i think he was talking about ligambi, he was forgetting that merlino has remained official boss during that whole time period of ligambis "reign".

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2013

Mob Trial Recesses For Five Days
By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

The anonymously chosen jury in the conspiracy retrial of mob boss Joe Ligambi and his nephew George Borgesi headed home this afternoon for a five-day break.

Testimony will resume on Thursday to accommodate judicial scheduling issues earlier in the week.

For all intents and purposes the prosecution has wrapped up its case against Borges who faces only a racketeering conspiracy charge.

This week included crucial testimony from two mob informants who tied the volatile South Philadelphia mobster to ongoing organized crime activities while Borgesi was in prison following a conviction in an unrelated racketeering case in 2001.

Anthony Aponick, 43, a cellmate of Borgesi's in a federal prison in West Viriginia, completed his testimony this morning with a brief cross-examination by Ligambi's lawyer, Edwin Jacobs Jr.

Aponick first took the stand on Wednesday. His testimony largely corroborated the story told by Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello who testified before him. Monacello, 47, has been described as Borgesi's "point man" in gambling and loansharking operations.

The two witnesses were both hammered on cross-examination with defense attorneys challenging both their stories and their reasons for cooperating. Both admitted to committing a series of crimes and being part of an organized crime network.

"We're criminals," Aponick said at one point.

His matter-of-fact descriptions were in synch with Monacello who toned down his delivery considerably from the first time he took the stand last year in a trial in which Ligambi and Borgesi were defendants.

The jury in that case hung on the racketeering conspiracy charge that both defendants now face. Ligambi is also facing two gambling counts and a witness tampering count.

Prosecutors hope to complete their case before Christmas. Judge Eduardo Robreno has indicated that court will not be in session Christmas week. How many witnesses the defense opts to call could determine how much longer the trial will last.

Speculation is that jury deliberation will begin shortly after the New Year.

In the last trial, which included seven defendants, the jury deliberated for nearly three weeks. At one point Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Labor likened the process to wandering in the dessert. Four defendants were convicted in a confusing jury verdict in which the panel rejected the bulk of the prosecution's case. Of 71 charges, the jury came back with guilty verdicts on only five.

Joseph "Scoops" Licata was acquitted and walked out of court a free man. Borgesi came close to walking away with the jury finding him not guilty of 13 of the 14 counts he faced. But the panel hung on the racketeering conspiracy charge, resulting in the retrial. Ligambi beat five of the nine counts he faced.

A month into this trial and it's obvious the prosecution has streamlined its presentation. The fact that there are only two defendants is part of the reason. But the case has also been presented in a clearer and more understandable fashion.

The consensus after the last trial was the that jury had no idea of what a conspiracy was.

This time the panel, based on their comportment and approach each day in the courtroom, appears to be following the case closely. There is little indication of any confusion. If that assessment is correct, it might not bode well for the defendants.

A conspiracy charge is heavily weighted in the prosecution's favor. As explained by the judge to the jury, a defendant doesn't have to commit a crime, but merely conspire with others who carry out the criminal activity.

The prosecution hoped to put Ligambi into a conspiracy by introducing evidence that he was the boss or acting boss of the Philadelphia crime family, the prosecution. Among other things, the prosecution keyed in on a lunch meeting at a restaurant in North Jersey in May 2010 in which Ligambi and several other Philadelphia crime family leaders meet with leaders of the Gambino crime family.

Borgesi, jailed since 2000, has been tied to a conspiracy through the testimony of Monacello and Aponick. A key part of that allegation is Aponick's trip to Philadelphia after he was released from prison to meet with Monacello.

The meeting, at Ralph's Italian Restaurant on Ninth Street, was set up by Borgesi, both Aponick and Monacello said. Borgesi called from prison during the dinner and that taped phone call (all prison calls are monitored and taped) was played twice for the jury.

While the defense tried to argue that Aponick and Monacello were meeting to discuss legitimate business deals, both witnesses said the meeting was set up to expand on Borgesi's proposal for Aponick to move from New York to Philadelphia and become part of a gambling and loansharking operation that Monacello was overseeing.

In separate testimony today, the jury heard about how authorities closely watched Borgesi while he was an inmate in a federal prison in Beckley, West Virginia. Aponick was his cellmate there for about a year between 2002 and 2003.

Borgesi, because of his mob connections, was designated "an inmate of concern." All his phone calls were monitored and recorded and all his correspondence (letters he wrote and those he received) were read, copied and copies forwarded to the FBI.

The jury was also shown prison records indicating that Ligambi visited Borgesi 14 times between 2002 and 2009 and Monacello visited 12 times. Other records showed that Ligambi had placed $7,700 in Borgesi's prison commissary during that period and that mobster Anthony Staino, who visited five times, placed an additional $1,600.

