Salvatore Testa
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Salvatore Testa ("Salvie") was the son of Philip Testa, "The Chicken Man", who briefly led the Scarfo Crime Family before his likely execution by Nicodemo Scarfo. Salvie was an up and comer in the mob and was elevated by Scarfo to the rank of capo in the months after his father's death. Testa was extremely violent. Scarfo used him as a hitman in over 15 murders. Mob associate Rocco "Boom Boom" Marinucci was the individual who delivered a pizza and planted a remote-controlled bomb at the home of Sal's father, Phil. When Testa inserted his key in the front door, the bomb exploded, killing him and destroying the front of his house. Exactly one year later, Marinucci was found fatally shot in the neck, chest and head in a parking lot in South Philadelphia. His mouth had been stuffed with three large unexploded cherry bombs. It was the work of "Salvie" Testa.
Testa survived several attempted hits during his time as a capo. In 1982, during the Scarfo, Harry Riccobene mob wars, Testa was enjoying a bucket of clams outside a South Philadelphia pizza shop. A shotgun blast from one of Ricobene's men knocked Salvie off a wooden crate he was seated on and nearly severed his left arm. Although in critical condition, Testa survived. In late 1983, four days after the killing of Riccobene’s brother, Salvatore and two associates were ambushed as they were driving in South Philadelphia. No one was injured in what would prove to be the last effort on the part of the Riccobene forces in the war.
Following this, for unknown reasons, probably because Scarfo thought that either Testa was getting jealous of him or because Testa was getting too strong, he ordered Salvie killed. Scarfo caught up with Testa in 1984, luring the mob capo into an ambush effectively ending the short mob career of Salvatore Testa. He was shot in the back of the head by friends and dumped along a roadside. Scarfo in addition to other associates were indicted for the murder of Testa in 1987.
