No crazy adjectives for Joey? Ha just kidding. Literally every report since Borgesi got out was that he was positioning himself to make stuff happen. Not surprised he getting some rank.

So this does mean Merlino is in fact boss?

Did anyone ever truly think he wasn't....

Weird question, considering all the information out there points to him being boss.

There must be alot of made guys in that family. I bet merlino has inducted a few groups. Hes been out 5 years. Living the life.

They have a lot of made men on the streets nowadays, wouldn't there also be a cap for the family? I can't imagine them making a lot of more guys in the time to come.

In 2015 gangsterreport.com said that was made 5 men and there are 4 factions in the family with 40-50 made men.

Seems merlino dont give a fuck what nyc saying. Dont think he ever would after they had bruno killed and that whole thing. Think of all the guys who died after that there families must hate the nyc family. Joey made 3 guys from boston thats a 6hour drive. I wouldnt doubt him having made a few guys down florida. There really isnt a cap for guys but i think theres a number in there head around 50 60 and if they get up to that number a guy has to wait till someone dies to replace them. Or once a year a family inducts 2 new guys. I think merlino has anuff respect to march to the beat of gis own drum. The lcn familys all aroynd america know hes in charge has a bunch of killers around. His father was a boss or under whatever. 4 fctions to the family probaly bullshit. Theres all of philly and south jersey theres anuff for all them guys.

A cap? Are you kidding? Lets see...

There aren't enough guys in the recruiting pool in Philly for that to be of concern these days.

And even if it was possible...who is gonna enforce this cap? The defunct commission?

NYC hasnt given a fuck about the Philly family since the Scarfo days

Ok so Georgies a skipper... Anyone have an idea who is in his crew? Id assume his brother Anthony who I believe is made but not positive.. Any insight fellas?

Gotta be a lot of associates

them philly boys got as many admin members as soldiers

@mikey- I've heard, mostly through reporting, that he's got mostly associates under him. Apparently a lot of Union guys predominantly the Salvo brothers (Dave and Mike) who have been around for awhile and were around the Traitz family of Roofers Union notoriety. They were Scarfo's guys at the Roofers Union after McCullough was whacked and they actually got taken down in a RICO in the late 80s as well. The Salvo brothers were also involved supposedly in the Ralph Mazzucca hit with Borgesi being seen using their car. They are apparently still very active to this day and drove Ligambi around in the early 2000s after Georgie and everyone went away. Anyways, besides the Salvo brothers and other non-made Roofers Union associates, I would have to imagine that Georgie's brother Anthony is under him, but as was mentioned previously, not positive if he's made yet or not (I personally believe he was made recently, but it isn't confirmed as far as I know). If anyone else has any insight with regards to who else would be under George now that's he's a crew boss officially would love to hear any input...

Philadelphia actually seems to have quite a number of young guys. Enough to keep their membership steady for years now, including reportedly making several relatively recently. It's not NY-size recruiting pool but the remaining small families around NY (New Jersey, New England, Philadelphia) benefit from being in the Northeast where the Italian-American population is highest.

The area is huge and the money is endless and it's looking like he has more killers that don't talk then New York cos if not they would be coming for him he has disrespected them in so many ways through the years and a few of the families has tried to kill him .

He has made friends in other families and it is doing them well.(Skinny that is)

So Philly doesn't have to answer whatsoever these days to either the Gambinos or the Westside?

Here a list of philly soldiers

Soldiers:
Vincent "Beepsie" Centorino/85
Joseph “Chickie” Ciancaglini Sr/81
Joseph "Joey Chang" Ciancaglini Jr/55 (Shelved)
Martin "Marty Crutch" Curro/60
Frank DiPasquale
Eric Esposito/45
Louis "Big Lou" Fazzini/48
Vincent "Big Vince" Filipelli/63
Robert “The Cook” Gentile/77
Dominic Grande/37
Joseph Grande/55
Francis "Faffy" Iannarella/68
Charles "Charlie White" Iannece/80
Vincent "Vince" Iannece/48
Albert “Ally Lance/Cousin Al” Lancelotti
Gaeton “Gate/The Big Guy” Lucibello/62
Salvatore "Sonny" Mazzone/42
Nicholas "Nicky Whip" Milano/54
Frank “Windows” Narducci Jr/62
Nicholas "Nicky O" Oliveri/63
Anthony "Tony Pung" Pungitore Jr/61
Joseph "Joey Pung" Pungitore/59
Dominic Rugnetta/90
Salvatore "Tory" Scafidi/54
Joseph “Joey Electric” Servidio/56
Ralph "Junior" Staino/83
Joseph “Joey” Stanfa/45 (Shelved)
Luigi “Gino” Tripodi/76
Shawn Vetere/47


Likely Members:
Joseph Baldino/35
Joseph “Bongs” Bongiovanni/69
Anthony Borgesi/42
Philip “Philly” Ligambi/66
Vito Malgeri


Imprisoned Members:
Damion “Dame” Canalichio/45 (IP/12/21/2021)
Frank Martines/61 (IP/L)
Joseph "Mousie" Massimino/65 (IP/1/13/2025)
Anthony “Tony Nics” Nicodemo/43 (IP)
Vincent “Al Pajamas” Pagano/86 (IP/9/28/2063)
Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo/86 (IP/1/05/2033)
Salvatore “Shotsie” Sparacio/94 (IP/5/4/2020)
John Stanfa/74 (IP/L)

They tried to take Skinny out and not just one family it was for multiple reasons and I am sure that one of them came as a favor from the little guy and they couldn't get it done .

