Action News, Philadelphia

May 5, 2001

excerpt from

Mob Landmarks Becoming Popular
Dante & Luigi's, a South Philly landmark, draws 50 percent of its business from tourists eager to sample the authentic Italian cuisine.

Inevitably, diners also want to sit at the table where a reputed mobster was shot almost 12 years ago.

"We get people asking about it all the time," said co-owner Connie LaRussa. "The first thing they say is, 'Where was the shooting?'

The infamous ambush of Nicky Scarfo Jr. has been a part of Philadelphia crime lore for more than a decade, but it was thrust into the spotlight yet again recently by mob turncoats testifying against reputed crime boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino.

For mob junkies, it just doesn't get any better: The Merlino trial has been a veritable soap opera of intrigue, treachery and criminal acts ranging from murder and attempted murder to extortion and illegal gambling. Testimony has spotlighted a number of places in the city and suburbs where mobsters supposedly plotted _ and carried out _ their nefarious schemes.

Given the region's many historical attractions, then, would it be a shock if some enterprising tour operator launched an excursion of famous mob sites? Imagine the possibilities: Visit a mob hangout! See a South Philly rowhouse still pockmarked with bulletholes! Bet horses at the racetrack where mobsters talked murder!