You might say Philly has a special meaning to [Geraldo] Rivera, who will introduce his recently taped interview with mobster-turned-informant Tommy “Horsehead” Scafidi.

Rivera learned recently, through Fox29 reporter Dave Schratwieser, that mob boss John Stanfa had ordered Scafidi to have him rubbed out.

Stanfa was furious that Rivera and crew had shown up at Stanfa’s warehouse about 15 years ago and started peppering him with mob-related questions. “He was insulted by my confrontational approach,” says Rivera, who says he was also threatened years ago in New York by John Gotti’s boys.

Stanfa wanted two guys on motorcycles to whack Rivera if he returned to Philly. Scafidi told Rivera he talked Stanfa out of it: “I said, ‘John, with all due respect, you can’t… this isn’t Italy… you can’t kill reporters or cops.’ And he didn’t say nothing… So, I… I… I got a little panicky.”

Philly’s mob scene was “anarchy,” Rivera says. “They couldn’t even carry out a murder of their own grandmother.” Rivera has returned to Philly many times since.

Stanfa was sentenced in 1995 to five life terms.

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 10th, 2006 at 3:56 pm.