Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family (47 page)

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Authors: Phil Leonetti,Scott Burnstein,Christopher Graziano

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BOOK: Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family
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Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo is now 83 years old and remains imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, with a projected release date of January 4, 2033, when he will be several months shy of his 104th birthday.

In a letter dated October 7, 1995, Scarfo wrote to his mother, Catherine, about rumors that his nephew Philip Leonetti was going to write a book:

“It’s depressing to me to hear that the witch’s crazy son is writing a book and is going to add more embarrassment to this family, like he hasn’t done enough to disgrace himself already. It will be another book that will be a flop, like the rest of them lying, stupid books. Who the hell even buys books like
that? . . . His day will come
. . . .
I have to live with these thoughts day in and
day out, night in and night out, added to my sorrow and it’s not easy. But I’m the kind of man that can accept anything I have to in this life, no matter how bad it is or how bad it hurts.”

At the time of publication of this book, Philip Leonetti is several months shy of his 60th birthday and spends his days enjoying the sunshine in the West Coast seaside community he now calls home.

             
My days end almost the same way they begin: out on my patio. I have a Cutty and water, or a nice glass of bourbon, and I light a fire and I sit there under a blanket with Maria by my side and Bubba at my feet, just taking it all in. The way the lights in the distance illuminate the skyline is breathtaking.

             
It reminds me that the action is always close by, but I am content living in the shadows, watching things from afar.

DEDICATIONS / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PHILIP LEONETTI:
This book is dedicated to my Uncle Nick. From the time I was 8 years old, you taught me how to identify the people in our life that had no honor and how to deal with them. As I grew older, I realized that everything I had learned, applied to you. You were an excellent teacher. Only in our case the student proved to be much smarter.

Cent’anni.

This book is also dedicated to the memories of my mother Nancy Leonetti and my grandmother Catherine Scarfo.

SCOTT BURNSTEIN:
This has been my dream project since I became an author and I want to thank first and foremost, Philip, for allowing me the honor of working with him, my co-author Chris for all of his hard work, my agent Frank Weimann for always having faith in my talent and my mentor George Anastasia, for being such a great teacher.

This book is dedicated to my grandfather, Donnie B, a true goodfella in every way possible!

CHRISTOPHER GRAZIANO:
I want to thank my entire family and all of my friends and colleagues for all of their love, support and guidance.

To Scott Burnstein, Frank Weimann, Greg Jones, Julie Ford, Chris Navratil, Jennifer Kasius, Frances Soo Ping Chow, Seta Zink, Craig Herman and everyone at Running Press for making this happen.

To Ann, you would have enjoyed this.

And finally to Philip and the entire Leonetti family, thank you for your trust and your everlasting friendship.

INDEX

A

Accetturo, Anthony “Tumac,”
163
,
220
,
241

Ali, Muhammad,
34
,
63

American Mafia,
8
,
21–23
.
See also
Mafia

Amuso, Vittorio “Vic,”
205–6
,
280
,
283

Anastasia, George,
10

Annaloro, Angelo,
23

Atlantic City Boardwalk,
13
,
18
,
22
,
25
,
47–50

Atlantic City mob,
14–15
,
37
,
41–46
,
75
.
See also
Philadelphia–Atlantic City mob

Atlantic City Press,
14

Avena, John,
22–23

Avena, Sal,
88–89

B

Bancheri, Vince,
55
,
73

Beloff, Leland,
204–5
,
210
,
214

Billotti, Tommy,
198
,
200

Bin Laden, Osama,
16
,
20

Bisaccia, Robert “Bobby Cabert,”
242

Blavat, Jerry,
194–95

Blitz, Jeffrey,
103

blood oath,
19
,
99–102

Boardwalk Empire,
50

“boat cleaning,”
164
,
167–73

Bocchino, Felix,
196

Bonnano crime family,
205
,
231

bookmaking,
37
,
65
,
69
,
94
,
164
,
194
,
212
,
221

Bouras, Chelsais “Stevie,”
137–38
,
147

Bruno, Angelo,
23–25
,
30–31
,
38–39
,
41
,
50–52
,
57
,
59
,
64–71
,
74–75
,
86–89
,
99
,
104
,
111
,
118
,
122
,
129
,
143
,
170
,
194
,
198–99
,
208
,
234
,
242–43
,
246
,
259
,
293
,
299

