The Idone Regime of Chester, PA

In another gangland murder Santo was suspected of committing in 1963, Ferdinand (Blackie) Iacono, a key lottery gambling operative of Santo’s was found in an abandoned strip mine in Hazelton, PA. His badly beaten corpse also bore marks of a broken windpipe and crushed Adam’s apple. It was thought that Santo killed him for not sharing his racket profits.

Chester, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County, is a small outlying town just six miles southwest down the road from the city of Philadelphia proper.

It has a population of just under 43,000 people and is for all intents and purposes a quiet community, devoid of the hustle and bustle of the Philly metropolis.

It is a depressed area that has seen a steady decline in economic health and infrastructure as the decades passed. By 1980, its population was over 70% Black, 5% Hispanic, 5% other, and 20% White.

The area is largely devoid of any array of business, cultural, or recreational resources. The results have been telling...

Since the 1950s the vice trade of prostitution, the illegal numbers game and hard narcotics have become both a blight and a major, steady employer for many of the city’s desperate populous.

It has become one of the very few stable and dependable revenue-producing industries, albeit illicit, for the people of Chester.

And although unfortunately there is much crime and blight in Chester, it is not typically the type of city one would expect to find major racketeers, let alone the dreaded Mafia...but if that’s what one thought, they would be dead wrong.

In fact, the little town of Chester was considered by law enforcement to have been a Mecca for organized crime dating back many years.

A little-known, but solid continent of Italian racketeers operated the town for decades.

Run under the auspices of an extremely low-key soldier named Santo Idone, who by the early 1970s had been elevated within the overall Philadelphia mafia to that of a “capo di decina” or territory boss.

This is their story...

Santo Idone

Santo (Chester Sam) Idone - aka “Sam,” “Big Santo,” and “Papa” - was born on February 16, 1920, in Calabria, Italy. After coming to this country his family settled in Pennsylvania. As an adult, he would reside most of his life at 123 Meadowbrook Lane, in the Brookhaven section of Chester.

He later also bought a home down in the Sunshine State, at 1136 44th Avenue N.E., in St. Petersburg, Florida, where as he aged, Sam mostly resided during the harsh winter months, leaving the day to day racket operations in the hands of trusted minions.

Santo Idone was officially connected to Philadelphia’s Bruno Family of LCN, but spent most of his underworld career in Chester, where he was the resident mob boss or “capo di decina.”

He was repeatedly listed by the FBI and the Pennsylvania Crime Commission as a formally “inducted” member since at least the mid-1960s, who was elevated to serve as a “capo di decina” after the death of Joseph Rugnetta in 1977.

He was said to have been formally inducted into their ranks by boss Angelo Bruno almost immediately after a gangland murder he helped commit in 1962. He started as a soldier in Philly and at some point relocated to nearby Chester, a town that he would call home and become synonymous with, so much so, that he gained the underworld moniker “Chester Sam” or “Sam from Chester”.

A Capable Career

His “career” started back in the mid-1940s. Idone was a contemporary of such Philadelphia hoods as Angelo Bruno, Mike Maggio, Felix DeTullio, and the Piccolo brothers.

He was said to have been partnered with Joseph (Joe Cadillac) Landmesser, a top gambler and sports bookmaker from Delaware County.

Other close associates included Bruno Family soldiers Antonio Sciglitano, Anthony Della Iacone, as well as Joe Scalleat and his brothers who hailed from Hazelton, PA.

He was known as a trusted and “capable” hoodlum by his fellow mafiosi, as was clearly evident during the January 1962 murder of one Dominick (Reds) Caruso back in Philadelphia.

He was part of a hit team assigned to “clip” Caruso in a neighborhood tavern. But his accomplices “Skinny Razor” DeTullio and his young protege “Little Nicky” Scarfo were itchy to jump at their target and killed the guy even before Idone arrived.

By the time Santo got there, his fellow mafiosi had stabbed and shot their victim. Idone helped tie and wrap the former alleged “goodfella” who could now best be referred to as a “poor fella,” threw him into the trunk of Idone’s car, and drove away to dispose of the corpse.

Marked for Death

In another gangland murder, Santo was suspected of committing in 1963, Ferdinand (Blackie) Iacono, a key lottery gambling operative of Santo’s was found in an abandoned strip mine in Hazelton, PA. His badly beaten corpse also bore marks of a broken windpipe and crushed Adam’s apple. It was thought that Santo killed him for not sharing his racket profits.

Without mentioning the victim’s name, Idone boasted to fellow mobsters on more than one occasion that he once killed a guy by crushing his wind pipe.

In 1974, Santo helped in another homicide decreed by the Philadelphia hierarchy.