A prison official testified that inmates were limited to spending $250-a-month from their commissary account. He also said the $7,700 provided by Ligambi was "excessively" high and out of the ordinary for most inmates.

The jury also heard that Borgesi had two prison violations while at Beckley, once for fighting with another inmate and once for assaulting his wife in the prison visitation room while she was visiting him.

Testimony and evidence introduced during the trial has portrayed Alyson Borgesi as her husband's most loyal confidante. Both Monacello -- who referred to her one time as "Alyson Corleone" -- and Aponick said they were surprised that Borgesi shared mob business information with his wife and used her to pass messages.

"It's unusual for a woman to be involved," said Aponick who held himself out as an associate of the Bonanno crime family in New York and one who from the age of 12 had been around the mobster "life."

George Anastasia can be contacted at George@bigtrial.net.


Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2013/12/mob-trial-recesses-for-five-days.html#eF6WtDxpkTt5Evsf.99

I...I don't wanna do that...No, not me.......

Well acting boss… whatever. Still defacto leader. and ya, I was talking about Ligambi. I mean, maybe he didn't have as robust of a pie as Scarfo but he ran... something. Call Philly what you will. 12 years the boss… er, the leader, acting boss.

Ya i agree a 12 year run for someone who the FBI thought(at least for most of it) was the offcial boss was a pretty good run. But to say he was the greatest boss since bruno, im not so sure. Yes maybe the most low key and not so much internal strife but he definatley seemed like someone who "ate alone", in the words of anthony staino "joe dont give a fuck about the street, he just wants his money."

Mob trial ends early for day amid rumors of juror intimidation

MENSAH M. DEAN & WILLIAM BENDER, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER DEANM@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-568-8278
POSTED: Sunday, December 8, 2013, 3:01 AM


THE FEDERAL racketeering retrial of two reputed Philadelphia mobsters came to an abrupt halt yesterday afternoon when Judge Eduardo C. Robreno ordered the courtroom cleared of spectators.

Testimony never resumed for the day, and the trial has been put on hold until Thursday, said the attorneys, who added that they were barred by Robreno from disclosing the reason for the sudden break.

But hallway chatter indicated that four jurors had reported that they felt intimidated by Alyson Borgesi, 38, the wife of defendant and former Philly mob consigliere George Borgesi, 50.

Among those making that assertion was Manny Borgesi, who is George's mother and the sister of his co-defendant, reputed mob boss Joseph Ligambi, 74.

Both men are being tried on racketeering charges that center on sports betting, loan-sharking, extortion and the operation of illegal video-poker machines.

Manny Borgesi, in the hallway and speaking into a cellphone, was overheard saying that jurors 3, 5, 12 and an alternate juror claimed that Alyson was trying to intimidate them from her seat in the courtroom.

"The government wants to bar the family from the courtroom," Manny Borgesi was heard saying.

George Borgesi's attorney, Christopher Warren, said "no one was intimidated" and that Manny Borgesi was mistaken about what she said because she was not in the courtroom after it was cleared.

"She can say that, but she was mistaken," Warren said as he and Alyson Borgesi left the court building about an hour after everyone else involved with the trial had already departed. Alyson Borgesi declined to comment.

It was not clear how the judge dealt with the intimidation allegations.

Alyson Borgesi doesn't like being in the spotlight, but her name has surfaced repeatedly during the trial - so much so that some members of the Borgesi family think the federal prosecutors are trying to drag her into the trial to bait George Borgesi into a courtroom outburst that could influence the jury.

George Borgesi is extremely protective of his wife. In February, he called Assistant U.S. Attorney John Han a "f---in' punk" in court because he felt the prosecutor had disrespected his wife.

Last week, government witness Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello testified that he would pay jailed George Borgesi by putting money in the glove compartment of Alyson's car.

Monacello was heard on a secretly recorded conversation calling her "Alyson Corleone," a reference to the Mafia family in "The Godfather" films. Monacello explained that he called her that because she got involved in a lot of mob business "for a female."

"F---in' liar," Alyson Borgesi muttered at another point during Monacello's testimony.

"How she's not locked up is beyond me, because she's an associate," a frequent trial spectator said yesterday.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/201312...e3jgOekqLTcI.99

I just came across this and was wondering if it really happened? I mean I believe it, but if you look at the date it says sunday dec 8th and that's tomorrow. So I thought either it was fake or they messed up on the date. Also it was posted at 3:01 AM, so thats strange too. I guess we will find out when the trial resumes. Thats funny, Alyson Corleone is intimidating jurors lol.