Bruno crime family,
26
,
30
,
71
,
86
,
98
,
104
,
128
,
136
,
141

Bucci, Thomas “Tommy Butch,”
60–61

Bulger, James “Whitey,”
17
,
20

Butch, Tommy,
37
,
58

Byrne, Brendan,
50

C

Calabrese, Johnny,
31
,
138–39
,
147
,
216

Camorra,
21

Campbell, Earl,
14

Capone, Al,
21
,
22
,
36
,
64
,
180
,
202

Caponigro, Antonio “Tony Bananas,”
39
,
58
,
66–72
,
86
,
93–99
,
104
,
111
,
143
,
196
,
208
,
231
,
243
,
299

Cappello, John “Johnny,”
97
,
100
,
123–26
,
136

Caramandi, Nicholas “Nicky Crow,”
168
,
186–87
,
204–5
,
211–14
,
216–19
,
221–23
,
229
,
279
,
298
,
304

Caruso, Dominick “Reds,”
30–31
,
42
,
57
,
81
,
304

Casella, Anthony,
31
,
100
,
126

Casella, Pete,
98
,
101
,
112
,
115
,
119
,
121
,
123
,
126–27
,
130
,
132–35
,
140–41

Casino,
12

Castellano, Paul,
70
,
93–94
,
104
,
198–200
,
205–7
,
244
,
247–48

Catena, Gerry,
38–39
,
41
,
59

Chicago mob,
21–22

Ciancaglini, John,
257
,
273

Ciancaglini, Joseph “Chickie,”
61
,
100
,
136
,
138–39
,
168
,
170
,
174
,
195–96
,
221
,
231
,
238
,
246
,
295–96
,
299

Ciancaglini, Joseph “Joey Chang,”
257–58

Ciancaglini, Michael “Mikey Chang,”
231
,
233
,
238
,
240
,
257–58

Cifelli, Michael “Mickey Coco,”
74–75
,
122
,
123

Colombo crime family,
8
,
205

control, losing,
65–72
,
87
,
153

Cosa Nostra, La

    
belief in,
184
,
304

    
break with,
225
,
304

    
corruption of,
9–10

    
downfall of,
20

    
formation of,
7
,
22

    
growing up with,
32–33

    
induction into,
28–29
,
98–101

    
meaning of,
18
,
21

    
organization of,
21–22

crime syndicate,
16–23
,
135
.

    
See also specific organizations

D

Daidone, Al,
109–10
,
175
,
190

D’Alfonso, “Frankie Flowers,”
139
,
194–95
,
212–13
,
221
,
227
,
274
,
278
,
301

Darcy, Jim,
238
,
299

Davis, Sammy, Jr.,
35

De Luca, Victor,
155

DeCicco, Frankie,
205–7
,
248
,
298

DelGiorno, Tommy,
138–39
,
186–88
,
196
,
203
,
209–12
,
216–19
,
221
,
223
,
229
,
278–79
,
295
,
298
,
304

Dellacroce, Aniello,
207

DeLuca, Victor,
169–70
,
190

DeMarco, Louis,
52–54
,
57
,
62–63
,
66
,
77
,
99
,
304

DeSimone, Frank,
250
,
257

DeVito, Dominick “Mickey Diamond,”
143–44

DiGregorio, Anthony “Spike,”
191–93
,
213
,
215
,
227
,
293

DiMaggio, Joe,
7
,
35

Disco, Joe,
80–81

DiTullio, Felix “Skinny Razor,”
28–32
,
35–37
,
41–42
,
52
,
64
,
207
,
298

Donnie Brasco,
12

Dovi, Joseph,
23

drug policy,
208–10

drug trafficking,
98
,
133
,
220–21

Ducktown,
18
,
25
,
34–37
,
43
,
76
,
268
,
277
,
291–92

Dugan, William,
34
,
42

E

end of era,
236–44

extortion case,
211–28
,
251

extortion charges,
175
,
190

extortion operations,
9
,
18
,
37
,
65
,
87
,
121
,
138
,
217

F

Falcone, Vincent,
14
,
44–46
,
52–54
,
57
,
63
,
66
,
75–81
,
99
,
102–3
,
152
,
159
,
189
,
216
,
218
,
246
,
251
,
255
,
294
,
304

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