The Scafidis pretty much disowned Horse head after he flipped. At least that's what was commonly said on these forums a few years ago. Same for the Grandes.

Theyre all second and third generation wise guys. Its hard to believe that they wouldn't be affected by family members turning states or federal witnesses.

I agree with Ted. Think there's plenty of money to be made down there its a huge city. Loansharking extortion gambling all the types high stakes games. Do they run the strip clubs like they do around new england? Putting there trash dumpster at restaurants and clubs. All the scams they do all over the east coast. The NYC families had there claws in the unions since the beginning of time that's why it's so hard for them to clean them up. I bet they have a snow plow racket to. Like the philly guy who had all the car contracts with the city I'm sure someone took his spot. Bet people still putting their crumply 1 dollar bills into them machines at the bars. There gonna have a vote on who replaces chip Kelly on new years eve.

You think that if you want to.

I agree with you. It is usually the same people saying over and over there is nothing there, there is no money.

You can give them examples like you did...you can quote figures, it doesn't matter...apparently they dont need to back up their claims.

Some of the guys were into real estate on top of what you were talking about. Years back Nicodemos operations in AC were pulling in a nice income,

And Of course those machines are profitable.

As far as fighting over the rackets, lucrative or not...wiseguys are always trying to get over and sneak someones racket...make more money.

Now, if you are comparing what they make to NY...well obviously not the type of money they bring it, but its apples and oranges

The size of the area is huge ! The income in these areas is huge !
They operate from Delaware to New York state line the Poconos to Pittsburgh to Maryland .

They have been operating in the same places for years . Yes when Nickywent away lots of connections were broken and Skinny did not know the Business side of it , it took years and years of meeting old and new connections to go the family.

I am not saying they are killing it , but they are making money ... And if you don't think so step on one of there rackets and test the water. Then let us know ...

And yes Pmac they do operate in the strip clubs and everything attached . They are in AC and Nick jr had one here before he was pinched , it was on the same block as one that was connected to Philly .

Nobody is denying that there's money out there. But when you have made guys being captured on wiretaps, threatening to kill someone over 500 bucks, it doesn't exactly paint the picture of them raking in the dough. And that Borgata bust, there hasn't been one remotely like it since. Is this not proof that things aren't all well and that they aren't earning like they used to.

What people are denying, however, including me, is the union and construction infiltration. However, I'm waiting and hoping for someone to prove me wrong on that. Or at least bring up valid information that would cause me to reconsider it as a possibility.

That was just one gambling ring though. Look at Licata's north Jersey crew. He's been running gambling and loan sharking operations up there uninterrupted (except the 2011 indictment, which he beat) for 20 years. There is also the Deleware County gambling operation that was run by Borgesi and now by Ciancaglini. According to Scott, Borgesi has already started up another gambling operation. Same with Phil Narducci.

People around this are can make pretty good money running a "small time" book making operation.

I work hard for my money. It would be nice to have a few runners to deal with, wear sweatpants and get up at fuck all time of day AND still make ) $50-$100k a year cash tax free. That translates to a damn good legitimate salary. Don't knock these guys and their "gambling".

It's illegal and it's not as innocent as you make it sound when it is intertwined with other illegal activities such as extortion, loansharking, assault, blackmail, conspiracy, tax evasion and murder.

They are either in the mafia or pay off the mafia.

Why should other people work hard, pay taxes and contribute to society in this case?

I'm just giving a "for instance" and demonstrate that one small operation can net that. Live in a $250k row home and have a union job where you work 6 months and volunteer for layoffs and collect unemployment through the winter and you're doing pretty good. Very common around here to have a job and a hustle.

As for wire taps and $500 bets, get 3-4 guys into you for only $500 and it starts to add up. Ask any hardworking guy or girl on here if they wouldn't want an extra $1-2000 a month tax free? Must be some well of people on this board.

They must have the parking lot racket to. Dumb shit like who can snow plow this lot or that one. Tow truck contracts. That like all the small shit that guys up around new England been doing for ever. No huge money but its steady and cash.

