Philly mob and money

[Teddy Persico]

Bruno and Scarfo controlled the casinos and the syndacates in Atlantic City plus in the 1980s the family was so strong to impose a street tax and with the K&A gang Philly becomed the meth capital of USA and Leonetti said that Scarfo had 3 milions hidden in a wall that was only his part from the street tax.
Ligambi rebuilted the family after a decade of war and made new blood but the family didn't control anymore the unions and had a little presence in drug traffick,after said that for sure the Philly was more active in the traditional LCN rackets but with 20-30 active members I doubt Ligambi made more than 2 or 3 milions during his street boss reign.

$2-3 million over 10+ years seems like a gross underestimate. The family was raking in that kind of money per year just from Joker Poker machines before the 2011 bust. Add his loan shark earnings and whatever he was getting from the kick up and you got a big haul.

[furiofromnaples]

Bruno and Scarfo controlled the casinos and the syndacates in Atlantic City plus in the 1980s the family was so strong to impose a street tax and with the K&A gang Philly becomed the meth capital of USA and Leonetti said that Scarfo had 3 milions hidden in a wall that was only his part from the street tax.
Ligambi rebuilted the family after a decade of war and made new blood but the family didn't control anymore the unions and had a little presence in drug traffick,after said that for sure the Philly was more active in the traditional LCN rackets but with 20-30 active members I doubt Ligambi made more than 2 or 3 milions during his street boss reign.

$2-3 million over 10+ years seems like a gross underestimate. The family was raking in that kind of money per year just from Joker Poker machines before the 2011 bust. Add his loan shark earnings and whatever he was getting from the kick up and you got a big haul.

Yes but when Ligambi took the reins in 1999 the family was a mess,Merlino had debts with many independent bookies that refused to repay plus the family had a feud with the 10th and O gang.I read the 2011 article where is write that was seized 80 poker machines and that the mob earned 1 milion a year.Maybe 2-3 milions in in almost 20 years are few but for sure I think can't be over 10 milions.

[NJShore4Life]

I am sure they have been preoccupied the last few days with the Christopher Columbus statue being taken down from Marconi Plaza, the guys actually have a clubhouse right there steps from the statue. Nothing makes sense in this world anymore, I swear.....

[JeremyTheJew]

I am sure they have been preoccupied the last few days with the Christopher Columbus statue being taken down from Marconi Plaza, the guys actually have a clubhouse right there steps from the statue. Nothing makes sense in this world anymore, I swear.....

Ya but u can see that one coming... They have been protesting against colombus and calling him terrorist and bla bla bla for a while now. But that is surprising that they did it in South Philly.
Is south Philly mostly Italian still??

[stubbs]

So... Basically as a mid to low level soldier in Philly ur not making 75g a year...

Just seems so low for the amount of risk andaw scrutiny they get...
I know and understand that thrill of the life and all.... But damn.

If you grew up in a blue collar household, where $50k a year is a decent paycheck, the ability to make extra money on the streets to increase your income has a huge appeal.

But nowadays, making six figures illegally, even a $1-2 million, doesn’t seem like that much money for the headaches the life brings. I mean, how much money is worth the risk of doing a twenty year bid under RICO? At least with gambling and bookmaking rackets, the guys usually get 5 years or less.. or even probation.

For the past few decades, it’s been too easy to go to college and get a decent paying job live a solid middle class lifestyle. Not to mention skipping college and learning a trade and making six figures barely out of high school.

That’s one of the biggest reasons the mob has died out, the risk vs reward ratio isnt worth it for so many people. Then the only guys left to recruit from either have drug problems or behavioral issues.

[stubbs]

I am sure they have been preoccupied the last few days with the Christopher Columbus statue being taken down from Marconi Plaza, the guys actually have a clubhouse right there steps from the statue. Nothing makes sense in this world anymore, I swear.....

I never like a Columbus. *spits* cuz he was a from the North.

https://youtu.be/cbbMIg-Aw8E

[StandUpGuy]

I am sure they have been preoccupied the last few days with the Christopher Columbus statue being taken down from Marconi Plaza, the guys actually have a clubhouse right there steps from the statue. Nothing makes sense in this world anymore, I swear.....

It hasnt been removed, just covered. People have been protecting it from antifa and leftist scum.

[SonnyBlackstein]

In February, George Anastasia was on the Philly Prime Podcast and estimated that there were four or five captains and about a dozen active soldiers.

Talk about too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

If they’ve only got 10-12 active soldiers they’re basically defunct.

I highly doubt those numbers. Either the number of Capo’s is way off (if 10-12 active soldiers correct then you’re looking at 1-2 crews. 3 at an absolute stretch) or the number of Capos is correct (and the estimate for the soldiers is off by about a factor of three).

5/6 Capos and 10-12 soldiers = no compute.

[Pogo The Clown]

The numbers are comparable to the number of Capos and active Soldeirs they had during the Stanfa and Natale eras. In the post Scarfo era the Philly Crews were very small with Capos only having 1-3 active soldiers and some not having any (like Previte and Borgesi).


Pogo

[Fughedaboutit]

The numbers are comparable to the number of Capos and active Soldeirs they had during the Stanfa and Natale eras. In the post Scarfo era the Philly Crews were very small with Capos only having 1-3 active soldiers and some not having any (like Previte and Borgesi).


