Philip Testa - Bombing

Bombing

One month before Testa was murdered, he, Frank Narducci Sr., Harold and Mario Riccobene, Pasquale Spirito, Joseph Ciancaglini, and several associates were indicted in a federal racketeering case that centred on gambling and loansharking operations run by the mob. The case was based on an investigation called Operation Gangplank and was one of the first built on the RICO Act by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia. On March 15, 1981, Testa returned to his home in South Philadelphia that was across the street from the scenic Stephen Girard Park. As he was opening the door to his row house, a nail bomb exploded under his front porch. The house was ravaged and witnesses claimed that pieces of Testa's body were scattered blocks away. Phil Testa was often considered a mindless brute by law enforcement, but saw himself as the next 'Julius Caesar of the Mob'. He was rushed to St. Agnes Medical Centre in Point Breeze, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but died of internal bleeding. On the night of Testa's wake, Nicky Scarfo and Salvatore Merlino were summoned to a meeting at the Buckeye Club, a private social club in South Philadelphia where consigliere Peter Casella and Frank Narducci Sr. based their operations out of following the murder of Testa. He had one daughter who managed a Center City, Philadelphia nightclub and restaurant. Their father was promoted to underboss after Ignazio Danaro, died of old age, in turn Phil promoted drug trafficker Peter Casella to fill his role as underboss. Bruno's death triggered a violent civil war in the family between factions loyal to Harry Riccobene and Nicodemo Scarfo, who controlled the family's Atlantic City, New Jersey operations. Testa's killing spawned a string of intra-family wars that lasted until 1995. Testa's son, Salvatore Testa, became a rising star in the Philadelphia family. A few months after Testa's death, Scarfo made Salvatore a caporegime. Three years later Salvatore was murdered by close friend Joey Pungitore on orders from Nicky Scarfo. Scarfo, despite being Salvatore's godfather at birth, began to feel threatened by the young capo's popularity in the family and was jealous of an article in the Wall Street Journal that noted Salvatore as a rich, young rising star within the Cosa Nostra underworld.