28 Facts About Nicodemo Scarfo

Infamously known for his murderous reputation, Scarfo led the family through its bloodiest period until his conviction in 1988.

Nicodemo Scarfo's trial consisted of the damaging testimonies of several informants, who had carried out his murders.

Nicodemo Scarfo died in prison on January 13,2017, while serving his 55-year sentence.

Nicodemo Scarfo was born on March 8,1929, in Brooklyn, New York, to Philip and Catherine Nicodemo Scarfo, Italian immigrants from Naples and Calabria.

Nicodemo Scarfo became an amateur boxer, fighting in small clubs throughout Philadelphia, earning himself a reputation for his aggressive temper in the ring.

Nicodemo Scarfo worked as a bartender at a club owned by his uncle while being apprenticed by Buck, alongside his two other uncles.

In 1954, Nicodemo Scarfo was proposed for membership into the Philadelphia crime family.

Nicodemo Scarfo was inducted by then boss Joseph Ida at a ceremony held in New Jersey, alongside two of his uncles who were inducted as full-fledged soldiers.

Nicodemo Scarfo was reportedly arrogant and stubborn, having declined to marry the daughter of Consigliere Joe Rugnetta, leaving him embarrassed and disrespected, briefly causing friction within the family.

In 1963, Nicodemo Scarfo pleaded guilty to manslaughter for fatally stabbing a longshoreman; he spent about six months in prison.

Nicodemo Scarfo served almost two years in prison from 1971 to 1973 for refusing to testify to the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.

Nicodemo Scarfo served time with boss Angelo Bruno and Genovese crime family members Gerardo Catena and Louis Manna, the latter of whom he formed a close relationship with.

In 1976, Atlantic City legalized gambling, and Nicodemo Scarfo prioritized gambling as his main source of income.

Nicodemo Scarfo's cement contracting company "Scarf, Inc", which was shared with his nephew, received business as developers built new casinos in Atlantic City; Scarfo would intimidate businesses into buying from his company.

Nicodemo Scarfo made it a public execution and made him an example to anyone that wasn't willing to give him what he wanted.

Nicodemo Scarfo's murder was orchestrated by his Consigliere, Antonio Caponigro.

Nicodemo Scarfo was found shot dozens of times in a car trunk and $300 in bills were jammed in his mouth and anus as a sign of his own greed.

Nicodemo Scarfo seized the top position for himself, promoting Salvatore Merlino as his Underboss and Frank Monte as his Consigliere.

Nicodemo Scarfo would go on to lead the family for a decade with a bloody rampage, fueled by paranoia and aggression.

Between August 1982 and January 1984, Nicodemo Scarfo was imprisoned in FCI La Tuna for gun possession.

In 1984, Nicodemo Scarfo ordered the death of Salvatore Testa, one of his Capos and top hitmen, as Testa's ambition and growing popularity made Nicodemo Scarfo feel threatened.

In 1985, Nicodemo Scarfo plotted to extort $1 million from major commercial developer Willard Rouse, sending his soldier Nicholas Caramandi and another associate to do it.

The FBI began a case to tackle Nicodemo Scarfo, sending an undercover agent to pose as a representative of Rouse.

Increasingly despondent over his father's possible imprisonment, Mark Nicodemo Scarfo hanged himself in the office of his father's concrete supply company in Atlantic City.

Nicodemo Scarfo was discovered by his mother, and paramedics were able to resuscitate him.

Nicodemo Scarfo suffered cardiac arrest and his brain was deprived of oxygen.

Nicodemo Scarfo entered a coma where he remained until his death in April 2014.

Nicodemo Scarfo was later transferred to the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, where he died of natural causes on January 13,2017.