Nicodemo Salvatore "Nicky" Scarfo Jr.Anastasia, George. "'Nicky Jr.': Where Does the Boss' Son Fit In?" ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. March 10, 1991. (born June 9, 1965), sometimes known by the nicknames "Junior", "Nick Promo", and "Mr. Apple" is an American mobster and a member of the

Lucchese crime family The Lucchese crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the " Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, in the United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon know ...

.Esposito, Richard and Schone, Mark. "'Little Nicky' Scarfo's Son Busted In Jersey." ABC News. November 1, 2011.
Accessed 2012-03-31. Scarfo Jr. is the son of former

Philadelphia crime family The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Philadelphia Mafia, the Philly Mob or Philly Mafia, the Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia, or Bruno-Scarfo family is an Italian-American Mafia family based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed and ...

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo Sr. Scarfo Jr. was the victim of a notorious assassination attempt by a masked gunman on

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

in 1989. The attempted

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

, by a gunman wearing a

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

mask,McGarvey, Brendan. "Nick Out of Time?" ''Philadelphia City Paper.'' March 31-April 6, 2005.
Accessed April 12, 2008. occurred at Dante and Luigi's, an

Italian restaurant ''Italian Restaurant'' is an Italian comedy television series. Cast *Gigi Proietti: Giulio Broccoli *Nancy Brilli: Connie Mancuso *Adriano Pappalardo: Frank Di Giacomo *Tiberio Murgia: Salvatore *Cristiana Capotondi: Angie *Luigi Montini: Mancu ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

.Morrison, John F. "Halloween Hit Man Shoots Scarfo Jr." ''

Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. The ''Da ...

''. November 1, 1989. After the murder attempt his father arranged for him to be inducted into the

in the mid 1990s. Scarfo Jr. became the

Caporegime A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain" or "skipper", is a rank used in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia) for a '' made member'' of an Italian crime family who he ...

of the Lucchese family's Jersey Crew in the early 2000s before getting arrested.

Early life

Nicky Scarfo Jr. was born to Nicodemo and Domenica Scarfo. He has an older half-brother, Chris (born in 1957), also another older half- brother, Garibaldi (born in 1963) a younger brother, Mark (born in 1970). Nicky is the first cousin of

Phil Leonetti Philip Michael Leonetti (born March 27, 1953) is an American former mobster who became the underboss of the Philadelphia crime family under his mentor, uncle and former boss, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, before becoming a government informan ...

, an admitted former

underboss Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The under ...

of the Philadelphia crime family. The Scarfo family moved from Philadelphia to

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

before Nicky Jr.'s birth. Nicky Scarfo Jr. grew up on North Georgia Avenue in the Ducktown section of Atlantic City. His grandmother, Catherine Scarfo, owned the building and lived there. Nancy and Phil Leonetti also lived in the building.Anastasia, George. "Mob Trial Hears Scarfo Jr., On Tape, Psyching For A Hit." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. November 4, 1994. Despite his father's position within the Philadelphia mob, the Scarfos were not wealthy while Nicky was growing up. In 1980, Scarfo Sr. was named the Philadelphia outfit's

consigliere Consigliere ( , ; plural ) is a position within the leadership structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and Italian-American Mafia. The word was popularized in English by the novel '' The Godfather'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a ...

, and in 1981 he was named boss. Only then did the Scarfos begin to live a more lavish lifestyle. Nicky graduated from Holy Spirit High School in

Absecon, New Jersey Absecon (, ) is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 8,411,

, in 1983. By one account, Nicky Scarfo Jr. was not involved in crime during his teens and did not intend to become involved in the syndicate. As one classmate noted, "When I knew him, he was a good guy. He was just a regular guy who tried to do the right thing and everyone knew who his father was, but we never talked about that."

