Philly Mag Almost Got Jerry Blavat Whacked

We didn’t mean it, Geator — honest! During alleged mob boss Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi’s trial on federal racketeering charges yesterday, former mobster Louis “Bent Finger Lou” Monacello testified that Ligambi was convinced the legendary DJ had engineered our writer Steve Volk’s August 2009 look at the decline of the South Philly mob:

“He was ranting and raving, ‘That [expletive] Jerry Blavat, he set this up … Jerry Blavat, I’m gonna kill this [expletive],’ ” Monacello said, recounting his September 2009 conversation with Ligambi.

Blavat, thankfully, seems to be taking the story in stride:

Reached by phone today, Blavat, long known as the Geator with the Heater, said he was unaware of the threat.

“I grew up with these guys. I know Joe. I never heard it,” he said. “That’s strange.” [Inquirer]