Nicknamed "Little Nicky" because of his size - he stood 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 135 pounds - but no one dared call him this to his face. Scarfo rose to power during one of the bloodiest periods in Philadelphia organized crime history. More than two dozen mob members or associates were murdered between 1980 and 1985 as Scarfo took control of the Philadelphia mob. Scarfo was drawn to the limelight as he frequently boasted to associates about the murders he committed and about his status in the underworld. His victims included an Atlantic County municipal court judge, an Atlantic City cement contractor, a longshoreman and several mob associates.
