Former Mob Reporter Reacts To "Little Nicky" Scarfo Death
by Anita Oh
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Nicodemo scarfo, the infamous head of the Philadelphia crime family, died Friday, according to a family lawyer.
"Little nicky" was serving a 55-year sentence in a federal prison medical facility in Butner, North Carolina.
"It's not unexpected. He was never gonna be a factor again. There were some people who said good riddance and other people said Rest In Peace," said George Anastasia.
Anastasia extensively covered the Philadelphia mafia for more than a decade as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer -- and while he never interacted with Nicodemo Scarfo, he learned much about the man heading the mob.
"A lot of people would say he's a psycho. He was very volatile, short temper, violent," Anastasia said.
Scarfo took over the Philadelphia crime family in 1981 after the murders of then-boss Angelo Bruno, and his successor Philip "chicken man" Testa.
And Anastasia said Scarfo's management style as a ruthless regime leader led to his downfall.
"For Bruno, murder was the negotiating tool of last resort. If everything else failed, somebody might get popped. For Scarfo, murder was a calling card. Right out of the gate, that's what you were facing. And that destabilized the entire organization. It's never been the same since. It careened out of control," Anastasia told Eyewitness News.
Scarfo's reign ended in the late 1980s, when he was convicted and jailed on multiple counts of murder, extortion, and other charges -- largely in part due to the damaging testimony of some who worked under him -- who then turned into government witnesses.
A jury found Scarfo guilty of nine murders and four attempted murders.
"It's not so much about murders. It was about control power and money. Always about the money," Anastasia said.
But that was then.
In the wake of scarfo's death, Michael Riley, who represents Scarfo's son, Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., asked for privacy on behalf of the family.
Scarfo jr. is currently serving a 30-year sentence on fraud and gambling charges.
"This is a difficult time for the family. There will be a lot of people talking about the history. They should keep in mind it's a loss to the family, particularly to the son, the loss of a father can be difficult. If people can be gracious enough to understand that," Riley said.
At this time, no word on funeral arrangements.