Early years in the Scarfo crime family

After graduation, Nicky Scarfo allegedly became involved in organized crime. He became a close friend of Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, the son of Scarfo crime family underboss Chuckie Merlino.McGarvey, Brendan. "Sins of the Fathers." ''Philadelphia City Paper.'' July 12-18, 2002.
Accessed April 12, 2008. However, the relationship with Joey Merlino was to prove inauspicious. Their friendship, which was very close, ruptured in 1988 when Chuckie Merlino was convicted of

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and ...

and sentenced to 45 years in a federal penitentiary. Merlino was then demoted by the elder Scarfo,Caparella, Kitty. "Recalling A Bloody Hit." ''

''. April 24, 2001. and Nicky Scarfo Jr. allegedly ended his friendship with Joey Merlino at this time. Philadelphia crime family boss Ralph Natale later testified in court that Merlino "hated" Scarfo from this time onward.Anastasia, George. "Mob Boss Natale Tells of 'Descent Into Hell'." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. March 31, 2001. In the late 1980s, Nicky Scarfo Sr. came under increasing legal pressure as the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice ...

conducted a massive investigation of the Scarfo crime family's operations. Twenty members of Scarfo's organization were imprisoned, and many more came under indictment. Five members of the Philadelphia crime family turned

state's evidence A criminal turns state's evidence by admitting guilt and testifying as a witness for the state against their associate(s) or accomplice(s), often in exchange for leniency in sentencing or immunity from prosecution.Howard Abadinsky, ''Organized C ...

against the elder Scarfo, including

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

Nicholas Caramandi and Eugene Milano, capos Thomas DelGiorno and Lawrence Merlino (Chuckie Merlino's brother), and underboss (and Scarfo relative) Phil Leonetti.Anastasia, George. ''The Last Gangster.'' Paperback ed. New York: Avon Books, 2005. During the trial, Mark Scarfo attempted suicide on November 1, 1988. Mark, then only 17 years old, had been taunted for years by classmates about his father's criminal activities. Increasingly despondent over his father's possible imprisonment, Mark Scarfo hanged himself in the office of his father's concrete supply company in Atlantic City. He was discovered by his mother, and paramedics were able to resuscitate him. He suffered

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...

and his brain was deprived of oxygen. He entered a coma where he remained until his death in April 2014. On November 4, 1988, just three days after Mark's suicide attempt, Nicky Scarfo Jr. and a friend assaulted a woman in an elevator at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. The woman said the two men had looked menacingly at her, and she pretended to reach for a gun in her coat. The two men then punched her, pushed her to the floor, and kicked her several times. Scarfo was arrested for assault, convicted, fined, and put on

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...

for the incident. Nicodemo Scarfo Sr. was convicted on November 19, 1988, on more than 32 counts of

, which included eight counts of murder, four counts of

attempted murder Attempted murder is a crime of attempt in various jurisdictions. Canada Section 239 of the ''Criminal Code'' makes attempted murder punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. If a gun is used, the minimum sentence is four, five or seven y ...

, two counts of illegal distribution of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamp ...

, one count of

loansharking A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...

, 14 counts of

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

, and one count of

illegal gambling Gaming law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law, ...

. Nicky Scarfo Jr. may have attempted to use his father's conviction as a means of rising within the syndicate. In October 1989, Scarfo Jr. bodyguard George Fresolone turned state's evidence and began wearing a

wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is co ...

.Barry, Jim. "Trouble With a Capital N." ''Philadelphia City Paper.'' April 19–26, 2001.
Accessed April 12, 2008. Fresolone taped Scarfo Jr. plotting the death of his cousin, Phil Leonetti, an act which would have allowed him to rise within the Philadelphia criminal organization:

My father says, he says, this one is definitely my responsibility. He can't rest. ... I told him, I says, "I ain't resting till it's f-ing done"... How can I rest? How could I sleep at night? ... It's always eating at me, eating at me.

The evidence was later used to help indict Scarfo Jr. on

and

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...

charges in 1990.

