Mob soldier Louis "Big Lou" Fazzini pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge Friday, just days before jury selection was to begin in a case in which he, mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi, and six others were to stand trial.
Fazzini, 45, is the fourth defendant in the case to enter a guilty plea. He will be sentenced in January and under federal guidelines could receive from 51 to 78 months.
Fazzini admitted his involvement in a mob-controlled gambling and loansharking operation. Ligambi, 73, and his co-defendants face similar charges. Ligambi is also charged with defrauding a Teamsters Union health fund of more than $200,000 in medical benefits while holding a no-show job at a South Philadelphia trash company.
