According to the new Gangland, Mikey Lance conducted the ceremony(look for him to be indicted soon)
Scoops Licata(indicted soon as well) was introduced as the new Consigliere at the ceremony by Lancelotti....also Grande and Mazzone were denied bail

If scoops wasnt there and not presiding over the ceremony, he may walk.

If Lance and scoops were going to be indicted they already would have been.

Who knew? Back in 2015, while Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino was dealing with mob turncoat John (J.R) Rubeo in Florida and New York and allegedly making hundreds of thousands of dollars in a lucrative pain cream insurance fraud scheme, his acting boss was presiding over not-so-secret induction ceremonies in the City of Brotherly Love.

That's what happened on October 15, 2015, according to an indictment filed by the feds in Philadelphia a few days before Thanksgiving against Merlino's reputed underboss. Also charged are an erstwhile rising star in the family, and 13 other members and associates — hit with racketeering charges of gambling, loansharking, extortion and drug trafficking.

By Gang Land's count, this is the fourth time that law enforcement has managed to record what is supposed to be the most secret rite of the secret society. And it's the second Philadelphia initiation rite to be taped. (The first one was back in 1990, so give local wiseguys some credit for keeping things tight for at least 25 years.)

Anthony PersianoThe sources say that the 2015 induction ceremony was recorded by Anthony Persiano, a New Jersey based mobster whose tape recordings in 2017 led to drug convictions in the Garden State of several mobsters who are charged in the Philadelphia case, including Joseph (Joey Electric) Servidio and Carl Chianese.

But what's most amazing about the case is that no one seems to have been terribly concerned about keeping the induction ceremony secret. Not only was it tape recorded by a family defector, but sources say there was a good sized celebratory dinner that night at a classy, aptly named eatery, the Kitchen Consigliere Café, in Collingswood, NJ.

Sources say about 10 wiseguys, who included acting boss Michael (Mikey Lance) Lancellotti, who conducted the ceremony, and underboss Steven (Handsome Stevie) Mazzone, a defendant in the case, dined at the restaurant that is owned and operated by a long time Merlino pal, Angelo Lutz.

Michael LancellottiThe party dined under the watchful eyes of Lutz, along with John Gotti, Lucky Luciano and actors Robert DeNiro, James Galdolfini and Edward G. Robinson, whose portraits are all on a large mural that overlooks the dining room.

Lutz, who owns up to being a good friend of Merlino, Lancellotti, and Mazzone, was kind enough to come to the phone when Gang Land called. He said he has no idea if some of his old friends had a small party at his place back then. Noting that Gang Land was "asking me about something that happened five years ago, if it did happen," Lutz stated that if they did eat at his place that night, he knows he "was not at the dinner table."

The loquacious restaurateur, who was known as Fat Angelo for good reason in the 1990s when he was a bookmaker, was a Merlino codefendant in their racketeering trial back in 2001. Lutz was convicted of bookmaking and extortion by a Philadelphia jury that ignored his testimony in his own defense: "I'm a cook, not a crook."

Following his release from prison a dozen years ago, Lutz opened the restaurant, and today, he is what he claimed to be back then: A cook.

Marnie Hall-Angelo LutzIf you check out the website, you can catch Lutz and co-host Marnie Hall cook up some of the eatery's classic recipes — including Pasta Franzese, a dish that Lutz named for the legendary Colombo wiseguy, John (Sonny) Franzese. You can also hear Lutz tell Hall about some dealings that they had while they were housed together at the federal prison in Milan, Michigan.

"Some of the people you mentioned eat at my restaurant," said Lutz. "The whole persona about the restaurant is built on my past, but my past is my past, it's not what I do now. I never ran from my codefendants since I came home from prison. We remain friends. They eat in my restaurant, and they get a check. And like everybody else they pay their bill."

"Everybody eats in my restaurant," continued Lutz. "The prosecutor who put me in jail eats in my restaurant. I have probation officers who eat in my restaurant. AUSAs, FBI agents, some agents who worked in my case, eat in my restaurant."

