NEED TO KNOW

By 1990, mob veteran John Stanfa took over from Nicky Scarfo as the leader of the Philadelphia family

Netflix's Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia chronicles the crime war between him and Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino in the 1990s

In 1996, Stanfa was sentenced to life in prison

Netflix is revisiting one of the most notorious showdowns in mob history: veteran mobster John Stanfa vs. young newbie Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino .

When longtime boss Nicky Scarfo's reign fell in the late 1980s, the Philly mob was in need of a new leader. The Five Families — who have historically dominated organized crime — backed Stanfa, an old-school mob figure, while a younger faction rallied behind Merlino, who was known for his flashier, more modern approach to mob life.

Netflix's Mob

See Full Page