Joseph Ligambi
| Joseph Ligambi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 9, 1939 South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Olivia Ligambi |
Joseph Anthony "Uncle Joe" Ligambi (born August 9, 1939) is a retired American mobster and former acting boss of the Philadelphia crime family. Ligambi is known among law enforcement circles to have a more "old school" approach, in sharp contrast to boss Joseph Merlino's, flamboyant, high-profile style. Ligambi is credited by the Philadelphia Police Department's Criminal Intelligence Unit to be "quietly bringing stability back to the troubled Philadelphia-South Jersey branch of the American Mafia" during the 2000s(decade). The New York Mafia families have been pleased with Ligambi and his approach, as well as his ability to turn the Philadelphia crime family back into a stable group.
Ligambi was one of four children born in the South Philadelphia to strict "old world" parents. His father was a cab driver. He attended South Philadelphia High School before dropping out his junior year to join the United States Air Force, where he eventually earned his high school diploma. He stands at 5' 8" and weighs 185 pounds with black-gray hair and brown eyes. Ligambi got married when he was 26 and had two daughters. The marriage ended in divorce. Ligambi later remarried and has 3 sons with his current wife Olivia. He can often be seen with his closest sibling, Philip Ligambi (an alleged member of the Philadelphia Organized Crime Family himself) Joe Ligambi is the uncle to former consigliere George Borgesi.
Unlike many other gangsters who started their careers in crime as teenagers or young adults, Ligambi didn't have a criminal record before age 32 when he was arrested for cigarette smuggling. In the 1970s, he started to associate himself with mobster brothers "Yogi" and Salvatore Merlino and worked as a bartender and at a frequent mobster hangout. Ligambi would become a protege of Salvatore Merlino who in turn was close to powerful crime family member Nicodemo Scarfo. During this time, Ligambi started making money helping run illegal book making operations for the Merlino crew. He earned a reputation as an expert in sports handicapping, particularly for football. By 1981, the Philadelphia crime family was being led by Scarfo, with Salvatore Merlino serving as his underboss.
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