Soldier Joe Scalleat telephoned Alvin Feldman, a schemer operating out of Philly that had been marked for death, and requested Feldman’s assistance in torching a warehouse out in Hazelton....Feldman jumped at the idea of making a score and accepted Scalleat’s offer.

But once Feldman arrived at the warehouse for the supposed “torch” job, Idone and fellow soldiers Chickie Narducci and Chickie Ciancaglini were there waiting for him...and he didn’t fare out very well.

Santo grabbed hold of Feldman from behind while Narducci went to stab him with an ice pick, but at the last second Feldman moved and Narducci stuck Idone with the pick by mistake.

Alvin made a run for it, but Ciancaglini tackled him to the ground. While he held him down, Narducci repeatedly stabbed Feldman to death.

The killers allegedly dumped their victim’s body down a deep sewer in the woodlands...and that was that.—Ho-hum...such is the daily life of a mafioso!

The Daily Grind

But such instances were rare, especially back in the quiet little town of Chester. What wasn’t rare was the daily grind of being the head of mob “operations” as it were of the area’s rackets.

Although they didn’t have the luxury of multiple rackets, or maybe because of it, theirs was a relatively stable, serene and profitable underworld existence.

Chester Sam and his minions mostly operated the typical low-key rackets of horse and sports bookmaking, a numbers lottery, a few dice and cards games, and a stable shylock book on the side.

Side Note: Idone and Iacona acted as the “bankers” for the crew’s loan shark book, supplying the funds as needed in order for their men to loan money out “on the street”. They charged weekly interest rates anywhere from 1.5% to a whopping 5.5%, which aggregated to 78% to 283% annually.

And of course, they were “heavy-handed” with any recalcitrant borrowers, or “cutie pies” who took their money and then attempted to default.

It was said the crew had several hundred thousand dollars out on loan at their high point, with Mario Eufrasio tasked with granting and collecting loans payments and generally overseeing the operation.

Vending Machines

As he became established from the 1950s on, Sam also expanded into distributing vending machines among the neighborhood bars and taverns, restaurants and diners, gas stations, and other such locations as appropriate.

He joined a nationwide “push” by Cosa Nostra to infiltrate and dominate the industry. The racketeers had gotten their start in the field back during the big slot machine racket craze of the 1930s and 40s.

Once they were comfortable in the business they then expanded into Jukeboxes, various pinball games and cigarette machines...it was a natural progression. And Sam Idone was no different.

Over the years he was partnered in a few vending companies, and as he aged, preferred to just collect his “stipend” or “mob tax” as is customary from any vendors choosing to operate within Sam’s perceived territory.

Time-Trusted Associates

He operated with a very small crew of “time-trusted” mob associates under his control. Idone was in fact a “capo” or “captain” in English but never ran a large regime such as many of his mafia brethren.

Among his crew were “associates” Mario (Murph) Eufrasio, Gary Iacona, Francis (Hank) Peticca, Eufrasio’s son Danny Eufrasio, and Gary Iacona’s brothers, James and Joseph Iacona Jr.

Chester Sam also had several official “inducted soldiers” under his command such as Joseph Scalleat and Anthony Della Iacona.

By extension, he also inherited two of Scalleat’s brothers and a few other of their mob associates who operated mostly back in Hazelton. They were heavily engaged in running large card and dice games over the years, and Joe Scalleat and a fourth brother Albert, who was also a “made” guy in Russ Bufalino’s crew out of Pittston-Scranton, PA., also ran a major bookmaking network running through several Upstate Pennsylvania counties.

Collectively these men made up the “Idone Regime” of the Bruno Family.

Side Note: Idone’s crew also closely interacted with Black organized crime members operating in Chester. Black hoodlum leader William (Willie) Price aka “Brother”, “Brother Price”, operated a separate but allied criminal organization that dominated rackets in the heavily populated black neighborhoods of Chester.

The Sub-Networks

He headed extensive sub-networks that handled narcotics (heroin, cocaine, marijuana), a numbers lottery, joker-poker gambling machines, and loan sharking were all mainstays of his.

Price was actually partnered with Idone and the Iacona’s in putting out usurious loans to tavern operators and other businesses, and getting reimbursed through the revenue of gambling machines placed in businesses by their JP Amusements, a joker-poker distributor owned by Price and Joe Iacona Jr.

The Idone regime was also suspected of financing narcotics transactions through Willie Price and his extensive network of dealers.

The former larcenous Mayor of the town of Chester from 1968 through 1979, a convicted racketeer named John (Jack) Nacrelli, also worked in tandem with Iadone’s crew on numerous occasions.

