Bringing down ‘The Sopranos’ for the FBI destroyed my life

[NJShore4Life]

Merola has a house down here at the Shore in Toms River and one time back in the day when I was still a kid I was walking into the best pizza parlor here in Toms River everyone knows on Fischer Blvd while Merola was walking out. He certainly looks Italian and looks very much the part.

-Dante

[Tonyd621]

This guy sounds like a blowhard. He's acting like it's the 80s

[Teflon Dom]

Merola isn’t made. He used his mother’s maiden name so he would sound Italian. Got caught up trying to rip off Home Depot

Lol you’re incorrect

[Rocco]

Merola isn’t made. He used his mother’s maiden name so he would sound Italian. Got caught up trying to rip off Home Depot

He was a captain.

He was a Soldier as far as I know and was reporting to NY. I don't believe there is a Captain for the Gambino's in NJ anymore. He and Buddy Musk were the only made members caught up in that bust I believe. That's why I'd like to know more about this Danny Gooms guy. Never heard of him. If he is real..I would imagine he was an associate of Merola's like Ragusa is. Florham Park/East Hanover guys etc. Which is where Ragusa is from.

I thought he was a captain or acting captain for a period. Gooms is a real nickname but the name is questionable. I would like to know who this Nino Molinelli is the undercover cop said he was a crew boss and used to be close to John Gotti.

"Jimmy Balls" Beltempo is/was a captain overseeing NJ rackets for the Gambinos according to the Stefanelli transcript.

Yeah but this Nino is described as the John Gotti guy and said to have worked for Gotti. I dont think Beltempo was that close to Gotti was he? The Gotti connection made me think it was Sisca but the timeline doesnt really match.

On Danny Gooms, there is a Daniel Bertelli living in Hillside NJ. I found him through property records but who knows if thats the guy. Fuck this book for having fake and real names makes it confusing. Shouldn't have released it like that. We still dont know who the Augie guy is with the westside either.

I grew up in Hillside NJ lol Hes gotta be the last Italian guy living in HS. Its a shithole like Irvington now. I was the white shadow on the block when I lived there in the 90s.. Never heard of the guy.

Update: You had a typo.. they guy is 45 and lives in Hillsdale NJ NOT Hillside NJ. BIG Difference !!! LMAO And I looked him up further. They guy is a High School Art Teacher. So I doubt he is a Gambino Family Member. lol

[Rocco]

Merola has a house down here at the Shore in Toms River and one time back in the day when I was still a kid I was walking into the best pizza parlor here in Toms River everyone knows on Fischer Blvd while Merola was walking out. He certainly looks Italian and looks very much the part.

-Dante

Hes Italian. Kapnick was the name of the people who adopted him and raised him. Merola was his biological fathers last name. Jackie Nose had him change his name to get made. He was been arrested in the 90s with Nicky Jr when his last name was Kapnick. Hes got a felony record under Kapnick etc.

[Rocco]

There was a nutley / bellville / Kearny / NA sports gambling business 5 or so years ago but I heard they reported into Staten Island

I believe Merola and Stefanelli both reported to Capos in NY. Zeke and Sisca live in NJ but that is a totally different crew. They were never involved with Newark Crews. They were involved in NY more then NJ. And while Zeke's son had been arrested in the past. He is not involved in OC and was never made.

[JohnnyS]

Merola isn’t made. He used his mother’s maiden name so he would sound Italian. Got caught up trying to rip off Home Depot

He was a captain.

He was a Soldier as far as I know and was reporting to NY. I don't believe there is a Captain for the Gambino's in NJ anymore. He and Buddy Musk were the only made members caught up in that bust I believe. That's why I'd like to know more about this Danny Gooms guy. Never heard of him. If he is real..I would imagine he was an associate of Merola's like Ragusa is. Florham Park/East Hanover guys etc. Which is where Ragusa is from.

I thought he was a captain or acting captain for a period. Gooms is a real nickname but the name is questionable. I would like to know who this Nino Molinelli is the undercover cop said he was a crew boss and used to be close to John Gotti.

"Jimmy Balls" Beltempo is/was a captain overseeing NJ rackets for the Gambinos according to the Stefanelli transcript.

Yeah but this Nino is described as the John Gotti guy and said to have worked for Gotti. I dont think Beltempo was that close to Gotti was he? The Gotti connection made me think it was Sisca but the timeline doesnt really match.

On Danny Gooms, there is a Daniel Bertelli living in Hillside NJ. I found him through property records but who knows if thats the guy. Fuck this book for having fake and real names makes it confusing. Shouldn't have released it like that. We still dont know who the Augie guy is with the westside either.

I grew up in Hillside NJ lol Hes gotta be the last Italian guy living in HS. Its a shithole like Irvington now. I was the white shadow on the block when I lived there in the 90s.. Never heard of the guy.

Update: You had a typo.. they guy is 45 and lives in Hillsdale NJ NOT Hillside NJ. BIG Difference !!! LMAO And I looked him up further. They guy is a High School Art Teacher. So I doubt he is a Gambino Family Member. lol

Ah I dont know NJ well so thanks for clearing that up lol definitely not the guy.

