January 28, 2021 – Philadelphia wiseguy Kenny Arabia, who was under indictment by the feds in a drug and racketeering case, died of natural causes earlier this month. He had been made responsible for overseeing a Philly mob shakedown campaign launched in Atlantic City in the mid-2010s, per his indictment.
As a youngster in the 1970s and early 1980s, Arabia was a driver and bodyguard for his uncle, local mafia figure Dominick (Mickey Diamond) DeVito. More recently, the 67-year old Arabia was directly under Philly mafia underboss Steven (Handsome Stevie) Mazzone, according to Arabia’s own words caught on an FBI wire. “I’m with Stevie direct,” he told an informant recording their conversation.
The case Arabia was swept up in last November included Mazzone and Mazzone’s nephew, reputed capo, Domenic (Baby Dom) Grande. Mazzone and Grande, per court filings, used Arabia and his partner-in-crime, Daniel (Cozzy) Castelli, as their point men to extort gambling, loan sharking and drug businesses in Atlantic City. They all pleaded not guilty.
In October 2015, Mazzone issued a mandate at a celebratory dinner following an induction ceremony to reestablish power and influence in the Boardwalk resort town the Philly mob once ruled unfettered. The next month, Grande is alleged to have met with Arabia and Castelli and tasked them with getting their hooks into A.C., for him and Mazzone, per the indictment.
Arabia’s uncle, “Mickey Diamond” DeVito disappeared on February 22, 1982 on his way to a meeting at a mobbed-up New Jersey pizza parlor. His dead, battered and trussed body was found in the trunk of Arabia’s silver-colored Cadillac three days later. DeVito was on the wrong side of a regime change in the Bruno-Scarfo crime family.
According to sources, Arabia dodged a murder contract placed on his head by Bruno-Scarfo crime family soldier Joe (Joey Electric) Servidio over Servidio’s belief that Arabia was stealing from him and bad mouthing him around town. Servidio, who came from the organization’s North Jersey crew, is serving 12 years behind bars on his own racketeering case. Servidio’s desire to kill someone he felt betrayed him is made reference to in his 2018 indictment.
Before he was arrested in the case, Servidio was told to stand down in his attempts to whack Arabia by his capo, North Jersey skipper Joe (Scoops) Licata, per sources. Licata told Joey Electric the order was coming from Mazzone, one of the sources said.
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