead he put open contracts out and if anyone flipped everyone but the guy that flipped is gone forever.

When Nick was going through all this it looked like it was always going to be a cash cow forever but he was wrong and he paid for it with his life in the joint ...and Nick was not a big earner he was a killer but he was not stupid like some.

He was able to use people and he knew rackets when available like when AC became a gambling town and if not for so many guys breaking the rules he would of been able to only concentrate on brackets in earning money but Philly guys are push back guys and will fight back quickly so it became a killing field.

Harry was a rat?

For many years .....dry snitch ... and informant never in court I don’t believe....


Lots and lots of stuff happened before internet shit did not get out ...even this about Harry did not get out till after internet.

I can only imagine what went through Scarfo’s mind when he became boss. His two predecessors had both been murdered. Then he tries to collect a street tax on Harry’s crew but they tell him off.. so Scarfo has to go to war with the Riccobenes to let everyone know Scarfo was in power and in total control and would go after anyone who didnt fall in line.

People say Nicky was too violent compared to Angelo, but look what happened to Angelo... gunned down in front of his own home. Bruno was obviously not feared enough by his capos and didnt have a strong enough faction behind him that scare off anyone who wanted to make a move.

So I can imagine that all of this turbulence and violence make Nicky paranoid from the get-go and that he could never fully trust anybody else in Philly... which is why he made Phil his underboss... he thought he would be 100% loyal because they were blood.

But obviously there’s a thin line between justifiable paranoia and devolving into being a total homicidal nut like Gaspipe. And things quickly spun out of control.

I’m not defending that scumbag at all, just thinking about why Scarfo was the way he was.

Dead end job no way of it being a success in the 80s as boss of philly. If he was too lenient he’s dead as history showed with the predecessors. Way too many egos and killers on the street at this time period. And Sal may of gone for the crown, maybe scarfo was right (within the mob life) to make a move. Sal was clearly a future number 1 just a matter of time,,,

So to conclude any way scarfo would’ve moved he would’ve been seen as a failure. Either dead or in jail as a killer boss. General consensus is he was a bad boss which I think is BS. He just chose a doomed crown. And in a way he did restore orders among the animals he was in charge of. Nobody would dare make a move against him

Appointing Phil as UB was a bad move though. Too young and clearly nepotism which isn’t good for morale. Joe bananas done the same and it ended his career. Scarfo should’ve known this - the inexperience and the fact he had served no time should’ve been a no no for an admin position. Guy flipped as soon as he got the time

True and he had a couple reasons to take out Salvie before it got out of hand using Chuckie as one of the reasons....but you never know Sal May have followed the rules but in that life you never know.

And yes these guys are not just cut throat they are killers and you never know ..... Nick did have a couple guys he could of left underboss but he wanted blood .... and no doubt he killed Salvie for Phil and his future....I think Phil would of did his time if the entire family did not go down....he knew his kid had nothing because Philly guys would of torturerd him because of Nick knocking down Chuckie and Yogi ....he really had no choice if he wanted his kid to have a chance.

And yes they are all killers .

phil as underboss was his undoing. there both in atlantic city whats that a hour 2 a awy from the powerbase. it was kinda in the same time frame as ray patriarca jr in providence. his father dies summer 1984. the nyc commission back him as the boss he picked some real old rhode island guy who died old age in 85 86 then wild bill brasso a new haven ct guy. who may have desreved it cause he had alot on nyc contacts he hid out allie boy persico in hartford for years but they looked over the real power base boston and all its little towns around . ray fucked up should have picked someone from there but he didnt and it cause his downfall. scarfo should have chose someone there after chucky merlino. he broke him and his brother down to soldier then made his nephew who was made into the family like 5 yrs earlier the underboss stupid.

his consif monte was killed quickly by harry riccobene crew. im on the fence as to if harry was a informant some guy write a whole blog on rats back then and 1 guy was i forgot name rocco scafidi or a brother. related to that horse head guy.

Harry Riccobene was a snitch? Did I hear that right? I never heard that before.

From hearing him talk I get the impression he could have written a very interesting book with someone like George Anastasia, or had an interesting sit down interview with someone.

He strikes me as a somewhat eloquent guy who would have an interesting perspective on things, and of course he led a very interesting life, even for a mobster.

Also have never heard that Harry was an informant. But I've always wondered if he was possibly the youngest made guy ever. Born in 1909, supposedly made in 1927 puts him at about 18..

He never testified.... he was a informant the info is out there ....I am not a researcher not even close but it’s out there and it’s not much be he was the old dry snitch back in the day .....one of these guys here will find the fbi report and there is more then one.

But it was not what you are thinking it never lead to guys going away it was information to Feds about hierarchy and other families in Pennsylvania and western NY.

Way before anyone was flipping he was getting favors or even a bust or two thrown out .

Thanks for posting

Wow, I have never seen this. Thanks.

I have known for a long time via a very famous attorney of course I am not saying who but it’s been known for a long time .



Good find 007



Harry would do anything to benefit Harry and with Philly bosses giving free reign he would manipulate rackets etc. into his favor via law-enforcement .

Nick was not kissing he ass and forming a NY style family from Philly families always function differently and that was not as profitable for boss or skippers this is why as the mob was changing the guys were doing more and more shit on side and when you break the rules in that life it falls apart, this is why it is like it is ......mass shit ! Everyone has to fall inline or be hit .

Very interesting. Thank you.

I threw up a little in my throat when I found out he had a 21 year old girlfriend when he was in his early seventies.

is anyone from Harry's crew still active?
do we know where his haunts and headquarters were located?
anybody have history with his crew?

the stories and lore about him are extraordinary.
my grandparents bought their first colored TV from his gang