Salvatore A. "Salvie" Testa (March 31, 1956 – September 14, 1984), nicknamed "The Crowned Prince of the Philadelphia Mob", was an Italian-American mobster who served as a
caporegime
A ''caporegime'' or ''capodecina'', usually shortened to ''capo'' or informally referred to as "captain", "skipper" or "lieutenant", is a leadership position in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia). A ''capo'' is a "made m ...
and later acting
underboss
Underboss () is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian Mafia, Sicilian and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the Crime boss, boss. The un ...
for the
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Bruno–Scarfo crime family,< ...
. Testa made his reputation as a
hitman
Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
for the Philadelphia family during a period of internal gang conflict. The son of former boss Philip “The Chicken Man” Testa, Salvatore Testa was an emerging figure in the mob until he was killed on the orders of boss
Nicodemo Scarfo
Nicodemo Domenico Scarfo Sr. (March 8, 1929 – January 13, 2017) also known as "Little Nicky", was an American mobster who served as boss of the Philadelphia crime family from 1981 to 1990. Infamously known for his murderous reputation, Scarf ...
.
Biography
Born on March 31, 1956, in
Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia (formerly Kingsessing Township) is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA. The no ...
, Testa was the son of Alfia Arcidiacono (1926–1980) and Philip "Chicken Man" Testa (1924–1981), a member of the
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Bruno–Scarfo crime family,< ...
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
for a year, before going into the real estate business. Testa had one sister, Maria, who managed a Center City nightclub and restaurant.
In March 1980, longtime family
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, ...
Angelo Bruno was murdered, and Testa's father became boss. The death of Bruno triggered a violent civil war in the family between factions loyal to
Harry Riccobene
Harry "The Hunchback" Riccobene (July 27, 1909 – June 19, 2000) was a high-ranking member of the Philadelphia crime family who became a major figure in the Scarfo-Riccobene gang war that followed the 1981 death of boss Philip Testa.
He was b ...
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
operations. Testa was inducted as a "
made man
In the Sicilian and American Mafia, a made man is a fully initiated member of the Mafia. In order to become eligible to be "made", an associate must fulfill several requirements, such as being Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by ...
" in the Philadelphia branch of ''
Cosa Nostra
The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of local protect ...
'' in June 1980 in an
initiation ceremony
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformatio ...
conducted by Phil Testa and his underboss, Peter Cassella.Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Change p. 175, Pennsylvania Crime Commission (1990) On March 15, 1981, Testa's father returned to his home in
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west."." ''City of Philadelphia''. Retrieved November 8, ...
, which was across the street from the scenic Stephen Girard Park. As he was opening the door to his home, a
nail bomb
A nail bomb is an anti-personnel explosive device containing nails to increase its effectiveness at harming victims. The nails act as shrapnel, leading almost certainly to more injury in inhabited areas than the explosives alone would. A nail ...
exploded under his front porch. His death was allegedly ordered by his underboss and drug trafficker Peter Casella and ''
caporegime
A ''caporegime'' or ''capodecina'', usually shortened to ''capo'' or informally referred to as "captain", "skipper" or "lieutenant", is a leadership position in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia). A ''capo'' is a "made m ...
'' Frank Narducci Sr., which later resulted in Narducci being gunned down and Casella being banished from the Mob and fleeing to Florida.
Scarfo took over the crime family following Philip Testa's death, and he promoted Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino to underboss. Sal Testa inherited much of his father's
loansharking
A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high or illegal interest rates, has strict terms of collection, and generally operates outside the law, often using the threat of violence or other illegal, aggressive, and extortionate ...
operations, and developed a reputation as a high-earning ''mafioso''.Organized Crime in America p. 159
U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, f ...
(1983) On July 31, 1982, he was wounded near his home in the Italian Market section by shotgun blasts fired from a speeding car. The shooting was carried out by Victor DeLuca and Joseph Pedulla in retaliation for the attempted killing of Harry Riccobene. DeLuca and Pedulla were convicted of aggravated assault and weapons offenses on January 17, 1983.
In 1984, Testa broke off his engagement to Merlino's daughter. Enraged, Merlino got permission from Scarfo to murder Testa, despite him being a loyal member of the crime family. However, Merlino developed a drinking problem, which caused Scarfo to demote Merlino and cut off ties with him.
Death and aftermath
In 1984, Scarfo ordered the death of Testa, one of his capos and his top hitman, as Testa's ambition and growing popularity made Scarfo feel threatened. On September 14, 1984, Testa was shot by Salvatore ayneGrande. He was found shot to death at the side of a road in
Gloucester Township, New Jersey
Gloucester Township is a township in Camden County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was the state's 22nd-most-populous municipality,Holy Cross Cemetery in
Yeadon, Pennsylvania
Yeadon is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders the city of Philadelphia. The population was 11,443 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Yeadon is located in eastern Delaware County at (39.932862, -75.251540). It is bor ...
.
As a result of Salvatore Testa's murder, Scarfo gained a reputation for disloyalty, and several criminal organizations across the United States began to distrust him.
References
*Anastasia, George, ''Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob - The Mafia's Most Violent Family'' (2004)
*Caba, Susan The Slaying of Testa, from a Sister's View May 3, 1988 Philadelphia Inquirer