Philip Carlos Testa was born on April 21, 1924 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Eventually, Testa joined the Philadelphia crime family and rose through the ranks to become underboss to the organization's longtime leader, Angelo Bruno.
On Friday, March 21, 1980, Bruno was killed by a single shotgun blast to the back of his head as he sat in the front passenger seat of a car parked in front of his South Philadelphia rowhouse. Bruno's sudden demise left Testa in charge of the organization.
On February 21, 1981, Testa and nine others, including: Frank "Chickie" Narducci, who oversaw the organization's gambling operations; Harry "Hunchback" and Mario "Sonny" Riccobene; former Teamster Joseph "Chickie" Ciancaglini; Carl "Pappy" Ippolito; Frank Primerano; Pasquale Spirito; former Philadelphia police officer Joseph Bongiovanni; and Charles Fred Warrington were indicted on federal racketeering charges involving gambling and loan-sharking. After surrendering to federal agents, Testa was freed on $40,000 bail.
On March 15, 1981, Testa was killed on the porch of his South Philadelphia home by a bomb filled with shotgun pellets and nails. The murder would be the sixth in the Philadelphia family power struggle that ensued following Angelo Bruno's 1980 shooting death. Testa was interred with his wife, Alfia Arcidiacono Testa, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, PA.
A suspect in Testa's homicide, Rocco Marinucci, was subsequently discovered shot to death one year after the former's death; firecrackers had been placed in the mouth of his corpse. However, on June 11, 1982, 21-year-old South Philadelphia waiter Theodore DiPretoro was arrested and charged with Testa's murder. On September 21, 1983, DiPretoro pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection to Testa's killing in order to avoid the death penalty. He also admitted that Marinucci participated in the murder as well.
At 10:23 pm, on September 15, 1984, Testa's son, Salvatore Testa, was discovered murdered on Garwood Road in Glouchester Township, New Jersey. He'd been shot once behind each year and wrapped in a blanket. Acting on an anonymous tip, police located the younger Testa's corpse attired in white tennis shorts, matching sneakers and a white Temple University t-shirt.
Phil Testa (left) and Angelo Bruno (right)