I think Serpiente if one or more families want to kill joey, he will be dead. There no commission or rules to follow only the most strong do what he want.

I would seriously doubt it. These families don't have the reach and control to tell him otherwise these days, much like Rizzuto did in Montreal. He made who he wanted when he wanted and didn't seem to care what the Bonanno's thought. I'm sure Merlino would do the same if he wants. It's not like we are going to see a war these days.

Although Rizzuto had the advantage of distance and location over Skinny. If NY were pissed off enough, you can drive to Philly easy enough. Not so much for NY to Montreal.

Great point Dixie.

But I don't understand why families like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo and New Orleans haven't made 1 guy in the last 15/20 years. I mean there should be at least a couple guys in that region who are made man material and those cities are a lot further away from NY than Philly. Would the shrinking recruitment pool be the sole reason for this?

I seem to recall an Anastasia article a few years ago that talked about the NY families wanting Ligambi to replace Mazzone and Borgesi with Staino and Massimino. But it was a suggestion, as opposed to a Chin-like edict, and the decision was ultimately his.

Attrition is far and away the biggest factor for those families not making new members. It also gets to a certain point where, even if there are some available recruits, who' left in the family doesn't see it as worth it to make new members.

He looks like Elmer Fudd.

I wouldn't say New York has no interest in Philly in 1999 caprio got gambino and Genovese to kill ligambi, mazzone and borgesi in exchange for allowing New York to put there own poker machines in Philly. The 2010 meeting with ligambi scoops and the leadership of the gambino family alphonese truccherio John gambino etc shows New York still has interest. The whole meeting was about luchese and DeCavancte members moving in on Philly rackets. You also have scarfo junior according to the Feds and there informers scarfo had the backing of certain members of three of the five family's in New York in his attempt to retake the Philly mob.

But it's not the 80s either New York is not going to be sending down guys to kill merlino if he annoys them the commission from the 80s is dead there is no one to put a membership cap or choose the leaders the last known commission meeting was in 2000 and that's if you even consider that a commission meeting the Colombos were not there and most family's sent a high ranking member not there official leader. There might have been other meetings similar to this in recent times we don't know about but it's not anything like it was and I highly doubt Philly was what they were discussing they have bigger problems to deal with in New York.

New York does still have some influence especially with the North Jeresy crew with scoops and fazzini where they come across the five family's a lot but it is not like it was

Phl- thanks for taking the time to respond buddy, appreciate it. Interesting to think George with the Salvo bros and some of the other associates that are connected to the Roofers union would afford him strong links to one of the few labor unions in the city known to have mob ties.. Ill have to ask my cousin about that hes a member of the roofers locall outta Bensalem/Northeast phi

I agree with you about Anthony Borgesi..if scott and GA are right that Merlino made a few new guys that are close to Georgie id venture to guess he was one of em

Side question ive asked before.. But i always look at the giant Aker Shipyard right in the heart of S phil and always wonder why we never hear of mob activities? Anyone know why or have any insight?

Similarly i often wonder is there any current or past mob connection to the vast produce/ seafood markets off of Packer ave and throughout s phil? I mean again its right there and all the italian pizza joints and italian markets i ever worked at got lots of shit from there and also companies like Bova, or Di Bruno bros?

Crazy to think how stable philly seems right now. They got a lot of guys on the street and it appears stuff is running somewhat smooth for all this " faction" talk we have been hearing... Got a good amount of guys on the street and they're visible got groups of made guys hanging on the corner in front of the new social club looks like the 1980s kind of nuts... Wonder how much juice Dom grande holds he sure seems to be well liked he's seen in pics with just about everyone.. Lance, Chang, mazzone(since they're related).. Wonder if he's an earner and what type of shit he's into.. There's no way he still can't be sweating the dipietro hit though. To this day if I was him I don't know if I could ever get a good nights sleep. Would feel like everyone morning I would wake up to that knock from the Feds. Not only that.. If they can't pin him for the murder I'm sure they're looking for any tiny fucking excuse to nail the guy. If I was him I wouldn't even be j walking .. Guy must have a prescription to Xanax or Valium to not be a nervous wreck 24/7... Bet his #1 priority too is to make sure nicodemos wife and kids want for nothing. If I was him I would do whatever I could to keep nicodemo happy..

Dead on !!!!

No one knows for sure if Grande was the shooter. It's just a rumor that's been floating around. I'm sure the guy sleeps like a baby.