The 45-year-old Pelullo, a wheeler-dealer who according to former associates boasted about his ties to organized crime while quoting lines from famous gangster movies - "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" being one of his favorites - has been in jail since his arrest on Nov. 1.
Gone are the fancy cars (a Bentley convertible, a Ferrari, and, at the time of his arrest, a Porsche) and the lavish accommodations (a stately stone house in Elkins Park, a waterfront condominium in Miami).
The corporate jet, the yacht, and the expense account are also things of the past, part of the case but no longer part of Pelullo's life.
Pelullo and Scarfo, son of imprisoned Philadelphia mob boss "Little Nicky" Scarfo, are charged with masterminding a scheme in which more than $12 million was taken from FirstPlus Financial Group.
A 25-count indictment delivered on Nov. 1 alleges that Pelullo and Scarfo exercised behind-the-scenes control of the company in 2007 and orchestrated phony business deals and bogus consulting contracts to loot its assets.
Eleven other defendants, including four lawyers, an accountant, and the younger Scarfo's wife, Lisa Murray-Scarfo, have also been charged in the case. Only Pelullo and Scarfo have been denied bail.
Pelullo, who appeared for a court hearing earlier this month shackled and dressed in a green prison jumpsuit, claims to be broke, ruined financially by allegations and innuendos that have swirled around the investigation for the last four years.
The request for a new bail hearing is based on arguments offered by Troy A. Archie, Pelullo's court-appointed attorney, in papers filed earlier this month.
Archie said the government "misrepresented" facts at a Dec. 14 hearing that ended in Pelullo's being denied bail.
