I don't think they want him to flip. They would love the info he has but they HATE him. They have had a hard-on for him for years. I can't see them offering him a deal because his info is so old. It would have to be corroborated by another means. If they can get someone else to flip (Nicodemo- not saying he will but his info is more up to date and he can presumably give them murders) then a deal with Georgie makes more sense. That said, if they could get him to flip there will be a lot of people not happy (Mazzone, Joey, Marty, Chang, Lance, Ligambi). The Scarfo people would have to take over. Again, I don't think they could get him to flip anyway.

Either way it goes warren and Jacobs are great lawyers IMO

If borgesi is convicted he might get time serve because of him being in jail so long, I think ligambi will walk and that would make merlino a happy man, if he's still involved he need as many buffers and fronts as he can get

Borgesi is looking at more time then before because it is essentially the same charges as he was convicted of before. He would probably get like 15-20 years.

I think the two people most interested in the outcome are Stevie and Phil Narducci .. Gotta be rough for Georgie if he gets 15-20 all the while the ret of the guys in the 1999 case are or were basically out of the can.
Although I think there's a good chance of another hung jury .. We'll see. I wonder how we can find out when the judge announces the verdict is reached and for everyone to return to the court room

Exactly right. He will get 15 or more. And Jacobs and Warren are two of the best. They were in a very tough position with this case. We will see what happens.

Thats a BIG if buddy

Mob photos used as evidence against Ligambi, Borgesi
WILLIAM BENDER, Daily News Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 7, 2014-

MAYBE THE Philadelphia mob fizzled out when Joey Merlino got pinched in 1999.

Or maybe it continued to thrive well into the 21st century on a steady diet of video-poker revenue and loan-sharking juice.

Depends on your benchmarks for a successful criminal organization.

But those photos? They were a bad idea.

As closing arguments began yesterday in the retrial of reputed mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and his nephew George Borgesi, federal prosecutors broke out the photo album again.

Not grainy, long-focus photos snapped by FBI agents hiding in a van. These are happy, smiling wiseguys, posing for the camera - group photos they took themselves.

Murderous mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo alongside Ligambi and Borgesi and other made men on the beach in 1986. Borgesi smiling with mob associate-turned-informant Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello in prison. The whole Philly crew at mob capo Anthony Staino's wedding in 2010.

In a racketeering-conspiracy case that requires the government to prove relationships among key players, the photos help tie it all together. They could be effective visual aids for a jury that will soon sift through decades of mind-numbing evidence.

"As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words," said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Han. "These are portraits of a crime family."

Han said some La Cosa Nostra members treasure their mob photos, like photos with the president.

"They are like badges of honor," he said.

The defense came out swinging in closing arguments, with Ligambi lawyer Edwin Jacobs Jr. attacking the credibility of well-paid mob rats and Borgesi lawyer Christopher Warren dismissing government evidence as "androgynous bovine excrement."

"They investigated this for years and came up with ugatz - nothing," Warren said.

The trial is the culmination of an investigation that began in 1999. Borgesi, 50, has been in prison since 2000 on a prior racketeering conviction and while awaiting trial on the latest indictment. A conviction for Ligambi, 74, could amount to a life sentence. They are being retried after an earlier jury deadlocked on some of the charges.

Jacobs said the case is built on flimsy testimony from a perjurer, a murderer, a bank robber and other "unscrupulous con men" who have been paid more than half a million dollars collectively and would say anything to stay out of prison.

Besides, Jacobs added, the Philly mob was essentially "dismantled" more than a decade ago by a series of federal indictments and the erosion of the old code of silence, or omerta. Today's mobsters, he insisted, are more like "independent contractors," no longer joined at the hip as they were in the 20th century.

"This is no mob," Jacobs said. "This is not even the shell of a mob anymore."

Closing arguments continue today.

↓http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140 ... 6j8sSZv.99

Mob photos used as evidence against Ligambi, Borgesi
Prosecutors broke out the photo album during closing arguments in the racketeering case against Joseph Ligambi & George Borgesi.

Never happen. These were new charges and there are very strict Federal sentencing guidelines in place. A Federal judge will very rarely go outside those guidelines for someone who's dying or something like that. But they'd never do it for a guy like Borgesi, who's still young and they view as a career criminal.

The only "time served" that will count is from the release date of his last case, which was roughly two years ago, until the conclusion of the current trial. So if the guidelines call for him to get 15 to 20, he'll get two years knocked off for time served on this case. And then he'll have to do almost 90 percent of the balance, which is a fuck of a long time. If convicted, he'll come out a little old man.

