James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse, which houses the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in downtown Philadelphia, on April 3, 2021. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
In a precedential 169-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has upheld the convictions and sentences for two members of the Lucchese organized crime family and two Texas brothers on charges of racketeering and conspiracy.
According to the opinion, Nicodemo S. Scarfo, a member of the Lucchese organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra, and Salvatore Pelullo, an associate of the Lucchese and Philadelphia families, were convicted in 2014 for their roles in extorting members of the board of directors of FirstPlus Financial Group.
