Phil Leonetti (original) (raw)

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American writer and former mobster

Phil Leonetti
Born Philip Michael Leonetti (1953-03-27) March 27, 1953 (age 71)Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names "Crazy Phil"
Occupation Mobster
Parent(s) Pasquale LeonettiAnnunziata Scarfo
Relatives Nicodemo Scarfo (uncle)Nicodemo Scarfo Jr.(cousin)
Allegiance Philadelphia crime family
Conviction(s) Racketeering (1989)
Criminal penalty 45 years imprisonment; served five years after testimony

Philip Michael Leonetti (born March 27, 1953)[1] 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 informant in 1989 after being sentenced to 45 years for racketeering.[2][3][4] At that time, he was the highest-ranking member of the American Mafia to break his blood oath and turn informant.[5] As part of his cooperation, he served just five years in prison, and later authored a book about the mob.[6]

Leonetti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pasquale Leonetti and Annunziata Scarfo.[4] Having been abandoned by his father at an early age, he was brought up by his mother.[7] He moved to Ducktown, the Little Italy of Atlantic City, New Jersey shortly after, where he was protected and supervised by his uncle and other Scarfo members. He appeared to be the opposite of his uncle, a quiet and laid back personality.[8]

Leonetti has alleged that, at 8 years of age, he was used as a decoy by Scarfo to dispose of a dead body, explaining to the young Leonetti that he had brutally stabbed a man in a New Jersey bar with an ice pick for disrespecting him.[9] He attended Holy Spirit High School, where he played on the school's basketball team.[4]

It was in 1978 that he gained the moniker "Crazy Phil" from a local radio talk show host.[10] Leonetti did not like the nickname and was not referred to as such by his mob peers.[11]

In 1979, Nicky Scarfo ordered Leonetti to murder Vincent Falcone, a criminal associate who had been underestimating Scarfo's power within the crime family; he shot him twice. This would not be his last murder for Scarfo.[12] A year later, he would be initiated as a made man.[13] By the early 1980s, Leonetti was already a millionaire and controlled a lucrative trade of racketeering, illegal gambling, loan sharking, extortion and skimming from the Atlantic City casinos. A war within the family was also brewing as short reigned boss Philip Testa was killed by a nail bomb at his home in 1981, and so Scarfo began the war as he secured the top position for himself and eventually promoting Leonetti as his underboss in 1986.[_citation needed_]

In 1989, Leonetti received 45 years in prison for racketeering charges, while Scarfo was given 55 years. Shortly after, he agreed to testify against Scarfo and the family, also admitting to participating in 10 murders; this allowed for his release after only five years, subsequently going into hiding.[14][15][10]

Shortly after Leonetti was released from prison, he married the former girlfriend of Vincent Falcone, whom he had murdered in 1979. In 2013, he published a book about his criminal life, Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and The Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra,[16] which details accounts of the Five Families, the American Mafia Commission and other crime families across the United States.[17]

  1. ^ "Phillip Leonetti". Division of Gaming Enforcement exclusion list. State of New Jersey. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  2. ^ "Book excerpt from 'Mafia Prince:' The story of Philip Leonetti's mob hit of Vincent Falcone as ordered and watched by Nicky Scarfo". New York Daily News. New York Daily News. November 19, 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  3. ^ Anastasia, George, Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob - The Mafia's Most Violent Family Camino Books (October 2003), ISBN 978-0-940159-86-0
  4. ^ a b c Phil Leonetti, Scott Burnstein, Mafia Prince Running Press (6 Nov 2012), ISBN 0762445831, ISBN 978-0762445837
  5. ^ "Archives | The Philadelphia Inquirer". www.inquirer.com.
  6. ^ ""Mafia Prince" Phil Leonetti says murder "felt natural" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  7. ^ "Philip Leonetti ABC Primetime interview 10/2/96". YouTube. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  8. ^ "What happened to the Scarfo crime family?". Press of Atlantic City. Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  9. ^ "The Mafia Prince Next Door". The Huffington Post. Phil Leonetti. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  10. ^ a b Bender, William. "Phil Leonetti's tell-all book shows he's crazy like a fox". inquirer.com.
  11. ^ Leonetti profile, state.nj.us. Accessed October 2, 2022.
  12. ^ ""Mafia Prince" Phil Leonetti says murder "felt natural"". John Miller. CBS News. February 27, 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  13. ^ "BOOK REVIEW: 'Mafia Prince'". The Washington Times. The Washington Times. January 4, 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  14. ^ Writer, By George Anastasia, Staff. "Tyrannical Mafia boss Nicodemo 'Little Nicky' Scarfo, 87, dies in prison hospital". inquirer.com.{{[cite web](/wiki/Template:Cite%5Fweb "Template:Cite web")}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Paying respects: When the mob bid farewell to Kellyanne Conway's grandfather". 28 June 2017.
  16. ^ Leonetti, Phil (29 April 2014). Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra. ISBN 978-0762454310.
  17. ^ "Leonetti Rips Uncle, Says Cousin Didn't Have A Chance". Big Trial. George Anastasia. Retrieved 2 March 2016.