G: If his nick name is (Bruno)then it is him.I dont know if you know that scarf inc. was Phils not nick sr. Phil just used scarf.as a catch name. and boy did it catch.. Also Phil changed some names in his book.

Here you go Serp..it says Bancheri burnt down his house and then him and Phil used the insurance money to start a concrete business.

http://books.google.com/books?id=_W8fAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA55

No big deal...i just thought he might of been Maria's brother but i guess not.

Yes that is true, There was someone, but i just cant put my finger on it.That name does ring a bell. Cus there was a guy in Brig that showed Phil the concrete bizz also. And the nick names everyone used back in the day. Put it this way the guy did not live around us. But that does not mean anything. It will come to me.If it is one of the guys i am thinking of he was not around long.And it could be that guy from Brig.

Serp

When Phil was a Caporegime, who was in his crew? Also Lawrence Merlino was a Caporegime too, who was under his control. There has never been a chart of the Scarfo mob that listed all the crews with the soldiers in them. I'm interested in that because I was hoping Phil would have expanded on his role as a captain a bit more in his book because he had many dealings with different wiseguys across the East Coast Families. Any info you have Serp would be great.

I don't believe for one second that Leonetti cooperated because he was worried for his son...He waited until he was convicted to flip, which makes one would think that if he was aquitted he would have went right back to the mob..He could have cooperated the minute he was arrested, but didn't !!

I don't think he's gotten back in to crime because without his uncle around, he's back to being a nobody !!!

Hey DiLorenzo, I know where Leonetti and his wife live in California. They live about 30 minutes from me. They own a few apartment buildings and a few single family homes which he and his wife collect rent for. I would guess the money him and his wife collect in rent along with Phil's TV appearances and his book, they do pretty well. If I remember correctly I think he stole money from his Uncle before he went into the program which he invested out here. He is an opportunistic asshole for sure, but you got to hand it to him he did come out on top.

Gingello

You should try and get a picture of him. I wonder what he looks like? I read he had plastic surgery and looks ugly.

What's people's opinion on Phil marrying Marie the girlfriend of Vince Falcone?

I think its a weird setup because obviously she liked Vince Falcone at one point and then to find out her new boyfriend and eventual husband Phil killed him must have caused her some pain and suffering? If not I have to say it sounds like some perverted romance.

Serp you seem to know more than the average bear about Scarfo Sr. I have a question for you, I grew up around the corner from Milano brothers and the rumor was that Nicky Whip was Scarfo kid. Did you think there is any truth to that?

bracci: I never asked him or them anything about LCN,but i would hear them slip.There was one night that Yogi and myself and Tommy and Tony G. were going to shoot some pool at the brjole cafe on mississippi and atlantic,we were waiting for Phil to show up.This was the only time Yogi or any of them talked in a conversation about it.Yogi says to me can i borrow $$$$ i looked up looked at Phil Tommy and Tony and they nodded (like ok)he went on to say that Nick knocked him and Chucky down and he need to $$$$ to make a move.Why he did not ask Phil for it i can only guess that if Nick asked if he helped Lawrence he could say no!!! And i dont think Phil had a crew ,weird but he did everything and i mean everything for Nick sr. As far as Yogi yea he did but i did not know who they were, so many around the office at georgia ave could not tell who they were there for or what..

Life : I have no clue about that,never seen Nick out of A.C. I would see him walk to Beeps and to the store but thats it. As time went on you never seen him alone (always with Phil)Before like in early 70s he would be around and drive him self.But after 75ish no.

I saw a picture of him on the net he gained a lot of weight. I have to find the picture.

That whole situation with Falcone's wife is crazy. Phil kills him and then he gets the girl lol. I'm sure she knows now especially because of his book but I'm dying to no how she felt when she first found out.

Phils wife that he calls (Maria) is the one that got some of money out of the apartment i was right next to her walking up georgia ave she walked in Angeloni's walked up to the bar, waved her sister over and said Phil just flipped right there just like that. she had two large shoe box size boxes opened one right there.There was me and her and two people across the bar.Her sister looks at me she repeated it and asked me if i had any money that i could give her.I did, not a lot .The money was wrapped.. That was the last time i ever seen her. But it was no million dollars.. someone else got that...

