Joe Mammana

Joe Mammana is an Italian American philanthropist who has offered more than $1 million in reward money for leads to criminals primarily in Pennsylvania and Ohio high-profile murders and kidnappings.

He is a redeemed ex-convict and millionaire head of Yardley Farms, an egg-processing plant in North Philadelphia. He has been described as a hard-boiled Sicilian businessman.

Mammana told The Columbus Dispatch that his own criminal past — convictions including aggravated assault, identity fraud, possession of illegal steroids and auto theft — inspired him to fight crime with the wealth he has gained through his businesses.

"I don't understand why there are so many unsolved crimes," he said. "It seemed like every time I did something wrong, it was solved overnight."

Mammana's harsh talk about criminals and the vast amount of "bounty" money he has offered across the country have attracted national attention.

"I don't put my reward money up for a drug dealer who kills another drug dealer," he said. "To me, that's a public service."

Mammana would not disclose where he lives, discuss his business ventures, or be interviewed at length in April 2004 by request of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has since appeared to be somewhat more open with the Columbus Dispatch.

References

• The Philadelphia Inquirer did an in-depth bio on Mammana in 2004. it is no longer on their website. It was originally found on www.nexis.com, which requires a subscription. Here is a Google cache.