[johnny_scootch]

Could but he did use fictitious names in the book. Refering to Joseph Merlo as Luca Vitale in the book.


Pogo

Oh really? Weird…

Scott told me that if a guy doesn’t have a criminal record that could be the reason a fake name was used, to avoid any legal trouble.

[Rocco]

Could but he did use fictitious names in the book. Refering to Joseph Merlo as Luca Vitale in the book.


Pogo

Oh really? Weird…

Scott told me that if a guy doesn’t have a criminal record that could be the reason a fake name was used, to avoid any legal trouble.

That makes sense. But im still insure if he is referencing this guy as a made guy or not. Seems Raguso was at the same meeting spot this guy was at. That makes me believe this is Merola's crew of guys. Raguso is close to Andy. Both live in the same town.etc

[Pogo The Clown]

I don't think Carlo Corsentino has a criminal record yet his name appears in the book. It is strange.


Pogo

[Rocco]

I don't think Carlo Corsentino has a criminal record yet his name appears in the book. It is strange.


Pogo

I actually thought it was John Tizio..but he has been busted so many times for bookmaking and loan sharking the last 30yrs. Hes not made . But he is a longtime newark Gambino associate originally with Buddy Musk and Cabert and prior to that Paterno. He was busted for collecting debts with the Merola bust back in 2010. I think he used to be a boxer in his younger days and listed in some OC investigations into boxing in the early 80s.
Good read here: https://www.state.nj.us/sci/pdf/OCBoxing.pdf

[Wiseguy]

I believe Merola and Stefanelli both reported to Capos in NY.

I believe that is correct. At least with Stefanelli.

[Rocco]

I believe Merola and Stefanelli both reported to Capos in NY.

I believe that is correct. At least with Stefanelli.

Merola was listed as an Soldier in the last indictment. I don't see them putting a Capo in NJ... Buddy was made but he died of lung cancer prior to sentencing.

[Wiseguy]

I believe Merola and Stefanelli both reported to Capos in NY.

I believe that is correct. At least with Stefanelli.

Merola was listed as an Soldier in the last indictment. I don't see them putting a Capo in NJ... Buddy was made but he died of lung cancer prior to sentencing.

Agreed

[B.]

They did promote Beltempo to captain but didn't assign Stefanelli to him.

From the Stefanelli tapes breakdown:

The Rise of Jimmy Balls

- Stefanelli says "Jimmy Balls" (Beltempo), who is in his 70s and served 25 years in prison is going to be the new Gambino NJ captain.

- Stefanelli clarifies that while "Jimmy Balls" is going to be the NJ captain, he won't be Stefanelli's captain since he (Stefanelli) "got straightened out in New York".

- Stefanelli says that "Jimmy Balls" is based in "Downtown New York" but is going to be over NJ. After Jimmy was released from prison, Stefanelli says he was straightened out and placed direct with the Gambino administration for a couple of years with the eventual plan to promote him to captain. Licata felt this was "crazy".

Union Activity in NJ

- Later they talk about how some sort of union activity was also placed under Jimmy Balls, which Licata initially asked if it was going to be given to "Tony". It becomes clear that this "Tony" is the Gambino member who was going to help Pete Caprio kill Ligambi take over the Philly family in the earlier failed coup. Licata says Joe Ligambi hates this "Tony".

- The day prior to this dinner, Stefanelli had met with "Jimmy Balls" and also met with someone named Silvio about a dispute between the aforementioned "Tony" and someone called "Nino". He mentions this Silvio "getting in" but it's not clear if he means inducted, in the union, or something else.

- Stefanelli says Andy Merola recommended putting Nick Stefanelli in charge of the carpenter union instead of "Tony". This carpenter union he said belongs to Nicky Corozzo which is why Corozzo crew member Stefanelli was put in charge. A "Marty" was involved with Andy Merola in this union situation, probably Marty Taccetta, and there was a dispute with someone, probably "Tony", who appears as a troublemaker throughout the entire discussion.

- Stefanelli says the Gambino administration gave "Jimmy Balls" control over the NJ union locals because he is the captain. He says "Jimmy Balls" made a lot of money and "helped everybody." However, this as a source of conflict, as the carpenter's union belonged to Corozzo even though it was in Jersey and Stefanelli and the Corozzo crew were fighting to keep the local under their people.

- The Philadelphia family was connected to the aforementioned union business somehow and this "Tony" of the Gambino family was trying to send messages to Philadelphia. Licata told "Tony" he can't reach out to Philadelphia without going through him (Licata) or Fazzini. Licata apparently told Joe Massimino about this. Someone called Romano in NYC was also involved in this issue who was doing business with Massimino.

- Joe Massimino had contact with the Genovese family related to these issues as well. It appears the Romanos are with the Genovese family, including an Anthony Romano. It's not clear what Massimino's involvement was, but Ligambi wanted nothing to do with the people Massimino was doing business with and Massimino resented this. It's clear that the Philadelphia leadership was involved in a bunch of activity involving NJ/NYC figures from different families and this possibly involved union activity.

Note: when it says "later", I meant at a later date. So sometime in between Beltempo was promoted.