Its very common for people in NY to have a 9 to 5 while still having a little hustle on the side. Youre not introducing anything new or unheard of. $1-2,000, thats what the government pays some people on disability. Youre not exactly living large with that.



And I for sure am not what you call "well off". But its obvious these guys arent making the money they were in the 70s and 80s. Compared to those guys, a lot of these guys are brokesters. Your own local journalists say it all the time. And that's what we're saying, nobody is denying they might be making money, but it's chump change compared to what it used to be. I won't go far as to say it isnt enough to war over. As I don't doubt for a second a lot of these guys would kill for a bigger piece of that smaller pie.

You can compare old days to current situations and they were much better.

Consider the large difference of economy between here and nyc, where i think you said you are near or in. You most certainly can get a rowhouse On a good block for under $250k. If you're bringing home $3000 -$4000 a month legit l, which is what a union trade guy makes and grabbing an extra $1500 -$2000 cash a month you're paying your mortgage and living large. Nyc cost of living is much much different.

Thats true.

Nicky is correct. It is all about economies of scale. Leonetti said in his book that when his uncle did that one bid he put away 3 mil for him in a little over a year. Some guys in New York were probably making that a month but in Philly that's a shit ton of money, especially back then. I live in Philly (well South Jeresey now) and New Yorkers are buying properties up like crazy in the city because it is so much more affordable. My one buddy who still lives in NY calls it the 6th bourough. I have a lot of friends in south philly and there is real money to be made by a guy who would want to hustle, maybe not NY money but not bull shit money either

Happy to hear Philly is looked at as a good investment fo NY hope it is true got a little worried that Philly was going down hill. Dont spend much time in Philly hang out in AC but all four of grandparents came from Italy and settled in S.Philly. Now that there is casinos in Philly would like to move back

You are a little right !!! Someone is blowing it up ....

And Nicky son Chris did not Disown His father . He got away from the life . Chris found himself getting involved a little to much .and like many father son the banged heads . Chris had him self a good girl and A decent head on his shoulders and knew if he wanted any kind of life he had to change his name in order to get into business and make a life for himself .
He is involved in his fathers life and talks about the old days every time the boys are out having and good time .

That's right....Scoops has been an earner for years

I almost forgot about him. But he is quiet and low key so he is often overlooked

In Fresolones book, Scoops isn't painted in a great light. Maybe he's such a earner because he's so cheap. Lol...Fresolone claims he always had a problem kicking up and feigned being broke but always wanted what was owed to him. He caught a lucky break when Patty Specs died. At least according to Fresolone. Had it not been for that Specs probably would've had him killed. He wasn't very fond to Tony Piccolo either. He survived a war of attrition. And the way he shitted on the guys that Patty & Tony had made, was some asshole shit.

Oh, and here's some new info, which was probably what Phillyguy was referring to earlier on about the stuff with Johnny Chang. Apparently, a day or so after the Baldino kid gets sliced on the neck, he's in a diner with one of his buddies and Johnny Chang is there sitting at another table, but they're all pretty close to each other. Johnny Garbs walks in and walks up to the Baldino kid and says that what happened last night (the bottle incident) is over, and that if goes running his mouth to anybody, he's going to smash his face in and the face of anyone else who feels they want to get involved..Garbs then asks the kid who's with Baldino if he's with him, the kid says "well he's my friend", and Garbs says "well you're getting a beating too"...Mind you, Johnny Chang was in the vicinity the whole time and didn't do shit. The source says that the word is that Johnny Chang was once a helluva tough guy, but now he no longer has the stomach for violence. And that people outside of Philly LCN or on the fringes, really can't understand how an underboss, capo, soldier or whatever can go against a lifelong friend and made guy (Phil Narducci) and defend his jerkoff nephew. He says this is why current Philly LCN is a mess, nobody fears them. And the younger 10th & O guys, now have a more fearsome rep than Philly's Cosa Nostra family does.