Interesting. Thank you

Serp thanks for that, how did Phil get on with the likes of Tommy Del, Nicky Crow, Salvie and the some of the other guys. It sounds like Yogie Merlino was saying Phil was ratting out the guys to Nicky (very ironic) and he would pull them up if they said anything out of line?

And I'm interested in this 'look' Phil would get that Joe Salerno kept mentioning, like it was a glare of something. Salerno made a note of this in his book. On his 1996 interview when he was tackled with some tough questions you could see his eyes harden.

One of the most interesting parts of that 1996 interview is near the end when Forest mentions Phil's wife who was dating Vince Falcone and he was saying it was strange that Phil and her got together after she found out he murdered her ex boyfriend, and Phil shrugs and rolls his eyes like it was no big deal and says something like "well, we got to stop living in the past."

Man you could tell he was cold blooded

Serp

Just curious you say (Marie), which is obviously not her real name, what was her name, I don't want surname just her first. The more we dissect the character of Phil Leonetti the more we come to understand how he functioned as a mobster and individual.

Also was Phil one of the normal wiseguys who jumped from girl to girl or was he settled down after he met 'Maria', and if you have any info about how he treated his women, from the info out there about him and Nicky they liked 'tune' them up a bit.

bracci :I did not see that side of them.When i was around and we would be thinking about where to go out to ,You know a club or we would go up to golden nugget to Frank Sinatra suite, It was a five bedroom big big half of top floor.We would have that spot every 3 or 4 weeks. We would make a call to shift boss and that was it .It was never like all LCN guys it was one and 5 reg dudes.We or they did not fly like that ,unless they had it set up and then Nick would never let us around.It was just norm regular young guys stuff.All the LCN stuff was when they were together. And phil was smooth with the ladies not a pig ,and yes after he hooked up he did not run around if front of people.

Names i already said the bros. name i really dont want to put her out there, she is with the FEDS so thats a no no...

And the thing about Joe he was a rat and a punk , I guess Phil saw right thru him (the look) And yes it was a little weird after Vince was gone ,when you would see them two together,That went away like anything else..

Yes I can understand that about not wanting to disclose 'Maria's' name.

If you remember there was a lawyer who apparently was telling people were Phil was hiding out. The feds had to warn him about it, and Phil says he confronted this guy in an airport. Kind of chilling if you think about it because obviously the feds passed on this lawyers movements to Phil because how else would he have been able to track this guy down in an airport. A great way for the FBI to scare mob defence lawyers. Serp would you ever like to see Phil again or is that water under the bridge?

He is around , he comes and eats, and goes to the beach,he also comes here to see some people and there children. But i have not talked to him ,but i would we were playing at 7 years old till he was locked up.. (he cant stay away) I am going dinner this weekend with my cousin and our old friend so i will ask if he been in town. Got to go to meeting be back couple hours...

Thanks for the info must be a bit strange for a guy who is in hiding and as notorious as Phil coming back around to hang out.

Later when you can answer, I was wondering what his fashion sense was like back then, what his favourite meal was? Lol I did say I wanted to know a lot of details about him.

Also do you think in a way Phil misses that life. I understand he has turned his life around, which is great, but I get the feeling that if he could have continued in that life then he would have.

Thanks again Serp very fascinating hearing from someone who was friends with these guys.

I also think Jason Cerbone (I think that is his name) the guy who plays Giacomo "Jackie Junior" Aprile in The Soprano's would be a great actor to play Philip Leonetti in a film if someone (Scorsese lol) made one of about Phil and the Scarfo mob. This kid has the look and even sounds like Phil a little bit. I just hope if they did produce a film it's made in the same way Goodfellas was instead of this new modern day crap they use it looks cheap. I also thought the great Frankie Vali could have played Nicky Scarfo. When Frankie played Rusty in the Sopranos he had his hair just like Scarfo I said "My god this guy looks like Nicky" lol

Wow he would be perfect for that role. Very good observation on that.

From reading the book about Leonetti the one thing I thought showed some of Scarfo's betraying ways was back in the Falcone trial.Right before the verdict I think one of the lawyers called them all together and he said to Yogi Merlino something like if you severe yourself from Scarfo and Chuckie you have an excellent chance of walking.In the book it said Scarfo looked at Yogi and said its your call [almost implying that if you do we understand].Instead Yogi decided to take his chances with the boys saying something like were all in this together.Luckily they were still found innocent.I'm not sure if I told that right but my point was by Yogi hanging with them made it easier for Scarfo.Anyway I thought that Scarfo would have always remembered that,but later on it said that he wanted Yogi whacked,not just demoted to soldier.

