Early Life and Family Life
Testa was born in Mistretta, Sicily and emigrated to New York City, eventually settling in South Philadelphia with his family in his teenage years. In South Philadelphia he met and befriended future mob boss Angelo Bruno. He later married an attractive woman named Alfia Arcidiacono (records show her family owned a farm in Salem County, NJ). In early police dossiers on Testa, he was identified by law enforcement as not having a legitimate source of income and was solely dependent from winnings as a "common gambler". He saw himself as a Roman general and statesman like Julius Caesar in the world of organized crime. He occasionally worked in the construction business in arranging contractors for repairs and renovations in South Philadelphia.
In his native Mistretta, Testa was a Mandamento and was rumored to have belonged to the Sicilian Mafia Commission before traveling to America.
He was a dour-looking man with a pockmarked face who stood at 5 foot 8 inches, weighed 183 pounds, had brown hair and brown eyes, and was well built. He reportedly had dark emotionless eyes and gave off the appearance of a great white shark with a bulbous nose and scowl that made press photographers back away from him. His pockmarked face is thought to be one of the reasons behind his nickname, as the pockmarks are believed to have been caused by a horrible case of chicken pox with the scars never fully healing. Testa sported a thick mustache despite Mafia code stating that members could not sport mustaches. He wore blue-collar clothing, giving off the appearance of a "badly dressed plumber than an old world don", as one associate would describe him. He fathered a daughter, Maria.
At the age of 32, Testa became a father to his only son, Salvatore Testa born in 1956 in Bella Vista. He was a staunch Roman Catholic and raised his son in the same fashion. He remained loyal to his wife and did not have a mistress, like many other mobsters and did not drink heavily. Out of his two children he remained very close to Salvatore, even when he became older and moved out on his own.
His son Salvatore was described by associates and the press as better looking than his father Testa, crime reporter George Anastasia describes his son Salvatore as, "a ruggedly handsome 210-pound man who stood 6 feet tall with hazel eyes and real long lashes and dimpled cheeks. He wore his wavy hair out over his ears in typical 1970s fashion and was known to wear track suits and double breasted suits."
Read more about this topic: Philip Testa
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