And I doubt they'd take Borgesi into the program. The way he supposedly bragged and laughed about so many murders, they'd worry that they'd have another Casso on their hands.

Jury Deliberations Set To Begin In Mob Trial

By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

A jury is expected to begin deliberating early tomorrow in the racketeering conspiracy retrial of mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and his nephew and co-defendant George Borgesi.

The anonymously chosen panel to 10 women and two men heard more than two hours of closing arguments this morning and then sat through two more hours of Judge Eduardo Robreno's explanation of the laws that apply to the case.

Robreno's methodical charge is expected to conclude tomorrow morning shortly after court is brought back into session at 9:30 a.m. Deliberations will begin once the judge completes his explanation.

Arguments today were a reprise of defense and prosecution positions outlined for the jury Monday.

Ligambi's lawyer, Edwin Jacobs Jr. continued with the two themes he had offered earlier -- the mob in Philadelphia no longer exists and the government failed to provide evidence to back up its charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Labor returned to the issues he had underscored in his opening statement back on Nov. 7. "What this case is about is how the mob makes money through crime," he said.

Labor scoffed at Jacobs' argument that the mob is only a shell of what it once was. He said Ligambi, 74, and Borgesi, 50, were leaders of a mob family that generated income through gambling, loansharking and extortion and that the victims of those crimes would dispute Jacobs' contention that the mob no longer exists.

Jacobs said Ligambi was a"titular" boss of a crime family that had been reduced to an "impotent shell."

"They no longer do the stuff that was done under Scarfo and Natale," he added, referring to former mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo and Ralph Natale.

Scarfo, currently serving a 55-year prison sentence on racketeering-murder charges, was considered one of the most violent mob bosses in America. His bloody reign as Philadelphia crime boss in the 1980 was marked for dozens of murders and attempted murders.

Jacobs again and again pointed out that there are no murder charges nor any acts of violence alleged in the current indictment. Labor, however, said that didn't matter because the case is about how the mob uses its reputation for violence to control the underworld and generate illegal income.

He urged the jury to focus on the "big picture" and not get lost or confused by minor and contradictory details.

A prime example, he said, was the defense notion that two key cooperating witness, Borgesi associates Louis Monacello and Anthony Aponick, offered different versions of how they reacted to one another during a meeting at Ralph's, an Italian restaurant on Ninth Street in December 2003.

Their relationship, Labor argued, was a secondary issue. The "big picture" question, he said, was how Aponick, a New York mob associate and former cellmate of Borgesi's, and Monacello, Borgesi's point man on the street, came to be at that restaurant meeting. The meeting, Labor said, was arranged by Borgesi from prison so that they could discuss mob business. And that, he said, proves the conspiracy charge.

Jacobs, on the other hand, told the jury that the government's case was built around theories, but not backed up by facts,. He said there was an "institutional bias" against the defendants because of the mob "labels" authorities had attached to them. And he said the prosecutors had used "misleading" evidence and "half truths" to build their case.

Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/01/jury-deliberations-set-to-begin-in-mob.html#HZQcPOYL71h56oGS.99

If the jury doesn't believe aponick and monacello or has doubt they walk
If they can't agree and it hangs they walk - no way they retry after this one , ligambi and borgesi will be on the street for the weekend playoff games
But if they believe those two then it's rough news for uncle and nephew. I wonder if there is a way to find out when Robreno calls the court to order and announces a verdict has been found..

Jose but all that other stuff like Ligambi being introduced as ''our acting boss'' and everybody that was collecting saying whose money it is.Your stll thinking that the testimony from Monacello and Aponick is the whole case.Even the Fixer turned on them this time.just food for thought.

Also what does everybody think if the jury comes back with a quick verdict,good or bad for the defendants?

Bad

Very bad

If i was the lawyer would have stayed the fuck away from the mob in philly doesn't exist anymore. That was dumb they got that tape of big Lou talking about his induction ceremony with 5 others. And the 4 before his time that was a screw up. I would have stuck to it a group of Italians passing on a tradition or some shit like joining free masons or whatever. Celtic club. He should have stuck to series the physical evidence all they got was a motley crew of junkie liars saving themselves and then stressed to the jury all the federal money these bums get and you the jury pay for there lives in witsec.rob a bank join the feds and rob more banks no jury should believe that bum.

