PhillyMafiaHistory.com - The Mafia Encyclopedia (1999)

Maybe Philly boss John Stanfa didn’t seem important enough for Sifakis to be included in this book published in 1999, just about three years after his sentencing. Read Sifakis’ “Introduction” and decide whether his sources are good. Frank Sinatra’s in here, but “Pizza Connection” is not. Phil Leonetti’s exclusion is a very big omission, considering how he helped to send to many New York mob guys to prison. That would be the reasoning why to put more Philly mobsters in this otherwise good reference book. Sifakis only has Philly Mafia history in a 1980 to 1985 block, allowing for Salvatore Testa and Harry Riccobene to be included. But what Sifakis wrote in each listing is more anecdotal than criminal at times. He put in information about the “Testa Burger” about Phil Testa, but nothing about his criminal career. There’s no Joey Merlino or Ralph Natale, the first boss to talk (maybe Natale’s agreement with the feds came post-publication?)

The terminology and “Mob talk” are very helpful as are the other listings that show how organized crime is such an influential part of American history.

	Maybe Philly boss John Stanfa didn’t seem important enough for Sifakis to be included in this book published in 1999, just about three years after his sentencing. Read Sifakis’ “Introduction” and decide whether his sources are good. Frank Sinatra’s in here, but “Pizza Connection” is not. Phil Leonetti’s exclusion is a very big omission, considering how he helped to send to many New York mob guys to prison. That would be the reasoning why to put more Philly mobsters in this otherwise good reference book. Sifakis only has Philly Mafia history in a 1980 to 1985 block, allowing for Salvatore Testa and Harry Riccobene to be included. But what Sifakis wrote in each listing is more anecdotal than criminal at times. He put in information about the “Testa Burger” about Phil Testa, but nothing about his criminal career. There’s no Joey Merlino or Ralph Natale, the first boss to talk (maybe Natale’s agreement with the feds came post-publication?) The terminology and “Mob talk” are very helpful as are the other listings that show how organized crime is such an influential part of American history.








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