Nicodemo Scarfo, the Philadelphia mob boss known as "Little Nicky," died last week in the hospital of the prison where he was serving a 55-year prison sentence.
Scarfo was 87 when he died Jan. 13 at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. Family lawyer Michael E. Riley said Scarfo’s health had been deteriorating for some time, and Scarfo’s own lawyer said cancer might have been the cause of his death, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Scarfo was widely regarded as one of the biggest organized crime leaders in the U.S. — and the most violent. He is thought to have murdered 25 mobsters or associates as he took control of the Scarfo crime family, the Inquirer said.
Scarfo, who stood at only 5-foot-5, seemed to enjoy being identified as a mobster and tried to imitate Al Capone and other gangsters, both real and cinematic. He made up for his small size with his ruthlessness and temper.
After being tried and acquitted twice for murdering mafia members, it seemed as though Scarfo would get away unscathed, but eventually two high-level members of his own organization turned on him and he was convicted for some of his crimes in the late 1980s, including nine murders and four attempted murders.
Attorney David Bahuriak was attempting to get Scarfo released on parole at the time of the mobster's death.
“Mr. Scarfo was definitely an infamous character. No doubt about that,” Bahuriak said, NBC 10 reported.
Scarfo’s son, Nicky Scarfo Jr., is in prison serving a 30-year sentence for racketeering.
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