Steven MazzoneNot quite everybody though. "You wanna know who can't eat in my restaurant?" Lutz shouted. "Sammy The Bull can't! No rats and liars can eat in my restaurant. I've thrown a couple of them out. I said you gotta be kidding, you got to leave. You're not welcome here. I know what it is to have somebody sit on the stand and make up stories about you."

"Mike (Lancellotti) eats in the restaurant," said Lutz. "He's been here with his wife. I can't remember the last time I saw him — he's had some battles with his health — but Mike's a friend, and he's eaten at the restaurant."

So does Mazzone, who was also a codefendant of Lutz and Merlino in the 2001 trial. "Steve's a friend of mine, a good friend of mine. He's a patron of mine in the restaurant. And he's been a continued friend of mine."

Joseph LicataLongtime reputed wiseguy, John (Johnny Chang) Ciancaglini, also dines at the restaurant, although Lutz said somewhat wistfully that he can't recall seeing him at the Kitchen Consigliere Café in quite a while.

Sources say that during the ceremony, Mikey Lance introduced Joseph (Scoops) Licata as the crime family's consigliere to the newly inducted wiseguys, who included Salvatore (Sonny) Mazzone, the underboss's younger brother, who was also hit with racketeering charges.

Following the October 2015 induction, Steven Mazzone was heard voicing the family's plan to make a big move into Atlantic City, according to detention memos that the feds used to detain him and capo Dominic (Baby Dom) Grande as dangers to the community.

"Got to get a hold back on Atlantic City, buddy! That's what I want," Mazzone stated at one point.

Later, he emphasized the family's need to take back their old rackets. "I don’t want nobody just glomming our fucking shit. You know what I mean? You understand what I'm saying? We're gangsters. I mean, you know, I'm not going to let no sucker take that."

Dominic GrandeGrande was heard instructing another mobster to make sure to "plant the flag" of the Philadelphia bourgata "and regain control of bookmakers and loansharks" in the Atlantic City area, according to court filings by prosecutors Jonathan Ortiz and Alexander Gottfried.

Merlino, who was released from prison earlier this year after completing a two year stretch for an illegal gambling count that was part of the huge 46 defendant Manhattan case that grew out of an FBI sting at the Bronx eatery owned by Genovese capo Pasquale (Patsy) Parrello, is not charged in the current indictment.

Neither is Lancellotti, who accompanied Skinny Joey to a December 2014 Christmas party at Pasquale's Rigoletto and was introduced to Parello and Genovese capo Eugene (Rooster) Onofrio as the acting boss of the Philadelphia family.

Merlino's New York attorney, John Meringolo, teamed up with Philadelphia lawyer Louis Busico this week to represent Steve Mazzone. Meringolo told Gang Land yesterday that Mazzone is not a danger to anyone and the attorney plans to push for his release on bail while he fights the case.

Being inducted into a club and then eating dinner at a former felon's restaurant is a Big Nothing Burger...its nothing close to getting sworn into the US congress and then dating a Chinese spy who then leaves the country; the latter seems like an actual pretty big deal

The tapes will get them in the end. “We’re gangsters” coming out of mazzones mouth. Rico conviction right there. Mind-numbingly stupid. The bravado always buried these guys. And like one famous Philly defense attorney once said, you can’t cross-examine a tape.

right on with that

he presided over the ceremony. Inducting people into the mafia and being the boss are all acts that support rico predicates and conviction. Go look at the other induction ceremonies that were recorded...Patriarca Jr, Piccolo etc etc ALL OF THEM Faced racketeering charges because of it..

