Helfant gained posthumous notoriety when he was murdered by Philadelphia Mafia family member Nicholas (Nick The Blade) Virgilio who was a close associate of Nicky Scarfo.
He was married to a woman named Marcie and was the father of several sons, including Perry who became a defence attorney and Richard, who would later become entertainment coordinator for Sands Atlantic City.
A fellow mafioso, Nicodemo Scarfo, contacted Helfant and delivered $12,000 to him, which was to be given to the Supreme Court judge handling the murder case as a bribe, in exchange for a lenient sentence for Virgilio.
At the time of his death, Helfant was facing conviction for bribery, due to accusations of taking bribes to kick out cases in the Somers Point Municipal Court, where he worked as a part-time Justice.
In 1988 the then boss of the Philadelphia mafia and 16 co-defendants were charged under the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and several other murders and drug dealing, extortion and loan-sharking.