The guy onofrio from Ct. Must be pretty low key im familiar with a few westside guys from the fairfield county area but havent heard much about this guy said hes a capo who ran or oversaw crews in little italy and springfield .I know it was said recently that a soldier Calvanese i think the last name was was running things day to day up in springfield im guessing they must ne kicking up to onofrio i saw five names from springfield that were indicted a couple were familiar but albert calvanese supposed soldier in charge wasnt one of them

I am not disagreeing but why do you say this?

Looks to me like the Bronx guys are the central target here. Considering how bad a few of the fed LCN cases have gone lately (Ligambi, Asaro, & Santora), I wouldn't count Joey as chunked away yet. Let's be real, the Feds have a hard on for him we haven't seen since the Gottis. Even if this case is weak, they would love nothing more than inconveniencing him.

It's like Joey wants to get caught every single time. Look at the top guys in all the other families....you don't even have a recent picture of them. If you're in this life then stay low and keep a low profile. No need to roll around in a Rolls Royce like P-Diddy trying to get attention. And worst of all, guy name's a restaurant after himself in Boca. I guess Joey loves and craves attention.

Well it's not like Gotti and Merlino made it hard for them is it? It's not like they are getting put on trial for jaywalking or something. Gotti rigged two trials, threatened juror's lives, had his neighbor dissolved in acid and openly discussed hits on tape.

How is that having a "hard on"?

LoCascio is the only guy that can possibly feel hard done by, seeing that bloatface implicating everyone and bringing the heat on everyone while he (LoCascio) tried to remain stoic.

I meant Gotti Jr more than Sr. I don't think I'm speaking out of school to say the Feds hated the Gottis & Merlino. They flaunted it and that's why they got/get jammed up so often. Merlino loves the limelight no doubt. All I'm saying is I'm going to wait to see what they have on him because he seems like the headline grabber more than the star of the indictment. The Feds talk big every time there is a bust but like I said, with some recent cases...

I have to agree with you. It's amazing to see so many people defend these animals. Have they watched GoodFellas too many times or? I wonder what the deal is.

There are approximately 50 or so total members. Not all active on the street, obviously, but recent news reports said it's the most since the 1980s.

One CW is supposedly from the Genovese family so it wouldn't surprise me. Though it would surprise me if it were a made guy.

I guess he won't be opening a cigar bar on Passyunk ave. After all. Lol. Wtf.

if you include guys in prison aswell then maybe it is near 50 but the amount of the streets is not even close. All charts i have seen have around mid 30s and thats with guys who some believe are inactive nicky the whip for example

Geogre A and the feds had i think around 23 made guys on the streets in 2008 they have not had 37 made guys appear on the streets in the last 8 years thats why i replied to the guys post

50 total members means active, inactive, and in prison. Obviously not 50 active on the street. For a time in the early 2000s, it was down to about a dozen active members on the street and it's risen steadily since then.

hate to say it but the genovese capo has a restaurant named after him to and if pretty famous my guess his restarant on a historic street in nyc that holds 100 or more people im guessing is worth multi millions. 5x merlino place and a few rolls royces. and his name is slapped right on it. even if its 100+ percent legit probaly in his wifes name or kid its patsy. doesnt that draw attention.

Philly has had 3 fairly recent ceremonies within the last 5 years though havent they?

Poor Joey...He has been on the streets what like 3 years? Damn...Cant believe he got busted before Georgie and his social club

Looks like he is going back for a bit of a vacation

it must piss the feds this guy owns a place on aurthor ave and its his name on it. just like that other guy that owns parkside must really make them hate them.

Maybe a little attention, but it's not like the feds don't know who the guy is. Most of these guys are involved in bookmaking and rackets that are relatively harmless. The old days are so over. We hardly see a hit these days.

I'm not defending Joey. You reap what you sow. When you live that life you get what's coming. When you antagonize the Feds, you get indicted. I'm just curious if Joey's case is strong. That's all

http://www.fox29.com/news/185269654-story

Fox Philly News Report w/ video

While your statement of reaping what you sow is essentially true, the feds do not require antagonizing when they've got cooperating witnesses. You just become a sitting duck for the CW and their new team of friends. That CW is out there looking for the biggest fish he can catch and he's riding on the government's dime.
And of course this case, like every other multi year extravaganza, is buffed up with a nice RICO enhancement. So many cases like this wind up using that RICO charge as the first bargaining chip in plea deals and poof... Away goes the worst charge.

Here is the FBI news release:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/man...organized-crime

ok..from reading this indictment, and read what I just said, this indictment (I'm sure there is a lot more stuff), but from this paperwork, parello and his guys seem to be in a world of trouble...and the springfield guys as well..but..the rest of the case (again, from reading this paperwork), if guys didn't have priors, they would get short time or even probation, its nonsense..

Looks like those arrested in Boca were arrested for the health care fraud end of things. Im guessing they were affiliated with Merlino amd thats the bulk of the evidence against Merlino? The charges against Merlino dont look compelling at all. Just my initial take.

Makes you wonder how many guys in Philly were even kicking up to Merlino, that he had (or wanted) to be involved with taking relative unknowns under him who turn out to be informants. Hard to see someone like Joey Pung giving someone like Joey Merlino anything.

That's exactly what I was thinking. If he didn't have the name recognition or the record, it appears that he would be a blip in this. I wonder what "compounding cream" is??

I won't even bother commenting about his relationships with the other families. No one knows how shallow or deep they were. The indictment does say that Parello gave the rat guy permission to work with Merlino; it doesn't YET say that they were best buddies. The tapes will tell, eventually.

irishk..did you read the indictment at all? or just throwing abstract shit out? 'he had or wanted to be involved with taking relative unknowns under him'..where is that coming from? indictment has the CW and UC working in the Bronx, bud, not in florida, and the guys in ny were heavy and not unknowns..i have no idea how you would draw the correlation you just drew, none whatsoever...I personally have no clue at all as to what is or was going down..but as an outsider, id draw the exact opposite conclusion that you just did, id say because he is in with ny, that everyone else has to listen, that's my take, again, as an outsider like yourself...

Interesting day yesterday. Looks like state and Feds raided local 98 in south philly yesterday.

http://www.fox29.com/news/local-news/185631087-story

"At one point, with PARRELLO’S approval, CW-1 began working under JOSEPH MERLINO, a/k/a “Joey,” believed to be the Boss of the Philadelphia Crime Family, who resided in southern Florida for part of the year."

That seems to imply that he was working under Merlino, does it not? Obviously we don't know to what extent but it still speaks volumes that Joey; the supposed "Boss" would even associate with guys he has no prior connection to. Bet everyone else in Philly is thrilled this guy never came back to Philly full-time with the amount of heat he brings.

The fact that a acting skipper and a made guy that were busted were never even known as made guys .

There must be more that fly under the radar .

I guarantee the case against Merlino is tighter than a Nun's Tuna. The Feds wouldnt risk Merlino beating them at trial yet again. I bet you hear and see Joey committing crimes as evidence.

I also bet Joey is kicking himself right now wishing he just stayed to committing crimes with his crew of close childhood friends in Philly and did not "branch out" with NY LCN guys as he did from reading this indictment. Hindesight is 20/20.

I also bet this was a part of them sending down Nicky Skins to speak with Merlino back in 2011/2012.