Bruno-Scarfo Era Wiseguy Joseph “Chickie” Ciancaglini passed away over the weekend at the age of 88.
Ciancaglini served almost 30 years in federal prison on a variety of racketeering related charges dating back to the days of Mob Bosses Angelo Bruno and Nicodemo Scarfo in early 1980s and returned to South Philadelphia for the final years of his life.
He was a regular at a South Philly corner restaurant almost every day since his release from federal prison in May of 2015. He could often be seen sitting inside or outside drinking coffee and jokingly passing the time with friends and customers stopping in for lunch or a snack.
“He loved to break chops” one South Philly Wiseguy told Mobtalksitdown.com on Monday. “Everybody loved the guy. He was a storyteller, a legendary tough guy who everybody respected. They don’t make guys like Chickie anymore.”
Ciancaglini was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, illegal gambling and a host of other federal charges on June, 25 1982. He was indicted along with 9 other codefendants.
He was indicted a second time while still in federal prison. The second indictment came in January of 1988, it charged Ciancaglini and 18 other LCN members and associates in a wide sweeping case that included Bruno and Scarfo era defendants.
Ciancaglini, identified in the charges as a captain or “capo”, was the only defendant named in both indictments.
The South Philly mobster suffered the loss of his son Michael Ciancaglini while he was in prison. Michael was gunned down on a South Philly Street during the Mob War between John Stanfa and Joey Merlino. Merlino was wounded in the drive by shooting that took Michael’s life.
Two Stanfa foot soldiers carried out the Mob hit in broad daylight in the heart of South Philadelphia, outside a mob clubhouse as Merlino and Michael Ciancaglini exited the building.
A second son, Joseph Ciancaglini, was also seriously wounded in another mob shooting during the Stanfa-Merlino mob war.
Ciancaglini’s oldest son John was indicted along with Merlino and a dozen other defendants in 2000. He was sentenced to nine years in federal prison.
Chickie Ciancaglini’s viewing is scheduled for Thursday night and Friday morning in South Philadelphia. A funeral Mass is set for Friday morning at St. Paul’s Church at 10th and Christian in South Philly.