Man u guys are making me laugh !!! But u are right on the money,dam i really thought about if they did do a movie it would be good as hell, if done right like you said..

The time around and including that night at the Brjole cafe were very scary times cus we did know that sr. was out for blood and if you were there you were gone..

But we were young tough as they come, so we did not heed his warnings and made out ok.Phil was even starting to not come around,and when he would say on the phone or earlier in the day that he would show up and did not. (this was just guys hanging out not LCN stuff)yea got weird sometimes. Even right before with Chucky drinking we all knew Yogi was very alarmed.

Serp

Thanks for the info your giving us. I was wondering how Phil treated Joey Merlino? I understand Phil wasn't a fan back when Joe was just a kid, but did Phil make them feelings known to you guys or did he just keep them to himself?

Dont know who liked him ,cus his cousins and uncles did not talk good about him. How the guys in Philly followed him i will never know.But they did.If you look in old posts about him u will see for your self what lots of people said about him.In my old posts before any of Jr. new trial even started you will see in those old posts when i would say body,s will hit the floor ect.Also u will see when i said that if Jr. was not locked up or taken down that he was about to make a big move. The new transcripts that are out or will b out on Nick jr. and when he was as a captain building a crew and about to make a move. It should all come out ,even more if someone flips.(the body's were about to hit the floor)But Crea or someone got wind of it and he was knocked down.I would not be surprised if one of the reasons Amuso was taken down did not have something to do with this. Or at least partly, It was on " Jr.associates and made guys on the street and ones about to get out were watching there back.. CRAZY (But no one down here had any love for Joey...)

I guess after Nicky and them guys there was no one really left. The Genovese Family were hit hard with Bobby Manna and some of them guys being hit with indictments and they probably washed their hands with Nicky's blood spilling. Gotti who wanted to rule the whole Commission saw it as a golden opportunity because he was able to get Stanfa (Gambino loyalist) installed as the number one. Like I say I don't think the Genovese guys could be bothered with the attention they would have gotten if they stuck around to sort out the mess. From history the Genovese Family are low key and the situation in Philly was a nightmare with so many guys flipping. That's when cheerleader Ralph Natale offered encouragement to Joey, and from bits of information might have reached out to some Genovese guys in prison and offered to hand Philly's support to them if they backed him and Joey taking over the Family.

I guess whatever you say about Joey at least (up to now) he hasn't flipped. He did the crimes and paid the price, not many guys do that in the modern day La Cosa Nostra, even if the sentences are a few years, its easier to flip then rot in prison while your family struggles.

What amazes me about the Philly Family and many other Families is that they don't seem to learn from their mistakes. They still talk in risky places and deal with people who might be a rat (Ron Previte comes to mind).

Today however the FBI and law enforcement in general is to sophisticated. They are to much stealthy today then they were in the past were they wanted the mobsters to know they were under investigation, so they could shake up the hornets nest. Whatever new generation tech the FBI have today is probably mind blowing.

Then using the Philly Family as an example they seem to be riddled with informants. but that goes for the other Families as well--top to bottom informants lurk and feed law enforcement with information.

That's why the experts refer to the mob's golden era before RICO came along because they were always two steps ahead of the Government.

Enter the RICO law and forget about it, that was the end for the mob and many other ethnic organized crime groups, the only reason we here more about La Cosa Nostra is because its a brand name in the annuals of organized crime in America, and it makes the better headlines.

For example take the Chinese gangster (no disrespect) to them but they look boring and have really no personality with names hard to pronounce.
Then you hit in the face by guys like "Peter Killer", "Handsome Jack", "Big Tuna", "Nick The Nose", "Sally no Balls", and so on.

I will stop since I have gone off the subject completely lol

anymore stories you can share Serp would be great.

Phil mentioned a few times in his book that he hated Joey Merlino and said he wanted to kill him.

Here's one where he claims Joey was robbing them.

Yeah Phil hated this kid, but Joey did his time without complaint, I guess that's one of the best things you can say for Joey