Feb. 3, 1982- Vincent "Tippy" Panetta, age 60, Township Line Road, Cheltenham, Pa., Member of the Philadelphia LCN family. Panetta's body and that of his 19- year-old girlfriend, Michelle A. Podraza, were found in the bedroom of their apartment in Cheltenham, Pa., shortly before 4 p.m. on Feb. 4, 1982. The hands and ankles of both victims had been bound. Podraza's body, only partially clad, was found lying across the bed. Panetta's fully clothed body was found on the floor. An autopsy disclosed that both victims had been severely beaten and died of strangulation. It was not determined exactly when the slayings took place, although it is estimated that they had been dead for 24 to 48 hours. Panetta was convicted in 1976 by a federal jury in Philadelphia on RICO charges and for conspiracy in connection with the illegal lending of money at interest rates as high as 179 percent. Panetta's criminal record and his reputed involvement in the loansharking operations of the late Philip Testa and Frank Sindone promoted speculation that the killings were linked to organized crime
