PHILADELPHIA -- Reputed mobster Frank 'Chickie' Narducci, gunned down last week, will not receive a Roman Catholic funeral because his marriage was invalid in the eyes of the church, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said Sunday.
Narducci's marriage to his wife, Adeline, 'was considered an invalid marriage by the church,' said James Coyne, spokesman for the archdiocese.
'To be a valid marriage one must have a marriage performed by a priest with two witnesses and this wasn't done in his (Narducci's) case,' Coyne said. 'He was never married by a priest in front of two witnesses.
The funeral for Narducci, 49, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Nunzio Carto Funeral Home in South Philadelphia, not at the Stella Maris Roman Catholic Church, where he was a member for 12 years. A viewing was scheduled Sunday night at the funeral home.
Narducci will be buried Monday at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield.
'The church is allowing Narducci to be buried in consecrated ground as a sign of compassion toward his family,' said Coyne.
Narducci was killed Thursday night -- shot 10 times about 30 yards from his south Philadelphia home as he returned from federal court, where he was on trial with seven others on racketeering charges. Last rites were administered by Msgr. Edward McLaughlin of the Stella Maris church as the body lay on the ground.
Police recovered two revolvers within a block of the site of the slaying. Police planned to conduct ballistics tests Monday to determine if the guns were used in the killing.
Narducci, a reputed loanshark and gambling operator identified by authorities as one of the top lieutenants to slain Philadelphia mob boss Angelo Bruno, was convicted last April of paying bribes to a city police officer to protect a gambling operation.
Bruno was given a Mass of Christian Burial because church officials ruled that Bruno's 'spiritual life was in order,' Coyne said.
Since Bruno's assassination in March 1980, nine Bruno mob associates have been slain.