It is absolutely a crime for Mikey Lance to be inducting people into a mafia that absolutely according to the evidence is engaged in Dealing Drugs, Extortion and Loan Sharking.. Unless he is an FBI Informant I can 100% guarantee he will be indicted. Him and Scoops licata along with others will 100% be indicted in a Superceding Indictment ...Inducting new members is furthering the activites of the enterprise and that is 100% a federal crime under RICO

Under RICO, leaders of criminal organizations can be held liable for crimes they order others to
commit, or assist them in committing, in furtherance of the ongoing criminal organization


Under section 1962(a), it is a crime to “use or invest” any income derived from “a
pattern of racketeering activity” or through “collection of an unlawful debt” to establish,
acquire an interest in, or operate “any enterprise” engaged in or affecting interstate
commerce.7 To establish an offense under section 1962(a), the government must show that
the defendant had derived income from a pattern of racketeering or collection of unlawful
debt, and then used or invested some part of that income in the establishment and
operation of an enterprise, which was engaged in or its activities affected commerce.8 An
example of a violation of section 1962(a) is a drug dealer using the proceeds of a pattern of
narcotic crimes to invest in or operate a legitimate business.
9
b. 18 U.S.C. § 1962(b)
Section 1962(b) prohibits acquiring or maintaining an interest in, or control of, any
enterprise that is engaged in or affects interstate commerce “through a pattern of
racketeering activity or through the collection of an unlawful debt.”10 This provision
essentially makes it unlawful to take over an enterprise that affects interstate commerce
through a pattern of racketeering activity or collection of unlawful debt. An example of a
section 1962(b) violation is an organized crime figure taking over a legitimate business
through a pattern of extortionate and loansharking acts designed to intimidate the owners

Also to follow up..we have heard a FEW MINS of tapes....He was recording EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR 3 YEARS.. PLUS A FED WAS RECORDING.......They can try to paint persiano as scum and all this and act like he cant take the stand and testify, but he absolutely can because unlike an Alite lets say where the jury doesnt like him and wont believe his word. In this case you dont have to take persiano at his word, HE HAS 3 YEARS OF RECORDINGS... THEY ALSO ACT LIKE HE WASNT MADE..HE WAS AT A FUCKING INDUCTION CEREMONY W THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION...HE WAS MADE AND HE CAN ABSOLUTLEY TESTIFY TO THE TAPES HE MADE........I predict. Lance, Ligambi, Licata and atleast a dozen others will be indicted....The same thing happened to Scoops last time...The family got indicted in 2011 and him and fazzini got indicted in the superceding indictment a year later......

Is it a fact that Scoops was actually at the ceremony?

Who were the rats Fat Ang tossed out of his restaurant? Hope Fat Ang is ok, i like eating at his place, good
Food.

louie. i know capeci reported that line. i for one think he may be reporting it wrong...

Lance was out of action a lot back then and also lately.

Not saying he was not there but if anyone that was supposed to be there wasn’t.... its him .

Maybe LCN heavies should look for stunt doubles, pay them to imitate them for a salary and lawyer help, THEN any video evidence that surfaces holds no weight.

I highly doubt surveillance videos are shot in 1080. As for the future, who knows?

Imagine Elvis Presley committed an actual crime? Judge, you must be kidding me......It wasn’t me!

Judge, it wasn't me who shook that bookmaker down, it was my evil identical twin!

Schratweiser reporting that Grande is getting a new bail hearing. Nothing on Steve Mazzone. Also noted Grande was “on tape” over 30 times. It’s nearly impossible to deny bail to a guy with no criminal record who’s not a flight risk

I’m always surprised how good his food is. The crab gravy is fucking amazing.

Scoops and Ligambi skated on the last case. The feds would have already charged them considering the hard on they have for these guys. Yes, the tapes don’t lie, obviously, but like the other poster said and what Ed Jacobs said in court: just being inducted to a club is not a crime.

it is 2:00 i wonder if dom got bail. i read that article one of u guys put up. it stated dom had a house worth $400,000 and owed 258,000 left on it.. his mother had a house worth $500;000 and owed only 58,000 left on it. is that any of our business.. i guess stated probably for bail purposes. bail might be 250,000 or maybe half a mill... do u guys stay in, or do u put the house up just to get out? i always wondered how that worked.? how long dom had that house? if 8-10 yrs then how come dom doesn't have house paid off. everyone said these guys were making soo much money.? once again if it wasn't for the fentonal he is probably free man. the electric man took hit for the coke. he must of said doms name and said the money goes up to them, the guys at the top. and getting caught on tape having a ceremony it must of been like saturday night live for the fbi dude.. a ceremony.. ha did someone kiss the bride....

