Colombo Family soldier Felice "Philly" Vizzari was a close associate of crime boss Joe Colombo. Philly was heavily involved in gambling and credit card theft rackets. The Mafia entered credit card scamming at a time when Diners Club was a leading brand name in the mid to early 1960s. American Express also became a victim of mob extortionists. Vizzari was in trouble beginning with a vehicular homicide charge in September 1938. By 1946 he'd been arrested for stealing a load of garment merchandise off a truck in Brooklyn.