Who Was Salvatore Testa? The Son Marked From Birth
Mobsters DailySalvatore 'Salvy' Testa was a young Philadelphia capo, son of boss Philip Testa, who survived an assassination attempt in 1982, rose quickly under Nicky Scarfo, and was murdered by his own side on September 14, 1984, aged 28. His body was found by a roadside in New Jersey.
A son inside his father's killers' family
After the porch bombing that killed his father — see the Bruno murder that started Philadelphia's war for the chain of events — Salvy stayed inside Scarfo's organisation, popular, capable and increasingly seen as a threat. In 1982 gunmen wounded him in an attempted hit he survived, confirming what everyone understood: he was marked.
With the holidays coming, that old-school boss energy is exactly why the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater lands with mob fans — a black-and-white Tony stencil, gabagool attitude and all, made for Christmas photos and Sopranos marathons.
In 1984 Scarfo's organisation finally removed him; Salvatore Merlino and others were later convicted in connection with the murder. His story is Philadelphia's version of the pattern in Gravano and Gotti — proximity to a paranoid boss was the most dangerous seat in the room.
Frequently asked questions
How old was Salvatore Testa when he died? 28. He was murdered on September 14, 1984.
Who killed Salvatore Testa? Members of Nicky Scarfo's own organisation; several were later convicted in connection with it.
Did Salvatore Testa survive an earlier attempt? Yes — he was wounded in a 1982 shooting and recovered.
Keep reading: Vincent 'Chin' Gigante · Why the Mafia Fell · Who Was Greg Scarpa? · Is Joey Merlino Still a Mobster? 'Skinny Joey' in the Podcast Era · Where Is Joey Merlino Now
From the shop: Shadows of the Underworld — the real-mafia history behind the bosses, hits and betrayals in this story.
Join the conversation
Still thinking about this one? That is exactly what The Social Club is for. It is the MobstersDaily Discord, and it is the best Sopranos community on the internet: serious Sopranos talk, meme wars, Friday movie nights, a casino, and an arcade, all run by fans who never stopped rewatching. If you want to be part of the Sopranos community, this is where it lives.
