1984, referendum, shortly before he was indicted March 27, 1984, on federal extortion charges of using his office to extort bribes from businessmen to benefit himself and organized crime associates. In the indictment, released by United States Attorney W. Hunt Dumont, Matthews was accused of having close dealings with Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo for years, dating to before he was mayor. Scarfo was an American mafioso member of the U.S. Cosa Nostra and head of the Philadelphia crime family that also controlled organized crime in South Jersey. Matthews allegedly turned a blind eye to the actions of his primary supporters Scarfo and Phillip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti, joining them in shaking down others and concentrating on extorting money from city officials. In late 1983, a month or two before Scarfo was released from prison in January 1984, Leonetti found out that the FBI was investigating the illegal activities between the Scarfo Family and Matthews. Leonetti learned about the investigation a day or two before it made the news. At first, Matthews decided to help the FBI and gave them a confession, but shortly thereafter decided against cooperating. Matthews was charged with the attempted extortion of $668,000 from two businesses set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and with taking $14,000 in bribes from an undercover F.B.I. agent posing as a representative of the companies. Matthews pleaded guilty to one count of extortion on November 27, 1984, four weeks after the trial started. By admitting to accepting a $10,000 bribe from an FBI agent posing as a businessman who wanted his help in buying a parcel of city-owned land zoned for casinos on favorable terms, government dropped seven other counts. The dropped counts alleged further extortion, bribery and conspiracy, including one alleging that Matthews had conspired with organized crime figures to use his office for their benefit in return for campaign financing. Matthews was sentenced in 1985 to 15 years in federal prison, and was paroled in June 1990. Frank Lentino, an associate of the Scarfo crime family and business agent for UNITE HERE Local 54 of the Bartenders and Hotel Workers' Union in Atlantic City and Teamsters Local 158 in Philadelphia even after his retirement, admitted to conspiring with Matthews and reputed organized crime leaders in return for the Mayor's aid in getting a city contract and in favorably purchasing city-owned land zoned for casinos. Thomas Russo, then the city's