Halloween assassination attempt

His father's conviction severely undermined Nicky Scarfo Jr.'s position in the Philadelphia crime family, as many family members were angry at the elder Scarfo's alleged mismanagement of organized crime enterprises and his arrogance. On the evening of October 31, 1989, Nicky Scarfo Jr. was dining at an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia when a man wearing a Batman mask and holding a plastic Halloween candy bag entered the restaurant and approached Scarfo's table. The man pulled a

MAC-10 The Military Armament Corporation Model 10, officially abbreviated as "M10" or "M-10", and more commonly known as the MAC-10, is a compact, blowback operated machine pistol/submachine gun that was developed by Gordon B. Ingram in 1964. It is ...

machine pistol A machine pistol is an autoloading pistol capable of fully automatic fire. The term can also be used to describe a stockless handgun-style submachine gun. The term is a calque of ''Maschinenpistole'', the German word for submachine guns. Ma ...

from the bag and fired at Scarfo. Scarfo was struck eight times in the neck, arms and torso, but no vital organs were hit.Anastasia, George. "Scafidi Details Mob Hits, Attempts." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. April 25, 2001. Scarfo returned home just nine days later. Theories for the hit took several forms. Initially, law enforcement officials believed that the hit had been ordered by one of the

Five Families The Five Families refers to five major New York City organized crime families of the Italian American Mafia formed in 1931 by Salvatore Maranzano following his victory in the Castellammarese War. Maranzano reorganized the Italian American gangs ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in an attempt to take over Philadelphia's organized crime operations. However, police later said they suspected

Joey Merlino Joseph Salvatore "Skinny Joey" Merlino (born March 13, 1962) is an Italian-American mobster and reputed boss of the Philadelphia crime family. He rose to power in the mid-nineties after he allegedly fought a war for control of the criminal organ ...

of being the gunman, with Nicky Scarfo Jr. seen as a proxy for his father—the message being that the elder Scarfo was no longer in control of the Philadelphia crime family.Caparella, Kitty and Smith, Jim. "Body of Evidence Against Mob Grows." ''

''. March 22, 2001.Caparella, Kitty. "Coming Soon: Mob's Secrets." ''

''. June 6, 2001.Anastasia, George. "In Prison, Scarfo Jr. Fumes In Isolation." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. May 15, 1994. Merlino has steadfastly denied any involvement. However, Tommy Scafidi would testify in 2001 that Merlino was the gunman and that Merlino's second-in-command Michael Ciancaglini drove the getaway car. Scafidi said he was asked to participate in the hit, but refused. This was confirmed by testimony from former Philadelphia crime family boss Ralph Natale, who also turned state's evidence and said that Merlino told him about committing the crime while they served time together in 1990. At least one other mobster testifying on behalf of the government alleged that soldier Peter "Pete the Crumb" Caprio also knew of the hit and attempted to prevent it. Authorities also suspected Charles "Chaz" Iannece of the attempted murder because he delivered a controversial kiss on the cheek to Scarfo shortly before the gunman attacked. Nicky Scarfo Jr. became an unimportant player in the Philadelphia mob after the hit. He adopted a very low profile to avoid drawing attention to himself, most likely (police assumed) because he had few allies who would protect him. Scarfo moved to

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

, shortly afterward.Smith, Jim. "Scarfo Jr. Jailed for Bookmaking." ''

''. June 29, 2002. George Fresolone was appointed as Scarfo's bodyguard, but Fresolone became an informant and recorded hundreds of hours of conversations with mobsters — including Scarfo.Fresolone, George and Wagman, Robert J. ''Blood Oath: The Heroic Story of a Gangster Turned Government Agent Who Brought Down One of America's Most Powerful Mob Families.'' New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Law enforcement officials alleged that Scarfo Sr. arranged to have his son inducted into the

Lucchese crime family New Jersey faction The Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction, also known as the Jersey Crew,Carlpg. 232-236/ref> is a powerful crew within the Lucchese crime family. The members operate throughout the Northern New Jersey area. During the 1970s into the late 198 ...

to protect him from further attempts on his life. According to a 2007 court affidavit filed by the New Jersey State Organized Crime Control Bureau, Scarfo Jr. was later "

made Made or MADE may refer to: Entertainment Film * ''Made'' (1972 film), United Kingdom * ''Made'' (2001 film), United States Music * ''Made'' (Big Bang album), 2016 * ''Made'' (Hawk Nelson album), 2013 * ''Made'' (Scarface album), 2007 *''M.A.D.E.' ...

