IS THE
DE A A defense lawyer for Philly mob boss Joe Ligambi told a jury that the local branch of the Cosa Nostra was a thing of the past. Was he right? By George Anastasia MOB BOSS JOE LIGAMBI is back in his stylish corner townhouse in Packer Park, the one with the black, front-door awning embossed with a bold, white letter “L.” The 74-year-old crime boss has also been spotted, on occasion, driving around South Philadelphia in a late-model black Cadillac sedan, his car of choice for years. But is the veteran wise guy in
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the driver’s seat when it comes to the local crime family? More important, does he — or anyone for that matter — want to be? History indicates that the job of Philly mob boss leads to a jail cell or a coffin. Of the six mob bosses who preceded Ligambi, two were brutally murdered and the other four ended up doing long prison terms. According to sources both in law enforcement and under-
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world circles, Ligambi has told anyone and everyone that he’s done; that he just wants to relax, spend summers in Longport and make trips to Florida when the weather gets too cold. It’s the smart thing to say. But does he mean it? That’s what everyone is wondering. “The problem for all these guys,” says Steve LaPenta, a retired law enforcement investigator who tracked the mob first as a mem-
UNDER ARREST: Anthony Nicodemo, 42, was arrested at his South Philly row home a half hour after a mob “hit” went down in December 2012.