Philadelphia Mafia family underboss gets 5 years in prison for running gambling, extortion, and loansharking

By Gangsters Inc. Editors

Steven Mazzone, the underboss of the Philadelphia Mafia family, was sentenced on Thursday to 5 years behind bars for leading a racketeering conspiracy which engaged in illicit gambling, extortion, and loansharking.

59-year-old Mazzone directed a vast network of criminal activity that spanned Philadelphia and parts of New Jersey. As the underboss, he set rules for La Cosa Nostra members and associates in the Philadelphia Mafia and collected profits from illegal activity that was siphoned upward through the command structure. Mazzone also organized the composition of crews in the crime family and to which captains each crew reported. Every capo answered to Mazzone.

Wiretap

The investigation involved the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, and Philadelphia Police Department. They utilized court-ordered wiretap interceptions of cell phones used by mob members and associates to conduct illegal sports betting and loansharking in the Philadelphia area.

The wiretap evidence established that Mazzone financed high-interest loans to customers of the sportsbook who were unable to pay their debts, resulting in the collection of loans with interest rates as high as 264%. Mobsters threatened debtors who did not pay with violence, including one threat to make a victim “disappear” for nonpayment on a loan.

10913424890?profile=RESIZE_710xPhoto: Steven Mazzone.

Second conviction

This case represents Mazzone’s second federal conviction for criminal activity in connection with the Mafia. He had previously committed similar offenses in Philadelphia over 20 years ago as a “made” member in the Philadelphia Mafia. In 2000, Mazzone was convicted of conspiracy to commit racketeering and illegal sports bookmaking.

In that case, Mazzone was captured on intercepted wiretap conversations discussing an extortion. One of the victims was shot and seriously injured during the course of the extortion. Mazzone was ultimately sentenced to 9 years in prison for that conviction.

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