" and elevated to the position of soldier within the Lucchese crime family—effectively protecting him from any additional murder attempts.

After the assassination attempt

As a member of the Lucchese crime family, Nicky Scarfo Jr. became involved in a number of criminal enterprises. In 1990, Nicky Scarfo and Gaetano "Tommy Horsehead" Scafidi were allegedly ordered to beat mobster Martin Angelina because he refused to stop associating with Chuckie Merlino. According to court testimony by Scafidi (who had turned state's evidence by this time), they beat Angelina with aluminum bats to make sure the bats wouldn't break. In August 1990, Scarfo was arrested on federal charges of racketeering and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute illegal

video poker Video poker is a casino game based on five-card draw poker. It is played on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine. History Video poker first became commercially viable when it became economical to combine a television-like moni ...

machines manufactured by Greyhound Electronics. He pleaded guilty and received a seven-year prison sentence in November 1993. During his imprisonment, Scarfo was placed in "

protective isolation Protective isolation or reverse isolation denotes the practices used for protecting vulnerable persons for contracting an infection. When people with weakened immune systems are exposed to organisms, it could lead to infection and serious complicat ...

" by prison authorities. Government officials claimed to have received information indicating that Scarfo's life was in danger in prison. Thus, they isolated him from the rest of the prison population, permitting him limited exercise and other time out of his cell. Scarfo and his attorneys claimed that no such information existed, and that the involuntary isolation was punishment for Scarfo's other alleged (but unproven) criminal activity. Scarfo sued, and a court ordered him returned to the general prison population in June 1994. Based on time already served, he was released in 1996. Shortly after his release, Scarfo Jr. was indicted on aggravated assault charges and illegal weapons charges in May 1996 after a fight in an

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

bar. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and probation."Scarfo's Son Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charge." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. January 7, 1997.

New mob leadership relationship with Scarfo Jr.

The ruptured friendship between Scarfo Jr. and Merlino took on more ominous tones in the late 1990s. Scarfo Jr. had been released from prison in 1997, and largely sat out the Philadelphia mob war. But once Natale was in prison and Merlino was in control of the syndicate, it is alleged that Merlino focused his attention back on Scarfo. One mobster who turned state's evidence testified that in 1999 or 2000, Merlino allegedly sent capo Peter "Pete the Crumb" Caprio and associate Daniel D'Ambrosia to watch Scarfo and gather evidence about his movements so that a hit might be planned. Court testimony later asserted that Caprio also stopped a Merlino-ordered hit on Scarfo Jr while the elder Scarfo served time in a federal prison in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

. In June 2002, Nicky Scarfo Jr. went to jail again. He had been arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for helping to run a multimillion-dollar illegal gambling and

loan shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...

ing operation.Porter, David. "NY, NJ Crack Down on Alleged Mob Gambling Rings." ''Associated Press.'' June 28, 2010.
/ref> Scarfo's wife, Michele, was expecting their first child, and he was permitted to remain free on bail until the child's christening. He also received three years'

2005–2010: Release from prison and FBI investigation

Scarfo was released from prison on April 6, 2005. The media reported that Scarfo moved to the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May P ...

after his release and began an effort to take over the Philadelphia crime family."Insider: Scarfo Jr. Looking to Head Phila. Mob." ''South Jersey News.'' August 10, 2007.
Accessed April 12, 2008. In March 2008, he purchased a $715,000 home on Hartford Drive in

Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census reported the population as 47,842, an increase of 4,519 over the 43,323 counted in the previous decade in the 20 ...

. Shortly afterward, federal investigators began

tapping Tapping is a playing technique that can be used on any stringed instrument, but which is most commonly used on guitar. The technique involves a string being fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion. This is in contrast to stand ...

Scarfo's phones and put him under surveillance as part of an inquiry into an illegal gambling,

fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compen ...

, and labor racketeering operation run by Scarfo's best friend and close mob ally, Andrew Merola.Anastasia, George. "Scarfo Pal's Conviction Offers Glimpse Into Mob."
''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pen ...