22 I agree with what you are saying but a lot of hearsay which you can't convict on - I'm talking more about Georgie this time .. One of the more damaging testimonies is when f finger Lou talked about dropping money in Georgie's car that links him to the case ..
As for joe .. Again lot of it being joes money testimony .. I don't know how sting that is though as far as convicting ..
When you take a step back away from the case , any two sides could have argued this case and the points they both made but the key thing will be did the defense create enough reasonable doubt in the evidence and witnesses presented to acquit. If there is any reasonable doubt Robreno will instruct them that's a not guilty verdict which personally I agree with for Georgie I'm undecided on Joe. Also keep in mind they will have more evidence to review than what we have read on the bigtrial posts .. There could be evidence one way or the other that skews one persons opinion to creating doubt. This is why the key witnesses are important and if they are believable or not. That's why Jacobs and Warren attack them on the stand to make them look not believable because if one juror believes they aren't truthful it's tough to convince that person otherwise.
I also hold the opinion that these charges are non violent crimes and voting guilty leads to serious terms for both and that's a big weight for a juror to think about whether it should or shouldn't be .. I mean some of the testimony talked about -$500 loans paying back I think it was 60 dollars a week - are you kidding me. The Feds actually put someone on the stand to talk about a 500 loan - reaching a little bit ?!?! sending someone to the can for a 500 loan is going to weigh on them - I think this is Jacobs strategy when he goes with this a non violent trial , not one piece of violence in the case , etc..
I'm not sure how much this matters either but mostly women jury and Georgie's mom was at the trial for the early part - for any mothers on the jury - does that sway their opinion? I don't know ..
If there is a decision quickly that can't be good for the defense.
Just my own thoughts going into potentially judgment week

It's a real shame these guys are gonna be found guilty and get slammed by this biased judge. These guys are getting layed away for the past history of Philly mob, the jury should be ashamed of themselves knowing that these guys well be fed to the wolves( judge) and are gonna get ridiculous amount of time for a non violent mob case, they should find them not guilty based on the way the GovtGang is abusing the law of RICO alone. They play real dirty in every city when it comes to the so called "MOB", I hope they beat this case and there friends get reduced sentences by appeals!!! I'd love to see a pic of the Merlino gang reunited after all these years!! #salute from the Chi

Would be a hell of a pic with the whole Merlino crew together!

If these guys beat this ill bet ya they will all be down in Boca in March to celebrate there freedom, to me they are a very standup crew that have faced LIFE in the face and they all grabbed there balls and rode it out like real men should, if merlino, Mazzone,borgesi, Angelina, Chang woulda ever turned rat it woulda happen 14yrs ago, they are stand up guys!!!! I salute them

They should find a send off who knows nothing to slap that prosecutor in his petty mouth fucking peice of shit, I hope something terrible happens to the prosecution's teams fam. I'm sorry fuck these crooks too but this is a gross abuse of power. Couple that with Deng getting traded I'm fucking heated, sorry LOL.

That may be true but it still hurts,

I compare a lot of things to sports and say like the NFL for example if your the starting QB and you get yanked for poor play,now the back-up comes in.On the outside it looks like the original starter is rooting hard for him,but then again deep down he kwows if this guy plays too good he may be out of a job.I mean sure your a team player but you don't want to lose your job either[example last yr. Kaepernick-Alex Smith]The point I'm trying to make is it may look like Borgesi is getting all this support but the guys from his old crew do you think they really want him to get out.I mean you know if he beats this case he's going to have a chip on his shoulder and probably won't go along with the program.He may be more of a problem on the outside.I just can't see him falling into place like a good soldier.On the other hand Ligambi always seems the same,very low key.

why you give a F&%$?? if you knew me you would never say that or ever question any move I EVER make..i would break your wannabe F%$#@n jaw in 50 spots with one punch...Ps I posted here last year around trial time..im from philly..I may work with a mob guy..i do union concrete work and once in a bluemoon I hear stuff.. i barley post... and if I did it would be truth...not me cluttering the boards because i was rooting for someone 2 b freed.. Now I know you get on your knees for some of these guys& shine their shoes down grumpys.. or getting strong armed and poked in the ass down Quatro while they steal ur money....Dude do you like having a sore ass..??DuDe why do you do that stuff????

Your time in the service must of been hard have you ever considered getting affordable help, I don't think you can bust a jaw in 50 places either. You seem really crazy and I can't imagine you have many people who enjoy being around you. You should really work on your anger issues.

I think he's the one they traded deng for

so they are deliberating now correct?

I'm not in court but they were supposed to get the case early this morning.

That's correct a cheech..I think they have something back by tomorrow or Friday..jury's been at this trial for a long time...I think with a more slimmed down trial and counts it shouldn't take long .. Anastasia won't miss this one .

Does anyone have the Staino wedding photo? Sorry if it has been posted already . . . I am having trouble finding it.

Thanks in advance