South Philadelphia mob figure Angelina pleads guilty

South Philadelphia mob figure Martin Angelina pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge Wednesday, admitting his involvement in an organized-crime extortion and gambling scheme outlined in a 52-count indictment handed up last year.

Jailed since his arrest in May 2011, Angelina, 50, "wanted to move on and get this thing resolved," his lawyer, Jack McMahon, said after a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno.

McMahon said that it was a "difficult decision" and that as a lawyer, he thought there was a defense that could have been mounted at trial, but Angelina decided to put the case behind him.

Under sentencing guidelines, Angelina faces an estimated 51 to 63 months in prison, McMahon said. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 3.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, Angelina pleaded guilty to three related extortion and gambling charges. He was one of more than a dozen mob members and associates indicted along with acting mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi in May.

Ligambi, 72, and eight other mobsters are scheduled for trial before Robreno in October. The case revolves around allegations of bookmaking, extortion, loan-sharking, and operation of illegal video-poker machines.

Angelina, once described as an enforcer for former crime boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, has spent a large part of his adult life behind bars or fighting criminal charges.

He was convicted with Merlino and several others in 2001 in a major racketeering case and sentenced to 78 months in prison. He was twice returned to prison after his release in that case for violating the terms of his supervised release.

In the last three years, Angelina has also been charged with drunken driving, assault in an alleged domestic dispute with a girlfriend, and aggravated assault for allegedly spitting on a Margate, N.J., police officer in the aftermath of another domestic dispute with a girlfriend.

Angelina is the second major defendant in the pending racketeering case to enter a guilty plea. Gaeton Lucibello, identified as a mob soldier, pleaded guilty to similar charges last week. Lucibello, 59, is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 26.