This may sound bold but its true. Joey Merlino was not powerful. He controlled nothing really, maybe some shylocking and book making. Scarfo controlled unions, political figures, and made a lot of money in construction PLUS he controlled book making and shylocking. Scarfo, like him or not, was a very powerful man.
Merlino was more like a gang leader who was more or less a bunch of neighborhood bullies and not at all powerful outside his small area.
I just read a story that talked about Merlino's townhouse in Florida and how they throw late night parties and how someone threw a sofa out of the window. Is that really what a cosa Nostra boss does???? Not really.
Yes, he did his time, no doubt. That just means he is a criminal that doesnt rat, not a boss who understands cosa nostra. Merlino and his guys basically ran around south philly acting like a bunch of bullies. In fact, JR. Gotti understood cosa nostra more than Merlino and Gotti JR was also much more powerful. gotti jr also controlled much larger/ sophisticated rackets and involved with a wider array of activities.
Opinions?

Sounds fair. And you're right about Junior Gotti. He had some influence in the unions here for awhile. It only lasted a few minutes, but he could have had it made in the concrete business if he did things a little bit differently. But hindsight is 20-20 and all that.

I will have to agree as well regarding Merlino. Junior gotti was better schooled( streets) and not as dumb as most say. That said, he was much too young to gain control of such a large family. Then again, did he really have a choice?
Back to skinny joey, he was not a typical mobster. Philly is an odd place, at least now. He would only survive in Philly.

First of all, Jr gotti was apart of a council because they didn't trust him to make decisions on his own, Jr had no choice??? If the mafia would take jr back he would do it in a heartbeat, he is an opportunist...and granted merlino is not as powerful as other bosses but he have thier respect, there's a reason why the genovese haven't taken over phillip yet

Phillie

Not matter what merlino was and probably is a mafia boss of the second biggest city on the east coast. He doesn't have the power like the bosses before him but he's a boss. Getting money from all the books and loans. Philly is strange not like new England were its 2 states. There no different factions just south philly and joey friends. Its like the Colombo's in Brooklyn there the strongest they didn't need crews in other boros.

Not matter what merlino was and probably is a mafia boss of the second biggest city on the east coast. He doesn't have the power like the bosses before him but he's a boss. Getting money from all the books and loans. Philly is strange not like new England were its 2 states. There no different factions just south philly and joey friends. Its like the Colombo's in Brooklyn there the strongest they didn't need crews in other boros.

Pizza what you think of the other guy site just wrote a e book with Dom cicale. Gonna give it a read just want to see the part where rizzuto was still sending money to NYC till Massimo flipped. Read a excerpt kinda funny haven't read a mob book in awhile also sounds like he regrets flipping and doesn't sound so liary. New word

Pizza what you think of the other guy site just wrote a e book with Dom cicale. Gonna give it a read just want to see the part where rizzuto was still sending money to NYC till Massimo flipped. Read a excerpt kinda funny haven't read a mob book in awhile also sounds like he regrets flipping and doesn't sound so liary. New word

And to be fair...merlino was boss for maybe 3 years before he got sent away? And then he did a 12 year stretch, the book is still out on merlino your comparing him to guys that spent most of thier criminal career as the don

You go back to the Nicky skins wiretap where in me joes says let joey make his guys when he gets home. Seems like the philly guys have clubs and real estate. Uncle Joe had a no show job. There probably content in there city. There must be heck cashing scams like the genovese just got caught for. Some suckers just open a nice restaurant in Florida for joey. Scarfo and stands didn't have that or probably wanted that

Massino regrets flipping, or Cicale?

To say. Jr gotti would go back in if the administration let him is a bit ridiculous. After all, he asked his father if he can do his time and then leave the life.
Could Merlino snap a finger and stop a large construction project??? I think not. Maybe he could stop a wall paper job in someones kitchen in south philly but thats it. Did he control garbage, cement,or anything of substance? No..
Listen, i am just posting facts. Merlino was not powerful except in a small circle in philly.

Belmont I'm not trolling but its not a small circle its a huge city. His family had the clout for the last 30 years. You wonder if any one brought up his uncle being a rat. He probably kill them.

I just dont think Philly is a large city. Merlino made a lot of money by betting and not paying his losses and also holding money on those that won.
Merlino had balls, but thats not what this post is about. He wasnt powerful.

