Joseph Ligambi

Infobox Person
name=Joseph Ligambi

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birth_date= August 9, 1939
birth_place=South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
death_date=
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Joseph Anthony Ligambi (born August 9, 1939) is a made member and current reputed boss of the Philadelphia crime family. [cite news|url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=7857|title=A Wiser Guy|author=Volk, Steve|date=August 18, 2004|work=Philadelphia Weekly|location=Philadelphia] Ligambi is known among law enforcement circles to have a more "old school" approach, in sharp contrast to the former boss, Joseph Merlino's, flamboyant, high-profile style. Ligambi is credited by the Philadelphia Police Department's Criminal Intelligence Unit to be "quietly bringing stability back to the troubled Philadelphia-South Jersey branch of La Cosa Nostra". The New York Mafia families have been pleased with Ligambi and his approach, as well as his ability to turn the Philadelphia crime family from near extinction to a quietly powerful group that may now consist of 50-60 made men. [cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/12030412.html|title=A 'Family Man' Who's Content In Shadows|author=Anastasia, George|date=December 2, 2007|work=Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia] He is also the uncle of former Philadelphia consigliere George Borgesi. [cite news|url=http://www.citypaper.net/articles/080901/news.mob.shtml|title=The Boys of Summer|author=Barry, Jim|date=August 2001|work=Philadelphia City Paper|location=Philadelphia]

Childhood

Ligambi was born in the South Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 9, 1939 to strict "old world" parents. His father was a cab driver. He attended South Philadelphia High School before dropping out his junior year to join the United States Air Force, where he eventually earned his high school diploma. [cite news|url=http://www.americanmafia.com/Mob_Report/12-17-01_Mob_Report.html|title=Meet The New Boss|author=Porello, Rick|date=December 17, 2001|work=AmericanMafia.com|location=Internet]

Criminal career

Sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s, Ligambi was inducted into the Philadelphia crime family, which at the time was being run by the powerful Angelo Bruno, who saw to it that the family got its seat at the Commission with the Five Families, however, upon the increase of drug trafficking, mobster Nicodemo Scarfo seized control over the family after the death of Bruno led to a violent Mafia powerstruggle. At the time, Ligambi was a family soldier in the Bruno faction.

On April 5, 1989, Ligambi was convicted alongside Nicodemo Scarfo, the current boss at the time, and several others, for the 1985 murder of Frank D'Alfonso. After serving 10 years the conviction was overturned, and in 1997 Ligambi returned to South Philadelphia. Upon his return, Ligambi was viewed as one of the few soldiers left from the Bruno era, and era which saw the Philly family gain enormous power and wealth.

After the conviction of Joseph Merlino in 1999, Ligambi was chosen by both his peers in the crime family and the heads of the New York families to take over as boss of the family. Merlino was sentenced to 14 years, and was still facing a murder indictment as well, and as such was no longer looked to as the boss of the family. Ligambi has remained in the shadows, rarely being mentioned in the media, while taking a much less "trigger-happy" approach to running a Mafia family.

Ligambi is believed to have brought the family back from the brink and is consolidating his power, waiting for the time when Merlino will be released from prison. Also known as "Uncle Joe", he's more interested in making money than making headlines, low-key, and happy to stay in the shadows. Ligambi is doing a good job in rebuilding a family that was almost destroyed. Ligambi has done so well that the New York families have taken notice, and it appears unlikely that Merlino will resume the title of boss when he is released.

References

External links

* [http://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/exclusion/ligambi_j.htm Joseph A. Ligambi - N.J. Excluded Person]