I just read the indictment, it does seem strange not once is Joey Merlino mentioned

chin...you are on point

az guy or borgesi

What do you mean inducted by Nicky Scarfo Jr?

That’s what I was saying. I wasn’t sure about Phillips thanks for clearing that up. The guy I quoted said Phil is a millionaire when everyone else is struggling, and I pointed out his dad left him and the fam in a good place and I referenced the restaurants as money makers. I completely agree he hasn’t had to struggle as much to make his money because everyone knows it’s easier to make something outta something then it is something outta nothing.

Around the time of the First Plus scam, Scarfo Jr and an 'old-timer' held a ceremony (with Scarfo Sr's blessing) to induct the above guys I mentioned who were around Scarfo Jr. This was when the Scarfos were trying to take over Philadelphia again. Scarfo Jr approached Joey Grande when he got out and offered to make him a captain under Scarfo Sr (the idea being they wanted to re-establish a Philly family under Scarfo). Grande however went with Ligambi and Merlino. The Scarfos even approached Joey Ciancaglini Jr to see if they could recruit him for their plan.

Scarfo Jr had been demoted by this point as Luchese captain in NJ and replaced with Ralph Perna. This situation was part of the reason behind the 2010 meeting between Ligambi and the Gambinos.

Make them into what Family? The Lucchese family? Scarfo Jr never got transferred back to Philly and never would. What old timer? From what family? Where did this bullshit story come from?

Merlino better find a hiding place fast.Baby Dom will rat like his dad and he can get Merlino life

From reading the indictment, Grande has big problems because he approved drug deals which puts him smack ( no pun intended) in the middle of a drug conspracy. Because they recorced the ceremony, Mazzone can be charged with drug conspracy becaus the ceremony explained how they “kick money up”. The guy Deluca also has issues.
If they plea out, Grande may get 60 - 72 months fed time. Worst case, he gets 120 months. Thats a heavy bid.
Not so sure these guys were make a lot of money here but then again this may just be a small part of what they were doing.

Do they have any influence on the docks of The Port of Philadelphia?

The 2010 Stefanelli transcripts show the Philly guys talking about Scarfo Jr's efforts to take back the Philly family with his father as boss. That's where the Joey Grande part is mentioned. I believe the Ciancaglini part comes from a detention memo in the First Plus case. Anastasia and Schratwieser did a Mob Talk last year about the ceremony where they mentioned the 'old-timer'. Anastasia adds it's unclear whether they were made into the Lucheses, Philadelphia or just 'in their own mind'.

If the ceremony wasn't to induct them into the Luchese family then it would be to induct them in a Scarfo-led, Luchese-recognised Philly family. Then Scarfo Jr gets busted, the plan for taking back Philly falls apart, and somehow Persiano and Piccolo are taken in by the actual Philly family.

Any mention of Johnny Changs? I haven’t read it yet but he seems to have escaped any scrutiny.

The only made guys mentioned in the documents are the Mazzones, Grande, Person #5 (Persiano), M.L. (Lancellotti) and J.L. (Ligambi)

Grande has problems alright.The feds want him down for life.He has probally a ten piece here and they want him in the 2012 hit too.they are putting a lot of pressure on him.i praise Nicodemo for his standing up.Not many would including Dom.We will see.This is the guy they are gonna try to flip to take down merlino

If I'm reading things right, the ceremony was recorded in 2015? that's a longtime to sit on it

Feds suspected that an another induction ceremony has held in 2010 during Anthony Staino's wedding.

None.

They believe there has been at least one since 2015.

In the indictment, they only mention that Steve Mazzone, Dom Grande and Sonny Mazzone were attending the ceremony (in addition of the 5 guys who were getting made obviously).

Do you believe they were the only 3 made guys attending it or was there other people but, for some reason, they can't mention them ?

hell no they have no influance over the docks or any union work.. that ship stopped 20 years ago. even in NY if you are italian you are not allowed to work in the fish market.. THAT came on the news a few years ago.... everyone or my fault most NY guys knows that. Government stopped that stuff.. And i am not being a smartass toward you my man.. Maybe a NY guy could let us know more on that one.. But they do there own rehabbing of old houses. like i said before they hold real jobs. even rehabbing houses and real estate adventures you can only do so much.. and most of that shit is legit especially through the real estate. real estate has there own laws.. there is shit you can do and cant. you have to follow the rules over there of anyone can say they don't think something is right. i don't think you can do too much illegally activity, really no room for that in real estate. keller willams and long foster or whom ever, are all 99% legit.. there is a real estate school to become an agent. maybe when rehabbing houses they use cheap material or mexian labor.. and over price the place they are selling.. not really breaking the law there..... and if you are doing legit stuff are you gonna kick up.. yea right not over here im not...... they could of sold weed an coke an probably gotten away with it.. but the fentontyal or whatever the way it is killing young people .. the po po had to crack down an make arrest.. no way to make money any more with gambling being mostly legal and the pa casinos...

yea i was wondering. but dom might b to young to know everything or just was not there years ago. but he can take others out. yea these dudes aint worth anything, they better go to wawa and find a night shift. cant even bartend for another year yet, probably.. he gets windows smashed in gets sold fake drugs and his woman running around.. just because you a top capo dont mean your tough or can bring it in the bed either... lol

Sonny Mazzone was one of the guys getting made. There would have been more guys there than just Grande and Steve Mazzone. They just don't want to disclose more than they have to at this stage.

grumpies that is a very good point about Grande's age.Where there is smoke there is fire and all the fed fingers are pointing to him as the shooter with nicodemo that day.I feel both of those guys were given the ok from the top on that hit and I don't think it was Ligambi.One murder pinned on Merlino he is gone.

So who was presiding over this ceremony, surely the boss was there?

Maybe the boss was there via zoom? No mention of Joey Merlino in the indictment so he was not there but Mazzone o r Ligambi might have been considered the boss at the time for this ceremony

Just because Joey wasn't mentioned doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't there. Considering the feds haven't even released the initials of the others inducted at the ceremony it's very conceivable that Merlino was there.

Ya you are right on that he could have been there; it is not a crime to be present when induct someone into a "club" I suppose. The feds have grande dead to rights on those drug charges if their side of this story is right. Guy literally gets away with murder and then does not take extra precautions to keep his mouth quiet. I guess he didnt speak on the wire about the murder so he has that going for him I guess

I don't believe Joey or George Borgesi were present at that ceremony. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Ligambi and Michael Lancellotti were there. Ligambi seems to be very active for his age. He's always at the club house.

It appears the Fed's are taking a more practical approach to going after these guys, I.E. targeting a specific crew within the family and taking it from there. Obviously, Grande is probably the guy they see as the key to putting a big dent in the family. Servidio really is to blame for this one growing legs. I'd imagine in the old days, someone would have eliminated him before it got this bad for everyone.

I believe the new FBI Special Agent in Charge of OC division in Philly, is the guy that did a number on the Bonnano's up in NY years ago. Apparently, a pretty sharp guy.