Cosa Nostra in Delaware?

The type of alleged bookmaking ring apparently uncovered by authorities in Delaware County represents an "enormous moneymaker" for organized crime, a former prosecutor said yesterday.

Barry Gross, who led cases against four past mob bosses - Nicky Scarfo, John Stanfa, Ralph Natale and Joey Merlino - said bookmaking and loan-sharking generate funds that often provide "seed money" for more serious crimes, such as extortion and murder.

On Tuesday, 17 defendants surrendered to authorities in Delaware County and Philadelphia on charges ranging from solicitation to commit aggravated assault to gambling and drug-dealing. All are free on bail.

Police, who conducted a lengthy probe that ended with a year-long investigation by a Montgomery County grand jury, dubbed the operation "Delco Nostra" - for Delaware County La Cosa Nostra.

Whenever an operation generates more than $1 million a month, as the Delaware County operation reportedly did, "disputes over money are inevitable," said Gross, now in private practice at Drinker Biddle & Reath.

James Jacobs, a criminal law professor at New York University who has written four books on the Mafia, described loan-sharking as "a violent crime" because it can lead to bloodshed.

"In general, I don't think the Mafia has a lot of violence in it, as surprising as that is," he said.

The threat of violence generally suffices, he said, adding, "Most of the violence has got to do with internal discipline, punishing people who are disloyal."

Court records in the case against the Delco Nostra, allegedly led by Louis Monacello, 41, a South Philadelphia mob associate known as "Bent Finger Lou," and Nicholas "Nicky the Hat" Cimino, 49, of Wallingford, indicate internal mob violence was threatened.