Joe Ligambi and George Borgesi are both small guys and they dont look intimidating at all.. Lucky Alyson and Manny Borgesi are there to do it for them haha

uncle joe looking fit at the trial yesterday but aging a bit , lost weight compared to those old mob talk videos - Georgie definately been hitting the gym in prison.. I didn't see juror intimidation .. They cleared the courtroom after the afternoon recess and that was it for the day .. And then word leaked out ..

I don't get were are the loan shark victims like every case in new York you get one bum that borrowed 100k and couldn't keep up with the vig so he gets a beating and runs to the fbi. not one guy got on the stand and said these 2 loan me money right? and what really confuses the shit out of me is the meeting with the legend john Gambino who was convicted in 94 after jumping a 2million dollar bail(crazy)maybe the boss today, phillys most respected capo im guessing in n.y. eyes scoops says this is are acting boss joe ligambi,just 2 yrs ago so ether merlino really pulling the wool over the publics eyes or they got the secret fat tony,funzi tieri,chin, or Lombardo guess who the boss thing going. maybe scarfo is official boss. didn't the luchese say that they didn't recognize anyone boss but scarfo. pretty sneaky maybe theres some old timer like santo idone calling shots or is he dead. at one point there was like 60 70 guys not every one got killed by scarfo stanfa or merlino. but damint I think merlino boss he gets off parole in a couple month. for all the people saying narducchi(fat bald guy) is gonna step up I think he looks just happy hugging/banging super models selling water down vodka and cokes and skimming the register every night. that guys living the life I don't think he's kicking up any protection to joey crew.

Forget the Guys name on the Stand yesterday but before the break he mentioned that he borrowed 500 from battaglini and Sheep and paid 65 a week for 10 weeks .. Assume they will tie in uncle joe to that when the trial resumes but the witness did time in prison , sold drugs and all that - forget the guys name..they were showing picks of sheep and battaglini..jury looked engaged obviously all but two are women, the other are black guys...
Georgie taking notes and speaking with his attorney Warren..Jacobs stands durin the whole afternoon - that may be his style I guess .. He's very good and clear in his presentation - jury seems to be impressed by Eddie

Yeah Gambino and his brother Joe lost 4 or 5 million combined for a few weeks of freedom. I think it was mostly in real estate they posted for their bond.They appealed the lost bond but lost.

If this thing isn't settled by Christmas are they going to take a break until January?

from anastasia's article i posted above-
"Prosecutors hope to complete their case before Christmas. Judge Eduardo Robreno has indicated that court will not be in session Christmas week."

I'm confused,which wife did he assault in the visiting room,was it wife no. 1 or was it Alyson.He's very protective of his wife,only he can beat her up,right.This guy is too much.Your wife travels all that way to visit you and you assault her.WOW

Thanks, kid. I haven't really been following too closely .

Ya no problem, its been a pretty entertaining trial. This defense attorney seems like a real "bruce cutler type", the way he goes after the prosecution's witnesses. His cross examination of jack garcia was priceless.

Garcia- "ive had my share of antipasto"

Def attorney-"you had everyones share"

Yeah, that one was gold .

How's it going, PB?

I'm not positive but i think it was wife #1. I read somewhere she charged him with assault but later dropped the charges. I thought it occured before he got locked up but maybe not.

Agree 100%

Borgesi has been locked up since 1999, so there is no way he could of loaned any money. Ligambi is the acting boss so he most likely wouldn't be loan sharking directly. He's definitely not the one smacking guys around that can't pay him.

ya if they had actual loan shark customers they wouldve testified in the first trial against the lower level guys, since its been just about a full year since then i cant exactly remember if there were any actual loanshark "victims" that testified but there was an undercover FBI agent that posed as a customer and thats when anthony staino was recorded boasting about being the "CFO of the crime family", and recorded threatening the FBI agent saying stuff like he didnt want to have to hurt him, those recordings basically sunk him. it was only over like 5k loan to lol. but like ted said ligambi was smart enough to stay away from street stuff like that so there isnt anything to link him to it.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/201312..._attention.html

Alyson Borgesi, wife of reputed mob figure on trial, getting more attention


Jeremy Roebuck
Inquirer Staff Writer

Sunday December 8, 2013


PHILADELPHIA Walking into federal court each morning, Alyson Borgesi, wife of reputed Philadelphia mob consigliere George Borgesi, has made a habit of greeting those present with a now familiar refrain.

"Enjoying the show?" she asks, cracking a sardonic smile.

But as her husband's racketeering retrial entered its second month last week, she increasingly found herself cast as his unwilling costar.

The trial came to an early halt Friday after four jurors accused the petite, 38-year-old brunette - a woman whose resumé includes stints as a travel agent and candy saleswoman - of trying to intimidate them from the court gallery, Borgesi family members said.

