by Angelo Santino » Fri May 01, 2020 11:50 am
Given that the 90's are now 3 decades ago we can look back and see where history defaulted into fable. Most of the connotations Merlino carries stems from Anastasia's books. They're accurate but Anastasia used narrative to keep the story interesting, one thing he did was contrast Stanfa as an old-world Sicilian pitted against a new generation of Young Turks. This carries its own connotations of eccentric Siggies fervently devoted to mob doctrine clashing with wily, undisciplined misfits. This was taken a step further in Anastasia's covering of "the last days of the mob" and compared the stories of Previte, Merlino and Natale in The Last Gangster. Again, a very good book. But much of the narrative came from Previte who had nothing good to say about anyone, after the book was published Borgesi severed ties with Anastasia, angry over at how things were portrayed. One should always be suspicious when the storyteller (Previte) is always the smartest guy in the room and everyone else is a severe dumbfuck.
Some things to consider regarding preconceived notations-
Stanfa was in the US since the early 1970's, after 20 years of being in that city (omitting jail/lam time) I don't think he was a "greaseball who couldn't find his way down the street." And for all his Mafiosita he made a former cop, a half Italian on his mother's side and the Zips he brought in were not Sicilian expatriates with prior mafia affiliations but mainlanders/nonconnected Itals who lived in Philadelphia and ran into Stanfa. These are not the actions of "old-world don." But in this narrative the enemy was Merlino so it made since to contrast the two.
Merlino's been married one time, stayed in Phila before incarceration (ie his lifestyle before and after boss DIDN'T change), the ceremonies during his tenure appear to be held to higher standards than they even were under Scarfo, limited to very close associates who did work and relatives of members present and former... Leather jackets and Harleys and Xmas dinners aside, Merlino's "show of wealth" wasn't that extreme. Based on his mafia operandi, he could argued to be more traditional than Stanfa was. And 2002 makes its 21 years he's been boss which is just as long as Bruno. The fact that he carried that recognition despite a decade in prison speaks to the respect he commands. If he was as incompetent as the Anastasia books suggest he probably wouldn't hold the title today.
No disrespect to Anastasia, he's one of the best authors out there.
Given that the 90's are now 3 decades ago we can look back and see where history defaulted into fable. Most of the connotations Merlino carries stems from Anastasia's books. They're accurate but Anastasia used narrative to keep the story interesting, one thing he did was contrast Stanfa as an old-world Sicilian pitted against a new generation of Young Turks. This carries its own connotations of eccentric Siggies fervently devoted to mob doctrine clashing with wily, undisciplined misfits. This was taken a step further in Anastasia's covering of "the last days of the mob" and compared the stories of Previte, Merlino and Natale in The Last Gangster. Again, a very good book. But much of the narrative came from Previte who had nothing good to say about anyone, after the book was published Borgesi severed ties with Anastasia, angry over at how things were portrayed. One should always be suspicious when the storyteller (Previte) is always the smartest guy in the room and everyone else is a severe dumbfuck.
Some things to consider regarding preconceived notations-
Stanfa was in the US since the early 1970's, after 20 years of being in that city (omitting jail/lam time) I don't think he was a "greaseball who couldn't find his way down the street." And for all his Mafiosita he made a former cop, a half Italian on his mother's side and the Zips he brought in were not Sicilian expatriates with prior mafia affiliations but mainlanders/nonconnected Itals who lived in Philadelphia and ran into Stanfa. These are not the actions of "old-world don." But in this narrative the enemy was Merlino so it made since to contrast the two.
Merlino's been married one time, stayed in Phila before incarceration (ie his lifestyle before and after boss DIDN'T change), the ceremonies during his tenure appear to be held to higher standards than they even were under Scarfo, limited to very close associates who did work and relatives of members present and former... Leather jackets and Harleys and Xmas dinners aside, Merlino's "show of wealth" wasn't that extreme. Based on his mafia operandi, he could argued to be more traditional than Stanfa was. And 2002 makes its 21 years he's been boss which is just as long as Bruno. The fact that he carried that recognition despite a decade in prison speaks to the respect he commands. If he was as incompetent as the Anastasia books suggest he probably wouldn't hold the title today.
No disrespect to Anastasia, he's one of the best authors out there.