Philadelphia Cosa Nostra Soldier Cops To Drug Charges

Joseph (Joey Electric) Servidio, 59, a reputed made member of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra family, last week copped to drug charges.

Philly wiseguys circa 1980s: Servidio near right.
 Philly wiseguys circa 1980s: Servidio near right.


Servidio pleaded guilty on June 17 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin laced with fentanyl, along with other drugs. He faces about 12-plus years in prison and his sentencing is slated for Sept. 24.

He was arrested in March 2018 with two other South-Jersey wiseguys -- Carl Chianese and Michael Gallichio, both associates -- for “conspiring to possess” drugs with intent to sell.






The FBI described the case as a dismantling of a drug pipeline running nearly the length of the Garden State Parkway. Initially the FBI indicated that elements of the Boston Mafia also were involved in this case.

The arrests followed a two-year FBI probe.

The indictment relied heavily on audio recordings of Servidio discussing drugs and mob life in detail.

In addition to the three arrested last March, several unidentified mobsters (INDIVIDUAL 1, 2, and 3) and the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra hierarchy were referenced in the complaint, which further noted that two turncoats had facilitated the operation, one of them for years.

Hours of recordings were captured between May 2016 and March 2018, most of them were between Servidio and two associates, some of which occurred at Servidio’s home in Marmora, around 20 miles south of Atlantic City.

Joseph Servidio, alleged Philadelphia soldier.
Joseph Servidio, alleged Philadelphia soldier.



"We need something (income) legitimate. I’m a criminal. Everything I do is criminal, I got to get out of it. … I need like $250,000 a year, or two, to break even. That’s what I need,” Servidio can be heard saying in one of the recordings, according to the complaint.

Servidio is identified in the complaint as a “made member” or “soldier” of Philly Cosa Nostra family. Servidio says in one of the audio recordings that he was also working with capos of other organized crime families.

In one of the most ironic exchanges probably ever caught on audio surveillance, Servidio discussed the strength of audio recordings during criminal trials.

"Eighty percent of eyewitnesses got the wrong person. Eighty percent. They look like the person … so without any corroborating evidence, you can even beat that," Servidio said. "The things you can’t beat are the tapes...with you saying it."

Servidio also discussed "making my bones" when he was 19.

Servidio discussed whacking rivals, maximizing drug profits and laundering money.

On July 6, 2017, Servidio and Chianese were waiting outside an associate’s home when they were recorded: "Me and Carl got two phones, just [exclusively] for this, you know,’ Servidio said. "The thing is everything is away. I’ve been leaving my phones home. I made him [Chianese] leave his E-ZPass home. We paid cash, you know."

In December 2016, Servidio was shopping for a revolver for a very specific reason: He wanted to avoid leaving shell casings all over the place when he shot someone.

"Don't want no cases to come out…A revolver, it's better off," be was recorded saying.

Servidio’s attorney gave an interview to  NJLive.com:

"Based on the totality of the circumstances and a review of all the evidence in this case, it was in my client’s best interest to resolve it at this juncture. We intend to present mitigating information and evidence at the time of sentencing."




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