Opinion ID: 546225
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: murders and attempted murders

Text: 11 The jury's answers to special interrogatories on the RICO charges indicated that each of the appellants had participated in a murder, attempted murder, or conspiracy to murder. Jt.App. at 1230-62. While the motives for the murders and attempted murders varied, each appears to have been carefully planned and carried out pursuant to Scarfo's instructions. 12 Vincent Falcone, a cement contractor who socialized with various members of the enterprise, including Scarfo, Philip Leonetti, and Lawrence Merlino, tr. 10/25/88 at 48-49, was murdered on December 16, 1979, because he made disparaging comments concerning Scarfo and Philip Leonetti. 8 Joseph Salerno, Jr. testified that in late 1979, Scarfo asked him in a restaurant in Philadelphia if he had any guns and he answered that he owned a .32 caliber revolver and a rifle. 9 Tr. 10/25/88 at 43-44. A few weeks later, at Scarfo's request, Salerno brought the guns to the office of Scarf, Inc. on Georgia Avenue in Atlantic City where Scarfo, Leonetti, and Lawrence Merlino took possession of them. Id. at 47-48. 13 Salerno further testified that on the night of the murder, he was home in Brigantine, New Jersey, when he received a call to go over to the office of Scarf, Inc. which he did. When he arrived there he indicated that he wanted to go home to be with his children and to decorate the Christmas tree but instead was induced to drive with Falcone, Leonetti, and Merlino to an apartment in Margate, New Jersey, where Scarfo was waiting. Id. at 55-57. Scarfo, who was watching television, told Falcone to fix some drinks. Id. at 57. Within minutes after Falcone reappeared with the drinks, Leonetti, using Salerno's gun, shot Falcone once in the head. According to Salerno, Scarfo then stated  'I think, I'll give him another one.'  Leonetti responded,  'No ... I'll give it to him'  and fired an additional shot into Falcone's chest. Id. at 58. Pursuant to Scarfo's instructions, Leonetti and Merlino then left the premises to dispose of the gun and pick up Falcone's car, id. at 58, and Salerno tied up Falcone's body and wrapped it in a blanket. As Salerno performed his assigned task, Scarfo stated  'I love this ... I love it.'  Id. at 62. When Merlino returned with Falcone's car, Salerno helped him put Falcone's body into the trunk. Id. at 65, 69. The co-conspirators then abandoned the car in another location in Margate, cleaned the apartment and disposed of their clothing in a sewer. They then had dinner at Scarfo's apartment. Tr. 10/25/88 at 69-70, 71-72, 74, 76. Falcone's murder was charged against Scarfo and co-defendant Leonetti as racketeering act 3. 14 In December 1979, Salerno began to cooperate with state and federal authorities investigating the Falcone murder and other crimes committed by members of the enterprise. Tr. 10/25/88 at 83. With good reason he was concerned about his safety and that of his family and thus sought and obtained protection from the Atlantic County Prosecutor. In the summer of 1982, he testified against Scarfo in a proceeding before the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and in a proceeding concerning a union described as Local 54 Bartender's Union. Tr. 10/25/88 at 92. After this testimony Scarfo, Salvatore Merlino, and Phillip Narducci attempted to murder Salerno's father, Joseph Salerno, Sr. Tr. 10/11/88 at 20-23; 10/25/88 at 92. At that time, Salerno, Jr. was inaccessible because he and his family had entered the federal witness protection program. Tr. 10/25/88 at 88. Phillip Narducci told DelGiorno that he appeared at Joseph Salerno, Sr.'s office in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, and shot him when he opened the door. Id. at 22. On these facts, Scarfo, Merlino and Narducci were found guilty of racketeering acts 7(a) and (b), which charged them with conspiracy to murder and attempted murder. 15 Judge Edwin Helfant's murder also is indicative of the way in which this enterprise operated. On February 15, 1978, Virgilio, wearing a ski mask to avoid identification, shot and killed Judge Helfant, a former municipal court judge in Atlantic County, New Jersey, in the Flamingo Bar and Restaurant in Atlantic City. Scarfo later told DelGiorno and others, described by DelGiorno as Philip, Chuckie, Larry, Faffy, [and] the Blade, that he had instructed Virgilio to kill Judge Helfant because Helfant had accepted $12,000 to fix a case involving Virgilio but had not done so. Tr. 10/10/88 at 132-33. Scarfo drove the get-away car at the time of the murder and later arranged a false alibi for Virgilio. Id. at 133-35. Scarfo and Virgilio were found guilty of the Helfant murder as charged in racketeering act 1 of the RICO counts. 16 The evidence also shows that the appellants killed in response to a member's showing of disloyalty to the organization, 10 to a drug dealer's refusal to pay the street tax to the enterprise, 11 and to eliminate a faction of the enterprise's membership which threatened Scarfo's leadership. 12