''. January 11, 2010.McCabe, Virginia. "Mafioso Andrew Merola Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in N.J." ''

The Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American conservative news outlet which consists principally of an online/digital website with a weekly magazine, based in Washington, D.C. It is owned by MediaDC, a subsidiary of Clarity Media Group, which is ...

.'' January 5, 2010.Anastasia, George. "Reputed N. Jersey Crime Boss Merola Pleads Guilty."
''

''. January 6, 2010. An Organized Crime Control Bureau affidavit made in 2007 alleges that Scarfo met Merola after moving to New Jersey in the early 1990s. Scarfo later became godfather to Merola's son. The affidavit claims that Scarfo helped manage Merola's illegal gambling operations in 1998 and 1999 after Merola was briefly jailed after being convicted of extortion. Although Scarfo was a "person of interest" in the case, he was never charged; Merola pleaded guilty and was convicted of several felonies in connection with the case in early 2010. In December 2007, ''

'' reported that Scarfo Jr. had been demoted within the Lucchese crime family in part because of ongoing media coverage of his activities and in part because he intended to start a mob war to gain control of the Philadelphia outfit. Scarfo and his wife, Michele, divorced in early 2008, whereupon she immediately remarried.Schaffer, Regina. "FBI Searches Scarfo's Egg Harbor Township Home." ''

The Press of Atlantic City ''The Press of Atlantic City'' is the fourth-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey. Originally based in Pleasantville, it is the primary newspaper for southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore. The newspaper designated market runs from Ware ...

.'' May 10, 2008; Anastasia, George. "FBI Sweep Targets Scarfo." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. May 9, 2008. Scarfo also allegedly was involved in the financial takeover FirstPlus Financial Group and the

embezzlement Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

of millions of dollars from the company.Anastasia, George. "State Senator's Aide Quits Board of Firm in Mob Probe." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. May 21, 2008. FirstPlus Financial is a

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

-based mortgage financing company which was very active in the mortgage industry until a financial downturn left it mostly moribund in the late 1990s.Anastasia, George. "Mob Associate Daidone Ordered Back to Prison." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. September 17, 2008. The company drew federal attention in 2006 when it suddenly became very active again. On May 8, 2008, the

conducted a series of raids on the company, its subsidiaries, several other companies, a number of FirstPlus' corporate officers, and several private citizens.Anastasia, George. "Ex-FirstPlus CEO Assails U.S. Law Agencies." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. April 11, 2009. The financial records of Nicky Scarfo Jr., his ex-wife, Michele Scarfo-Winkler, his infant son Nicodemo Scarfo III, and Salvatore Pelullo (a businessman with convictions for

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

and

wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activity ...

) were also seized. Law enforcement officials also found two handguns at Scarfo's home; as a convicted felon, Scarfo could be charged with felony unlawful possession of a firearm. Based on the seized documents, federal prosecutors alleged that Scarfo and Pelullo took control of FirstPlus Financial Group in June 2007 and "transferred several million dollars between June 2007 and May 2008 to corporate entities controlled by Pelullo and Scarfo Jr." A later estimate put the amount of stolen money at $4.86 million.Anastasia, George. "Nearly $5 Million Mob-Linked Fraud Cited." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. August 30, 2009. Federal prosecutors believe that Scarfo, Pelullo, and FirstPlus Financial officers engaged in bank fraud,

mail fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activity ...

, wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen property, and

money laundering Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdicti ...

. They also accused Scarfo of using the bank to make numerous real estate deals, including the purchase of his Egg Harbor Township home. Scarfo's close friend and associate, Andrew Merola, was sentenced in late October 2010 to 10 to 12 years in prison for fraud, extortion, labor racketeering, loan-sharking, and sports betting.Anastasia, George. "Reputed Mob Leader Facing 10 to 12 Years." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. October 26, 2010.
/ref> Law enforcement authorities revealed that some of the 39,000 wiretapped conversations in the Merola case include discussions of Scarfo's allegedly illegal activities concerning FirstPlus.