He was actually partners in a large numbers racket operation run by the Miller-Fontaine syndicate, which Nacrelli protected through his near-total fiefdom-like control of that city’s political machine which he had tight rein over.

As an example of this influence, Mayor Jack Nacrelli would direct his Chester Police Department to raid competing numbers drops and arrest those not in league with his gambling operation, while simultaneously indemnifying his lottery-numbers runners, clerks and various numbers taking locations throughout the city.

He was later convicted of this pervasive corruption and spent 2 years in prison...Mayor Nacrelli was without a doubt, a racketeer to the bone!

In fact, shortly after being paroled, he was hired by JP Amusements, the very same firm owned by mob associates Joe Iacona and “Brother Willie” Price, as a “salesman” to push joker-poker gambling machines into area businesses. Nacrelli was alleged to have even threatened several business owners who balked at installing the machines.

Nacrelli seems to have worked hand-in-glove with the mob all the way. Probers later found that Jimmy Iacona had been awarded the exclusive City contract to service all Chester’s government vehicles through his Iacona’s William Penn Station, formerly Iacona’s B.P., an all-service repair and body shop as well.

It was a very lucrative “no-bid” awarded contract he held since May of 1982 for Chester’s vehicle servicing and maintenance of City-owned vehicles, be they cars or trucks...I’m sure Nacrelli received a hearty kickback for that one! Lol

One final note about John Nacrelli. Arguably, if you needed to get something done in the City of Chester back in those days, the person to see was either “Mafioso” Santo Idone or “Mayor” John Nacrelli...I think that just about sums it up folks...How about you?

A Conspiracy to Murder

In late 1982 and early 1983, Idone was brought into a conspiracy to murder Thomas (Tommy Spats) Auferio, who was a member serving under rebel soldier Harry Riccobene back in Philly.

After several unsuccessful attempts on the lives of both Riccobene and his men, a frustrated Philadelphia boss Nicodemo Scarfo assigned Idone the task after he got word that Auferio may be hiding out around the Hazelton area of Pennsylvania.

Search as they might, neither Idone nor his men, one of whom was the old-time soldier and resident hood from Hazelton by the name Joe Scalleat could locate their target. It seems that either the boys back in Philly had gotten bum info, or Auferio had long ago left the area.

But this event, and Sam’s participation in it, would have serious implications for Idone down the Road.—Chester Sam’s fall from grace would come courtesy of Philly boss Nicky Scarfo, who had drawn the ire and attention of federal and local law enforcement authorities by his insatiable lust for blood and power.

During his haphazard rein, Scarfo almost singlehandedly destroyed an organization that had operated surreptitiously and quite successfully for upwards of 80 years.

His was a reign of terror the likes of which the City of Philadelphia, its populous, and its resident mafia borgata hadn’t seen since the 1920s era...in fact, they’d never seen the wanton acts of violence perpetrated by Scarfo and his minions.

It was more reminiscent of “Scarface Al” Capone’s 1920s Chicago for during the short course of his tenure as “Capo” or “Head” of the Philly Family, dozens of bodies of mob figures, both inducted members and associates alike, littered the streets of the City and its outer environs.

It got so bad that mob guys were constantly looking over their shoulders for approaching gunmen, even those mobsters who were closely allied with Little Nicky.

With the intense pressure and scrutiny placed on Scarfo and all his operations in an unprecedented attempt to bring him down, Idone fell under the microscope of law enforcement as never before. The otherwise “shadow” capo was soon on the radar and had a bullseye drawn on his back...it would become his downfall!

The Bug that Listens

The FBI installed a “bug” in an automobile repair business operated by Gary Iacona aptly named Iacona’s Auto Center, Inc., at 601 Concord Avenue in Chester.

With this electronic surveillance now in place, federal agents listened in as Chester Sam and his crew associates discussed their various rackets.

Side Note: They ran a vending company named Star Amusements that operated video poker machines installed throughout the area which brought in many thousands of dollars weekly, and a loanshark business that also brought in a steady, hefty income.

These two rackets worked in tandem like “peanut butter goes with jelly”, in that bars, taverns and restaurants often needed money to help their businesses.

Depending upon the circumstances, a free loan of money, a low-interest loan, high-interest usurious loan, or a combination thereof was employed to gain access and “lock in” a “spot” to install these lucrative video joker-poker gambling machines...it worked like a charm.

The agents also got an earful of the huge revenue generated weekly by these racket operations, and the Idone crew’s efforts to violently thwart any intrusion into their territory by outside racketeers and independent operators.

Side Note: Idone and his men were caught talking on surveillance tapes about their tremendous net profits of over $2,000 per day with the joker poker machines alone. They were also caught threatening competitors of theirs in the video gambling machine business.