Earlier in the week, several government witnesses accused Alyson Borgesi of serving as caretaker to her spouse's criminal empire, as her husband served out a 14-year federal prison term. She passed on orders to his mob soldiers, kept up on his press clippings, and accepted thousands of dollars in cash payments stuffed in the glove box of her car, they said.

Her involvement went so deep, one witness jokingly testified, her husband's associates nicknamed her "Alyson Corleone."

Prosecutors, too, have shown greater interest in Alyson Borgesi this time around, posing more probing questions to witnesses about her purported involvement than they did during his first trial last year.

Her name has been dropped with such frequency in recent days that one Borgesi family supporter wondered aloud: "When did Alyson get indicted here?"

"It's not customary to get the women involved to that extent," former New York mobster Anthony Aponick, who was testifying for the prosecution, told jurors Thursday.

Prosecutors allege George Borgesi, 52, and reputed mob boss Joe Ligambi ran a violent loan-sharking and illegal gambling network through threats of violence and death.

Alyson Borgesi has flatly denied any criminal activity of her own. She declined to be interviewed for this story, saying she did not want to disrupt her husband's trial.

The portrait of her that has emerged throughout the case remains a study in contrasts.

On one hand, she has come off as a doting wife, frequently visiting, writing, or calling her husband in the West Virginia federal detention center where he has idled for much of the last decade. Talk of her hospitality; her pet Yorkie, Jack; and her Christmas cards featuring Charlie Brown's Snoopy have peppered courtroom discussion in recent days.

On the other hand, her own words, in writings shown to jurors and biting courtroom asides, reveal an outspoken advocate for her husband - one with a mouth to rival many of his mob associates.

She described one government informant as a "cross-eyed junkie fat rat" in a 2005 letter.

That image stands in stark contrast to the first Mrs. Borgesi, Dina, who stood by his side during his first major criminal trial - a 1999 affair that brought down Philadelphia mob don Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino. She separated herself from the other mob wives, and never warmed to the attention. They divorced soon after he was sentenced.


'She knew'

Alyson Ferraro, then Borgesi's mistress, soon stepped in to fill her shoes. She married the alleged consigliere in a prison ceremony in 2004.

Since then, her commitment to her husband has run deep, said Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello, a former mob associate who told jurors last week he was George's right-hand man through most of the last decade.

For years, he said, he left cash-stuffed envelopes in the glove box of her car while she worked as a scout for a Passyunk Avenue talent agency.

"She knew exactly where it was coming from and who it was coming from," Monacello told jurors.


When Monacello fell behind in collecting debts or making payments to his boss, he could always expect a push from Alyson, he said.

Aponick, George Borgesi's former cellmate now testifying for the prosecution, told jurors Wednesday that days after his release from prison, he began receiving not-so-subtle reminders from Alyson to send money to anonymous post office boxes to pay off her husband's gambling debts.

And woe, both men said, to anyone who crossed her man. Aponick blamed her for blowing his cover as a protected government witness with a 2005 post on the website WhosARat.com. "He is a heavy heroin user and tried continuously to do illegal activity such as drugs" with Borgesi, the posting from the anonymous account "Philly22" reads.


'Obvious'

Alongside the message were posted his postprison address and a photo of him with his former cellmate - an image to which only a handful of people had access, Aponick said. Both have since been removed from the site.

"It was obvious where it came from," Aponick testified Thursday. "The only people that could have had that picture was me, Georgie, and Alyson."

George Borgesi's defense has characterized both Aponick and Monacello as desperate liars willing to say anything to shorten their own prison terms and balked at their portrayal of Alyson.

But the one thing all parties seem to agree on is the Borgesis' devotion to each other. Even with accusations against him flying in court, Borgesi frequently takes time to blow kisses to his wife or whisper to her across the courtroom.

And, said Aponick, when he finally left prison in 2003, the reputed mob consigliere gave him a special job to do on the outside.

"Send Aly 1 dozen roses," he wrote. "On the card, make it say, 'I know you are with me 1 million %.' "

I thought Ant Staino loaned the FBI agent "Dino" $25,000? I thought I read that Robert Ranieri met him in a parking lot somewhere and gave him a cereal box with the money in it.. I wonder if he ever paid him back lol.. I also thought I read Staino even brought this guy to vegas with him.

ya your right it was 25k, lol i doubt he got his money back. but i do know that the guy who introduced staino to the fbi agents because he was in so much debt to staino and he couldnt pay, got 50k from the fbi to pay back staino, so at least he got some money out of it.

true. its pretty crazy how things happen.. I found some pictures of philly guys that ive never seen.. wit steve and sonny mazzone.. anothony nicodemo.. ill post some of them tomorow morning.

^^^^^^^

let them be criminals in peace

I love new pics, looking forward to it...

This isn't Chicago . Your just a hater.