Yo Dante, where haven't you been. From Philly to A.C. to the Bronx. You get around. Lol.

Holy heck. The FBI manpower devoted to the mob is at an all time low and you guys still complain. You can't make a judgement of law enforcement resources based on a single indictment. Look at the trends and the big picture rather than just the latest headline. In only the last few months we've had several gambling busts, a mob-run escort ring bust, the marijuana from California bust, illegal dumping in Jersey, and a mob-tied health care fraud bust. But, yeah, the feds really should just leave these guys alone.

Ivy, I would expect you to follow the FBI's gospel hook, line and sinker. I mean this is a guy who believes somebody in upstate New York met Jesus and God and thinks magic underwear are gonna suppress the desire to masturbate.

As a libertarian I am not willing to sacrifice my liberty just to sleep better knowing 75 year old italian men are locked up and not pilfering ball cream.

the fbi has droped the ball a few times on muslim shooters,

the san bernadino shooter was known to them, the Orlando shooter had been interviewed by them. and there are more that should of been investigated,

but by getting headlines busting old bookies,and connected guys, people think they are doing great things......

they are not. they need to step up on the really dangerous
threats that we are vulnerable to. or the shootings will continue,

@Sonny @pmac @ Ivey


I think we have to look at this thing big picture wise, I try to take a birds eye view in all this shit to connect the dots...

Like Ivey said, they cut the FBI resources, so the stuff they do handle, they got to get the most out of it that they can. Now this means both, investigations that yield "prosecutable crimes",as well as political capital. Big drug rings, operations like this one where they can link multiple families, no matter how thin the connections, it's headlines, it's part of the game...

Look at how STRATEGIC these arrest were, they hit the biggest families in NY, plus they get the cast iron young mob boss poster child in Merlino. They even called it the " East Coast Cosa Nostra Enterprise", I don't know why they didn't just call it Commision Case 2 lol.

I think Pmac is on to something with these gambling arrest. They seem more aimed at sending the mob a message than anything. I was going to start a thread asking the question, " Does the mob handle fantasy sports betting?" "How does this action affect regular betting? Is it complimentary to the regular mob clientele, or is there overlap and competition there? There's a pool in like a LOT of offices, type of young, college educated guys with money to burn and a taste for the action. Basically the " New" bettor. Watch it become more tech driven too, it's too young and sexy not to.Like ANYONE CAN BET FANTASY SPORTS, it reminds me of the Junior Soprano line, " Fuckin ch*nks and housewives are betting football..." What happens when BIGMONEY starts to move in like with weed? I wanted to do another thread asking if a gambling machine was better than a sports book. While back, article in the SunTimes said the state took in 913 million from video poker machines last year, revenue starting to compete with the ten casinos here.

I would pay attention to this trend of coming down hard on gambling rings in the future.. Bet you money it starts to coincide with more legalization legislation, but hey, I'm a suspicious person, lol any more thoughts fellas?

@ Ivy

Just forget it.

Some people - in their warped and, perhaps, biased - mindsets, think American people of Italian descent should be exempt from prosecution and the FBI should just focus all their attention on ISIS and the blacks and the cartels.

It's persecution don't you know.

Where is Joe Colombo when you need him?

"Back in my day the neighborhood was safer. No blacks or Dominicans. And Gotti kept the blacks out. That girl wouldn't have got killed back in my day."



Let Joey Merlino and Patsy Parrello defraud, launder, plunder and enjoy their assets - little of which they have accrued legally.

They are merely contributing to the rich civic tapestry of American life.

Fine, upstanding citizens. Unlike the pesky panhandler (who probably ended up homeless because he served in Vietnam unlike most mobsters who were proud draft dodgers).

@ Ivy

Just forget it.

Some people - in their warped and, perhaps, biased - mindsets, think American people of Italian descent should be exempt from prosecution and the FBI should just focus all their attention on ISIS and the blacks and the cartels.

It's persecution don't you know.

Where is Joe Colombo when you need him?

"Back in my day the neighborhood was safer. No blacks or Dominicans. And Gotti kept the blacks out. That girl wouldn't have got killed back in my day."



Let Joey Merlino and Patsy Parrello defraud, launder, plunder and enjoy their assets - little of which they have accrued legally.

They are merely contributing to the rich civic tapestry of American life.

Fine, upstanding citizens. Unlike the pesky panhandler (who probably ended up homeless because he served in Vietnam unlike most mobsters who were proud draft dodgers).

I mean this is a guy who believes somebody in upstate New York met Jesus and God and thinks magic underwear are gonna suppress the desire to masturbate.

You want to know warped? Here is the kind of shit boy scout moe sends users randomly and out of the blue:

http://imgur.com/kvotUpm

The rest of his post sounds like Howard Zinn book regurgitated by a medicore 4th grader. How about you live here, not in your dying welfare state, before you go on with gross over-generalizations and stupid 60s song sounding memes?