Scibelli grew up in Springfield’s South End neighborhood, and became associated with a mafia crew run by Salvatore Cufari, a Genovese family capo. Scibelli would evolve into a powerful and irreverent regional boss for the New York-based Genovese crime family. Scibelli became boss of the powerful Genovese family crew in Greater Springfield after his predecessor, "Big Nose Sam" Cufari died in 1983.