2010 indictment

Scarfo was indicted on May 14, 2010, on gambling and

charges for his alleged role in what law enforcement authorities claim was a $2 billion international sports-betting operation.Anastasia, George and Newall, Mike. "Scarfo Son, 33 Others Face Racketeering Charges."
''

''. May 15, 2010. He was one of 34 purported New York-based Lucchese crime family members or associates named in the indictment announced by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. Scarfo pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys called the charges "trumped up", noting that Scarfo had not been arrested when the gambling operation had first been exposed in December 2008.Anastasia, George. "Scarfo's Bail Set at $350,000 in Betting Operation." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. May 19, 2010.
/ref> Scarfo was identified in open court as a ''capo'' of the Lucchese crime family, and his bail was set at $350,000. Authorities alleged that Scarfo supervised all Lucchese crime family operations in New Jersey. In October 2011, Michael A. Maffucci, one of Scarfo's co-defendants, agreed to plead guilty in the scheme and testify against Scarfo.

2011 indictment and imprisonment

On November 1, 2011, Scarfo was arrested by the FBI for what the agency said was his role in the attempt to take over and embezzle millions of dollars out of FirstPlus Financial Group. Scarfo's wife, Lisa Murray-Scarfo, was also indicted in the scheme, along with alleged Lucchese mob associate Sal Pelullo and several officials of FirstPlus. Scarfo's father and

Victor Amuso Vittorio "Little Vic" Amuso (born November 4, 1934) is an American mobster and the boss of the Lucchese crime family. He was described as "The Deadly Don" by Assistant United States Attorney Charles Rose. Amuso's reign is considered one of the b ...

were named as unindicted coconspirators. Federal authorities said Scarfo and his associates took $12 million from the loan mortgage company and used the money to buy luxury automobiles, houses, a jet aircraft, jewelry, and a yacht they named "Priceless".Bender, William. "The Nick of Time: Scarfo Jr. Indicted - Again." ''Philadelphia News.'' November 2, 2011.
Accessed 2012-03-31. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said Scarfo used his proceeds to buy a $715,000 home, $25,000 in jewelry for his wife, a $100,000

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. ...

automobile, and mortgage payments on a home owned by his ex-wife.Mast, George and Walsh, Jim. "Scarfo Son Indicted." ''Cherry Hill Courier-Post.'' November 2, 2011. Fishman also alleged that Scarfo and his associates forced FirstPlus to pay $6 million and give 1.6 million shares of stock to Scarfo and Pellulo in exchange for two companies (Globalnet Enterprises and Rutgers Investment Group) that had almost no value. Prosecutors said they had 7,500 recorded telephone conversationsAnastasia, George. "Scarfo Will Plead for Bail Before Federal Judge." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. December 19, 2011. in which Scarfo discussed his illegal activities, including one in which he talked about faked documents to hide his involvement and another in which he boasted of a $36,000-a-month consulting contract for which he performed no work.Anastasia, George. "Judge Denies Bail for Nicodemo S. Scarfo." ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. December 20, 2011.
Accessed 2012-03-31. They said Scarfo earned $450,000 from his consulting contract, which ran from June 2007 to April 2008. Scarfo was convicted of multiple felonies for the scheme in 2014, and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in July 2015. Scarfo is currently incarcerated at Fairton FCI in Fairfield Township New Jersey with a projected release date of December 2037.Federal inmate locator (must enter inmate's name or ID number)
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References

External links

– An episode of ''Mob Scene'' with reporter

George Anastasia George Anastasia (born February 5, 1947) is an American author and former writer for ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. He is widely considered to be an expert on the American Mafia. He was an organized crime investigative reporter, who was once ta ...

, April 28, 2009 (hosted by Philly.com) that examines the attempted murder of Scarfo and his subsequent activities. {{DEFAULTSORT:Scarfo, Nicodemo Jr. 1964 births Philadelphia crime family American gangsters of Italian descent Lucchese crime family Living people People from Atlantic City, New Jersey People from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey People of Calabrian descent Holy Spirit High School (New Jersey) alumni