It was duly documented and recorded that some 28 persons at 23 locations were involved in these illegal activities, with “Chester Sam” or “Papa” as he was sometimes affectionately called by his disciples, at the helm of it all.

The First Strike

By December of 1986, the FBI was ready to start their first strike against Chester Sam. They conducted a series of raids and a search warrant on Iacona’s Auto Center and at numerous locations where Idone and his associates had placed gambling machines around Chester.

The agents seized gambling records, $23,000 in cash, and 60 joker-poker machines at 21 area bars and eateries. That was the beginning of the end...or the end of the beginning, in the FBI’s effort to bring down the shadowy mafioso.

Through most of 1986, Idone and his crew continuously threatened and intimidated the owners and operators of two outside vending firms, Action Vending and Automatic Coin Vending Company.

Their ire was raised after Action Vending had the audacity to go around installing machines at area businesses under the dominion of the Idone faction. Chester, and for that matter most of Delaware County was considered within Idone’s bailiwick.

After several tense confrontations with Idone’s men, the vending firm’s owner Al Sanbe was assaulted by two men sent by Eufrasio and Idone. He and his partners were threatened with additional beatings and death, and repeated extortion attempts against them.

Eventually, the principals of Action Amusements, Alphonse Sanbe, Ronald Lee, and Nick Sanbe (Al’s father), reached out to a member of New York’s Gambino Family for protection from Idone.

The situation had come to a head after crew associate Danny Eufrasio pulled an “Action” poker machine from a lucrative “spot” previously held by Idone’s crew at The Gold Room, replacing it with one of his own from a vending firm they ran called F. & D. Amusements.

Sanbe promptly called the local police department and filed a criminal complaint against Eufrasio.

A few days later partners Sanbe and Lee received a threatening call from Mario Eufrasio who stated that if they didn’t drop the charges against his son immediately, somebody was gonna get hurt. The partners took the threat seriously and started carrying guns for protection.

At the Table

With the continuing tension, a “sitdown” was soon set up between a Gambino soldier and Idone in order for the two mob factions to settle the growing dispute.

It is believed that as the resident mafia leader of the area, Santo Idone won the “table” against these would-be usurpers. These types of confrontations and exposure, in addition to the tremendous “heat” generated by their screwball boss back in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Little Nick Scarfo, would lead to not one, but two federal racketeering indictments against Santo and his closest minions in January 1989 and again later that same year.

Named in a RICO indictment was Santo Idone, and three associates" Mario Eufrasio, Gary Iacona, and Francis Peticca. The aging Capodecina was also named in a second, separate Rico with “conspiracy to commit murder” for his failed “search and destroy” efforts on behalf of Scarfo.

All the defendants were charged with various RICO violations of racketeering and conspiracy, attempted extortion, illegal gambling (joker-poker machines), and making usurious loans.

But only Idone was charged in the second case with the separate crime of murder conspiracy. The indictments covered a time period from 1981 through 1986.

After a lengthy trial with an anonymous jury for their safety, Idone’s failed attempt to save himself from a life behind bars petered out. He was convicted on January 26, 1990, and sentenced to serve 20 years in federal prison and $30,000 fine, which he began in April that same year...Santo’s later appeal of his conviction was denied.

Initially, the Appeals Court ruled in his favor reducing his sentence down to 5-1/2 years. But the government won a reversal of that appeal, and the full sentence was reimposed on him.

His associates Mario Eufrasio, Gary Iacona, and Francis Peticca received jail “bids” of 10 years, 6 years, and 2 years respectively. But several years after their convictions, the case Judge reduced those jail terms.

Finally Freedom

Santo was finally released from federal prison in August of 1998. He had served almost 8 years behind bars. Out on parole, he retired down to Florida where he would spend the majority of the next 7 years.

Santo (Chester Sam) Idone passed away in 2005 at the comfortable old age of 85 years old. He had lived a long life, and had seen much.

His otherwise quiet and profitable underworld career as a mafioso was only disrupted by the foolish acts of others...but as a loyal soldier of Cosa Nostra, you must follow the orders you are given...and that was his downfall!

This is just another mob tale!

Until next time..."The Other Guy!"

The Idone Regime of Chester, PA

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The Idone Regime of Chester, PA

Often Imitated. Never Duplicated. Button Guys of The New York Mafia...There's Only One!

Tour the Underworld with Button Guys

Dive Deeper into the Underworld

Genovese Capo Frank Iaconi and His Worcester, Massachusetts Regime

The “Scalleat Crew” of Hazleton, PA

The John Dioguardi Crew

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