Philip Testa

Philip "Chicken Man" Testa (April 21, 1924 - March 15, 1981) was an American Mafia figure known for his brief leadership of the Philadelphia crime family. Testa's nickname came from his involvement in a poultry business. Testa's violent death inspired Bruce Springsteen's song, "Atlantic City".

Mob Leader

Testa was the underboss of the Philadelphia family under long-time leader Angelo Bruno. Called the "Gentle Don", Bruno was known for his good nature and tendency to avoid violence and drug trafficking. Bruno was killed on March 21, 1980. The hit was probably ordered by a rebel family faction from Atlantic City, New Jersey, under Nicodemo ("Little Nicky") Scarfo. Testa succeeded Bruno, but not for long.

Bombing

On March 15, 1981, Testa returned to his home in South Philadelphia. Soon after he arrived, a nail bomb exploded under his front porch. The house was ravaged and witnesses claimed that pieces of Testa's body were scattered blocks away. The roofing nails in the bomb were to make it appear that it was retaliation for the killing of union president John McCullough. However, after taking over as Boss, Nicky Scarfo had the real conspirators, Frank Narducci and Rocco Marinucci, murdered for the unsanctioned hit.

Immediately after the Testa bombing, the Philadelphia press declared that a gang war had begun. It turned out that Testa's killing spawned a string of intra-family wars that lasted until 1995. Testa's son, Salvatore Testa, became a rising star in the Philadelphia family. A few months after Testa's death, Scarfo made Salvatore a caporegime. Three years later Salvatore was murdered also.

Famous Song

One day in 1981, Bruce Springsteen was reading the newspaper and he saw the headline, "Chicken Man Blown Up In Philly". Seeing an interesting story, he adapted the headline into a new song, Atlantic City, about the Mafia wars in New Jersey and Philadelphia. The song opens with the following line,

"Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night/Now they blew up his house too".

The song also contained references to Testa's killer, Nicky Scarfo. Atlantic City turned into a surprise pop hit for Springsteen's most critically-acclaimed, but least successful album, 1982's Nebraska.

References

Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob - The Mafia's Most Violent Family by George Anastasia, 2004, ISBN 0-9410159-86-4