Philadelphia mob informant to testify

Frank "Frankie the Fixer" DiGiacomo is scheduled to make his public debut as a government witness today at a preliminary hearing for Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello, a reputed South Philadelphia mob associate.

Onetime partners in crime, according to investigators, DiGiacomo, 44, and Monacello, 41, now find themselves on opposite sides of a criminal case that is based in Delaware County but that includes an intriguing Philadelphia chapter.

Today's hearing focuses on allegations that Monacello offered to pay $1,500 to have mobster Marty Angelina "beaten so badly he would have to be hospitalized."

Angry that Angelina was trying to horn in on his gambling business, Monacello tapped DiGiacomo to find someone willing to carry out the task, according to a grand jury presentment handed up last year. Monacello was unaware that DiGiacomo was cooperating with the Pennsylvania State Police at the time.

In a grand jury presentment made public in July, authorities allege that DiGiacomo met twice with Monacello to discuss the alleged beating.

DiGiacomo was wearing a body wire and recorded both conversations, authorities say. The meetings outside Monacello's home in the 3100 block of South 18th Street were observed by a State Police surveillance team.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Erik Olsen is expected to play portions of the tapes and call DiGiacomo as a witness during today's hearing, which is to determine whether there is enough evidence to support the charges.

Monacello already was the target of a gambling, loan-sharking and obstruction-of-justice investigation when the alleged plot against Angelina unfolded.

He and 16 others were arrested in July in what authorities called "Operation Delco Nostra." All the charges, except those involving the plan to assault Angelina, are pending in Delaware County.

DiGiacomo, known as "the fixer" because he worked as a plumber, disappeared from his South Philly haunts at the time of the arrests. Currently living in protective custody, he has been described as a collector for Monacello, who authorities say was the mob's point man in Delaware County gambling circles.

It is unclear why DiGiacomo agreed to cooperate, but documents indicate he recorded conversations for at least six months during the investigation.

Monacello's animosity toward Angelina stemmed from a dispute over the collection of gambling debts, according to investigative sources.

Authorities say DiGiacomo told them on June 12 that Monacello was considering killing Angelina and had "two hot pieces [guns] ordered" for the hit.

DiGiacomo said Monacello wanted to wait until August or September, however, because reputed mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi was aware of the bad blood between Monacello and Angelina.

"Monacello indicated that he had just had a big argument with Joe [Ligambi] and that Joe would know that it had been Monacello that had killed Angelina," State Police Trooper Glenn Hopey told the grand jury while testifying about the Angelina plot.

DiGiacomo wore a body wire to two subsequent meetings with Monacello in which, Hopey testified, "Monacello indicated that, instead, he wanted Angelina beaten so badly that he would have to be hospitalized."

Angelina, a longtime mob soldier and top associate of jailed mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, was described as a "nobody" by Monacello, who told DiGiacomo he would pay between $1,000 and $1,500 to have him beaten.

During a second meeting, Monacello said that other members of organized crime "hated" Angelina and that he was not concerned about Ligambi linking him to the assault.

Monacello said he would simply deny any involvement, telling Ligambi: "If it was me, I would have just . . . killed him, okay?"

Monacello has been described by investigators as a close associate of jailed mobster George Borgesi. Borgesi is Ligambi's nephew. After he was jailed on racketeering charges in 2000, authorities allege, Borgesi tapped Monacello to oversee mob-controlled gambling and loan-sharking in Delaware County.

Monacello at one time owned Gavone's, a bar-restaurant in South Philadelphia that is now closed. He also has interests in at least two schools that train personal trainers.

In another taped conversation in the case, Monacello told an associate that the State Police were trying to get others in the gambling ring to testify against him and Borgesi.