My question about Merlino, if he ripped off bookmakers and fucked over a lot of people, why is he so popular and looked up to in Philly? Maybe I'm completely wrong or maybe the media has made it seem like this but I get the sense that he's almost worshipped by Philadelphians.

Hey, pmac. Long time no talk, pal.

I think the guy who wrote that ebook is an even bigger joke than the guy the book is based on. As far as Cicale himself, I think he's singing the rat's national anthem: "I regret ratting, but I did it out of revenge, and not because I'm scared of jail."

I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that from a stoolie. Because it's bullshit. He's a mutt rat, and he's been a mutt rat all his life. From way back in his Florida days. The State of Florida, where they'll fry a New Yorker for jaywalking, went out of their way to seal his plea back in the '90s. For a violent crime! What does that tell you?

That said, shame on Vinny for trusting him. But he was goodhearted like that (adopting strays). He felt bad for him, and now he's paying the price for it. Boy, is he ever paying the price for it.

That aside, I hope all is well up in Boston, son .

Pizza is cosa nostra

I'm a retired investor living on a pension .

pizza's not cosa nostra, if he was, he wouldn't be on this site. he would spend all his time counting his stack of money'

which would be as high as jack's beanstalk.

PB
I also heard Vinny Basciano was a real cool guy and could be very generous. ( had a soft side to him).

You heard right.

No he is

ok, moe. ok.

Crash I'm sure if this were the 70s 80s Joey would be controlling construction sites and unions just like Scarfos and he'd be doing a life bid to.. r u forgetting the mafia not as powerful as it used to be.. Joey shot his way to the top bro. No ones touch in joey in philly..

John Gotti Jr. Interview with 60 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLU2WobERig

A lot of bullshit to weed through, for obvious reasons, but still interesting. Sorry if this has been posted a bunch of times.

Well, Merlino might not have been as influential as other mob bosses traditionally were, but he still wielded the sword.

What I mean by that is that a boss is the one soldier in a family who can kill anyone in that family without cause or explanation. Everyone else, from the Underboss and the Consigliere on down has to get permission and needs a valid excuse. Not the Boss. So that is a roving lion, and Merlino typified that in his lawless wild behavior.

Don't forget, his power probably stretched back to New York City. As long as he had the backing of the biggest bosses in NY, he wielded the sword out in Philly.

I don't think anyone in NY respected Merlino

I only have literature to go by mulberry. I read "The Goodfella Tapes". According to that book, Merlino had the backing of the Genovese family in New York. Stanfa on the other hand had backing from the Gambino and Genovese families. Stanfa also had blood relatives that were made Gambinos. I had to dig up my old book to give a logical reply here. Basically, elements in the Gambino and Genovese families were playing chess with Philadelphia, and Stanfa and Merlino and their men were the chess pieces.

The book claims that government sources portrayed underworld alignments in that manner.

Merlino was very powerful in Philadelphia because he AND his gang were feared. But, it was territorial power. The Pagans have/had a ton a power in the city too; but they wield it at THEIR bars, clubs, neighborhoods. No one group controls philly.

Philly is a very small, city, when you start cutting up the territory. PHilly mob has ZERO clout in North Philly, West Philly, and Center City. So, that leaves south Philly. Which, has been overrun by asians and african americans.

And with respect to the Genovese backing: THey had no choice but to back Merlino. Manna wanted Gotti Dead; Gotti backed Stanfa. Genovese would back anyone but Stanfa.

So, he is a big fish in a small pond. I wouldn't want the guy knocking on my door, but you can't compare Philly LCN to NYC; that stopped in the 80s.

Outside of Philly, in the surrounding areas, you can be independent of the mob. It's done all the time. There is no more street tax, unless you are looking to become associated with the Mob and want their protection.

He was in his very early 30s when he came into power. Drunk at bars and clubs, taking peoples money from the bar, beating bookies, etc. People just had to deal with it because of who his father was, the reputation and actions of the Mob around that time, Plus, he was fucking nuts too. There were dead people turning up.

His first go at boss had very immature behavior. It was 20 years ago. That's all I know of him, having witnessed it, just like a lot of people his age who lived in that area at the time.

But, I'm sure he's not beating bookies and taking money from bars anymore. He has more sophisticated scams now involving old jewish guys.