Ganging Up? [CityPaper]
There’s a little restaurant in South Philly that some consider a mafia hangout, but nobody in law enforcement is quite sure what mob the guys there belong to. Some patrons are Italian immigrants who regularly travel between South Philly and southern Italy. They speak English with thick Italian accents and a few dress more like European bankers than street-corner toughs.The owner of the restaurant — which, for the time being, will go unidentified — is from somewhere in Italy. While a source claims the owner is from Naples, most of the owner’s friends are Sicilian, and they treat the owner with “boss” deference. Says one eyewitness, there is “a lot of kissing on the cheeks and clasping of hands.”During the day, Italian immigrants from the neighborhood and men from as far away as Toronto and Naples visit the owner and his men. In several rooms above the restaurant, there are meetings, card games and parties almost every night. One law enforcement source tells City Paper the owner runs a loan-shark operation and construction company.”The owner is back and forth between Philly and Sicily a lot,” says one neighbor of the business located not too far from the stadiums. “He is involved in some shady international stuff.”
Hmm… interesting.
Ganging Up? [CityPaper]