Who in the Philly Mafia is considered a lifelong friend of Phil N? By all accounts Phil has hated all of them since Merlino took over.

So Punge is running the Scarfo crew, independent of the family? Didn't Merlino rob his mums house?

That's what they say !!

I don't know the politics between chang, narducci and the 10th and O guys...maybe theres some facts thats being left out but its bolony that the phil mob is scared of the 10th and O guys, you will know if its serious if merlino have to come back to philly or if chang pays merlino another visit in florida...if merlino gets involvled its a guanratee that heads will roll...and theres always young guys ready to make thier bones and will do what thier told

I think people just have to accept that mafia killings are never going to be ubiquitous anymore.

It's 2016. You can't piss on a phonebox without being captured by CCTV. The technology makes it too hard to make people go away or do a clean killing.

Merlino was in Philly yesterday for a New Years Eve celebration with the whole crew. And nobody is saying Philly LCN is afraid of 10th & O. They're saying that no one is afraid of Philly LCN.

And I doubt "heads will roll" because Joey is involved. "Heads weren't rolling" when he was actually active. Some of us tend to give Joey Merlino too much credit.


All of this is coming from reliable sources, guys who have been proven legit in the past. There's two of them on that forum. And they're both saying the same things in regards to the current landscape.

Yea it's not like they just blow people away in broad daylight during RICO trials anymore lol what?

Got a point there, Vegas. That actually did happen and it wasn't even that long ago. If someone had the balls to make that call, I'm sure it'd be done. But like whats being said, those in charge apparently dont have the stomach for that anymore.

Just because some rat says it in a book doesnt make it true...Scoops is wideley respected

Besides, lots of these guys cry broke so they dont have to kick up as much

its an age old trick

And who the fuck is this Garbs? I never heard of him before recently

10th an O leader? Anyone seen a picture of this guy?

What did you want chang to do get up in the middle of a diner and stab the guy ala Scarfo in the 80s?

Who knows, this Garbs could have problems down the line

Old gambling article on Garbs

Luck has run out for a regional sports-betting ring that once netted an average of $60,000 in illegal wagers per day, authorities said yesterday.

Seven men - five from South Jersey and two from South Philadelphia - were indicted Tuesday by a Mercer County grand jury on multiple counts of promoting gambling, said John Hagerty, a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

Betting on sports other than horse racing is illegal in New Jersey.

The gambling operation was allegedly run out of a "wire room" in an auto-detailing shop in South Philadelphia, Hagerty said, and accepted wagers on any sporting event imaginable.

John B. Garbarino Jr., 35, of Franklinville, Gloucester County, was identified as the alleged leader of the ring. He set up the bookmaking operation in the 2800 block of South 28th Street in Philadelphia, Hagerty said.

Felix Ezzio, of the 1300 block of South 10th Street, Philadelphia, allegedly ran the day-to-day operations of the wire room, where wagers were fielded and tracked through a sophisticated network of telephone lines and code names.

The indictment states that the operation flourished between July and December 2003, taking individual sports wagers of as much as $1,000 and raking in more than $60,000 in bets daily.

On Dec. 18, state police detectives raided the wire room and several houses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Authorities seized gambling books and records, betting slips, and $96,000 in cash.

Also charged in the indictment were Joseph "Frogs" Guiffre, 28, of Emily Street, Philadelphia, an alleged wire room employee and debt collector; Michael Knobbs, 32, of Clayton, Gloucester County, an alleged gambling agent, wire room employee, and gambling debt collector; Abraxas "Rex" Bragg, of Bridgeton, Cumberland County, an alleged New Jersey agent for the gambling operation; Mark Crecelius, 43, of Turnersville, Gloucester County, an alleged New Jersey agent for the gambling operation; and Antonio "Tone" Capetillo, of Glassboro, an alleged New Jersey agent for the gambling operation.

The case will be tried in Superior Court in Gloucester County.