Dom made bail. As far as putting up the house it only comes into effect if he breaks bail and takes off! That's not going to happen.

This should make some people nervous that he got bail. I pray I’m wrong but time will tell.

Haha because those Philly guys are so fucking broke it's a joke. Dom ain't never been an earner. You know who had money? Anthony Nicodemo. He was the only one from the young crowd who knew how to make a dollar. Joe Pung and Phil Narducci are millionaires, but they probably the only millionaires in Philly

There won't be any other indictments unless someone flips

So dont listen to gangster report or what strapwiser say Hansome Stevie is not going to be held until trial without at least appealing for another bail hearing. He will be having a bail hearing most likely by the end of the week. Trial isnt going to be for 2 years at least

HAHA do you mean like Persiano wearing a wire for 3 years?? Id bet my house and life savings, theres another indictment coming that includes Lancelotti and Ligambi etc etc...AND if I was the south philly guys id be extremely curious how a known mobster got bail with informants attesting to his reputation as a shooter, whos been taped directing and approving countless numbers of drug deals and was caught on tape at least 30 times including saying he can move thousands of heroin capsules and plotting with others to murder someone that sold his people 2 pounds of fake meth...... Just food for thought
this reminds me of Mikey Scars Dileonardo... No Criminal Record but was involved in a murder conspiracy on Fred Weiss.. Was initially denied bail then it was reversed and he was released and was wearing a wire for 2 months and tapes JoJo Corozzo,Frank Cali and others.... Not to mention Lancelottis charmed life of being named in trial after trial as a mobster and shooter and somehow has only been arrested and convicted of a misdemeanor .... Which is another reason why I think the feds "know" Grande was the shooter in the 2012 hit on Gino Dipietro..I think Nicodemos and Grandes skipper at the time Mikey Lance told the feds that but thats just my opinion

For instance, Grande was recorded, extensively, directing the activities of others, including LCN members and associates, in an effort to extort local bookmakers and loansharks into paying monies to the LCN. In that portion of the case, Grande instructed another LCN member to “plant the flag” of the LCN in the Atlantic City area and regain control of bookmakers and loansharks. He acknowledged that associates had their “hooks into” the local criminals and that the local criminals had to either pair with the LCN or “get the fuck out.”

During discussions of how to exert full control over the local criminals, Grande warned that because of their activities that they would soon “catch, like, an extortion beef.”

After a series of successful extortion attempts of local bookmakers, Grande was then recorded negotiating the manner in which an extorted bookmaker would split proceeds with the LCN. Grande provided contact information to the local bookmaker for the LCN bookmaking operation, run by codefendant Louis Barretta, and explained the manner in which the operation functioned. From there, Grande was later recorded collecting gambling debts, or making gambling payments, on over 30 times.

Regarding loansharking, Grande said, “see, like, I’m a loanshark. . . . I could put out, like, $42,000 right now and I got to tell people, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’” Grande then continued on recordings to arrange several loanshark loans on his own behalf, and on behalf of LCN Underboss Steve Mazzone, with an FBI informant. Both Grande and Mazzone were then recorded several times, accepting “juice”, or interest payments, and principal payments on those loanshark loans.

Grande was also recorded discussing drug trafficking. He was recorded telling an FBI informant to be “careful” when obtaining a kilogram of cocaine for sale but that the informant should “do what you gotta do” in order to sell the drugs. When speaking of obtaining and selling oxycodone and counterfeit oxycodone (made with heroin and fentanyl) Grande stated, “if you can get that man, I can fucking move thousands of them. . . . You know these kids sell them for fucking $20 a piece?”

The renewed interest in the unsolved DiPietro homicide and the recent drug case has South Philly wiseguys on edge. Sources say several have been observed in recent days “walking and talking” in the exclusive Packer Park neighborhood and at the nearby Reserve development.

There is no word on whether any cooperating witnesses, besides known Mob snitch Anthony Persiano, contributed to this investigation, although mob insiders believe more information on that will become public as this case unfolds.

Sources say more arrests are expected.