Philadelphia Wiseguy Joey Electric Servidio Gets 15 Years For Dealing Drugs In Atlantic City Area

UPDATED
South Jersey resident Joseph (Joey Electric) Servidio, 60, a reputed soldier in the Philadelphia crime family, was sentenced last Thursday to 15 years in Federal prison for pushing crystal methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl-laced pills.

Joseph (Joey Electric) Servidio,
Joseph (Joey Electric) Servidio.

He was arrested in March 2018 with two South Jersey associates of the Philadelphia mob family: Carl Chianese and Michael Gallicchio. 

In June 2019, in Camden, NJ, Federal court, Servidio copped to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including more than 200 grams of fentanyl and heroin, and about 300 grams of crystal meth.

The FBI described this case as the 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.

Among the charges outlined in the indictment: Servidio and Chianese plotted the revenge killing of a drug-dealing associate because the associate, identified as “Individual 3,” was “suspected of talking openly and disparagingly about Servidio’s criminal activity.” The two waited outside the man's home for three hours for him to be alone so they could kill him.

The drug charges stemmed largely from Servidio and Chianese's effort to distribute pills containing heroin and fentanyl, which were stamped to appear like prescription pain killers Oxycodone or Percocet. Fentanyl is an extremely powerful manmade opioid drug that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, which needs repeating: Fentanyl is an extremely powerful manmade opioid drug that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Servidio and Chianese also sold drugs to an undercover FBI agent on multiple occasions.






The arrests followed a two-year FBI probe. The indictment relied heavily on audio recordings of Servidio. Several unidentified mobsters (INDIVIDUAL 1, 2, and 3) and the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra hierarchy were referenced in the complaint. Hours of recordings were captured between May 2016 and March 2018, most between Servidio and two associates. 

The case involved confidential sources, including an associate who wore a wire who is referred to as CS-1 in court documents. CS-1 started feeding information to the FBI in 2015 and recorded "at least" a dozen conversations with Servidio. (In a 2019 statement to NJ Advance Media, Servidio's defense attorney, Marco Laracca, said: “It is apparent that there is a distinction to be made between evidence of criminality vs. criminal braggadocio and embellishment.")

Transcripts of recorded meetings were included in the 64-page indictment. The meetings had taken place at various locations near Atlantic City, including Servidio’s house in Marmora, which is about 20 miles south of AC. On the recordings, Servidio talks about whacking mob associates, maximizing drug profits, and cleaning money, as per the FBI.

Servidio was recorded supposedly confessing to CS-1 that he sold drugs to ensure he had an ongoing supply of cash so that he could practice his life's passion, gambling.

Servidio was recorded on tape July 6, 2017, saying that he and Chianese knew how to disguise their "fingerprints" when committing crimes: “Me and Carl got two phones, just (exclusively) for this, you know. … 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.”

On Oct. 18, 2016, an unidentified member of the Philly mob met with a cooperating witness to talk about kicking up cash. The unnamed CI told the mobster: "whatever I do, you get a piece of it, doesn't matter whether it’s legitimate, illegitimate, whatever I do,”

The anonymous Philly mobster responds, "Yeah that's our business. … Believe me, whatever I do, it goes up, and all this is, is structure. … What you do (kick proceeds up the hierarchy), I do the same thing. I do it on a weekly basis."

On another recording, Servidio recalled a discussion he had had with the wife of a friend whose son overdosed on illegal drugs. "His wife, when I talked to her, she said, 'You're the only person that ever sold drugs that I love. I despise people because my son OD'd. … She said, 'Joe (Servidio) please stop what you're doing (selling drugs), you hurt people, people like you hurt people.' "

"You think she's right?" CS-1 responded.

"Yes," Servidio said.

"What's wrong with us?" CS-1 asked.

"It's the most money I can make (selling drugs), I like to spend money," Servidio responded.

‘I’m a criminal. Everything I do is criminal.’

In another recording, Servidio talked about cleaning cash and also copped to robbing an armored car just “to break even,” the indictment said.

"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 said.

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



“So I got to do other (criminal) things, 'cause I don't make enough money. Ninety percent of my (remodeling/renovation) work is for friends and family, for free. … I laugh, what did I tell you, why do I keep my company going? 'Cause I got to put the cash (from criminal activity) somewhere. I have to show it (income). How am I paying the mortgage, how am I paying my car payment, how am I paying my insurance, how am I paying my business insurance, how am I paying all these other bills? … Last year I robbed an armored car to break even. What am I gonna do this year?"

‘I make money every day, illegally’

Aside from his remodeling business, Servidio talks about showing legitimate income by making a power move into Atlantic City.

"We don't want, we're not looking to take over the whole town, people don't know, need to know who the f--- we are (Philadelphia LCN). Only if they give us a hard time, then we tell them who we are, we push our chest out."

Later in the conversation Servidio said, “there’s nothing better than making money. I make money every day, illegally. I don’t want to do this shit.”


COMING SOON:
New story on the 'Ndrangheta from overseas correspondent Andrew Machin, who most recently wrote: Ndrangheta Clash in Toronto: When The Wolfpack Stood Up To Siderno

 And the story about Carmine Galante we've referenced: it is taking us far too long, but we will publish soon. We were excited to get ahold of exclusive information from someone who knew Galante... 

And in the "maybe" department...


Paulie Walnuts


Once after Tony ignored or slighted him for the umpteenth time, Sopranos wiseguy Paulie Gaultieri said he felt like the ugly girl at the dance. We're starting to feel like that too these days for reasons that might be obvious to some of you.... Maybe we will write about it....











Comments