Pogo

Never understood the captain without a crew thing. If there is nothing to direct what is the point? Status I guess, just to call him a capo.

Or I am guessing they had a crew of associates just no made guys.

[Wiseguy]

In February, George Anastasia was on the Philly Prime Podcast and estimated that there were four or five captains and about a dozen active soldiers.

Talk about too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

If they’ve only got 10-12 active soldiers they’re basically defunct.

I highly doubt those numbers. Either the number of Capo’s is way off (if 10-12 active soldiers correct then you’re looking at 1-2 crews. 3 at an absolute stretch) or the number of Capos is correct (and the estimate for the soldiers is off by about a factor of three).

5/6 Capos and 10-12 soldiers = no compute.

It's a fluid thing anyway. Back in the early 2000s, the family was down to about a dozen active members for a while. Simply due to indictments and what not.

[chin_gigante]

Anaatasia estimated it was about 3 or 4 soldiers under each captain now

[chin_gigante]

On the subject of the family being top-heavy, it is in keeping with the trajectory we’ve seen with the Merlino regime over the years. At the start of the Natale era, you had Mazzone as captain in Philadelphia, Previte as captain in South Jersey (with no soldiers under him) and the North Jersey crew. Borgesi presumably took over as captain when Mazzone was promoted to consigliere (I can’t say so with certainty but I haven’t seen anything to suggest otherwise) and then you had the brief existence of the Boston crew after Natale was locked up.

Since then, however, the family has been increasingly top-heavy. For example, you can look at the 2004 NJSCI estimate that the family had about 10 active members on the street (this likely did not take into account the initiation ceremony that took place after Long John Martorano’s murder). That included Ligambi and Massimino (but not Curro, as he had recently died) and we know that Mike Lancellotti and Gaeton Lucibello were captains at that time, plus, you had Joseph Licata in North Jersey. So, out of that 10-member estimate, about 5 of them (one can reasonably assume) were active soldiers.

Then, at the time of the 2011 indictments, you had five captains: Martin Angelina, George Borgesi (running his crew, with no soldiers, from prison), Michael Lancellotti, Joseph Licata (North Jersey), and Anthony Staino (South Jersey). So, four or five captains now wouldn’t be unreasonable, given the relative lack of disruption since the Ligambi RICO case.

***

I’m gonna break down the ‘four or five captains and about a dozen soldiers’ line a little more. This excludes anyone who appears to clearly be inactive (i.e., Joey Ciancaglini Jr, Gino Tripodi, Dom Rugnetta), anyone who is incarcerated (Joseph Servidio, Sam Piccolo, etc.), and the members who were only recently released or are still in half-way houses (Anthony Staino, Damion Canalichio).

Michael Lancellotti, 57:
Street boss. Recently been ill again so that perhaps has impacted his role in running what’s left of the family.

Dominic Grande, 40:
Captain. Attended the 2014 party in New York with Merlino and Lancellotti. Most likely took over Lancellotti’s crew. Had Sam Piccolo and Anthony Persiano under him.

Joseph Licata, 78:
Captain. Reportedly still running the North Jersey crew.

Martin Angelina, 58:
Former acting underboss. Identified as a captain when he was sentenced in the big Ligambi case. Released from prison 2015. Referred to since then as a captain.

George Borgesi, 56:
Either ‘off the totem pole’ or, at the other end of the spectrum, helping to run the family. Identified quite explicitly as a current captain in recent Mob Talk Sitdown articles.

Steven Mazzone, 56:
Possible administration member. Consigliere as of 2010. Ran the family as street boss after Ligambi got arrested. Sometimes referred to as the underboss. Reputedly taken a step back in recent years.

John Ciancaglini, 64:
Possible captain. Identified as such by LE in 2014. Helped Mazzone run the family. Reputedly taken a step back in recent years.

Vincent Centorino, 89:
North Jersey crew. Attended the 2009 Christmas party. Could be inactive due to his age.

Martin Curro, 71:
Younger brother of former consigliere Joe Curro. Identified as a member on the 2009 Philadelphia PD chart. Attended the 2009 Christmas party. We don’t have a picture of him so it’s possible he’s in some recent Mob Talk footage or photographs and we just couldn’t identify him.

Eric Esposito, 49:
Released from prison in 2017. Likely a member of Grande’s crew if Grande took over from Lancellotti.

Louis Fazzini, 53:
North Jersey crew. Released from prison in 2015. Identified in a 2018 NJSCI report on corrupt commerce, having been on the payroll of a crooked scrap metal dealer as recently as 2017.

Vincent Filipelli, 67:
Reported to Anthony Staino in the early 2000s. Filmed hanging out recently at the social club with Borgesi, Faffy Iannarella and others.

Joseph Grande, 60:
Possibly in Dominic Grande’s crew. Took Lancellotti with him to meet with Nicky Scarfo Jr’s people when he got out, so that could indicate that Lancellotti was his captain. If Dom Grande took over Lancellotti’s crew then he could have his uncle under him. The Grandes went to court together to see Sam Piccolo’s sentencing.

Francis Iannarella, 73:
Observed hanging out with the guys since he got off supervised release.

Gaeton Lucibello, 67:
Violated his parole by meeting with Sonny Mazzone. Out of prison since 2018.

Salvatore Mazzone, 55:
Made after his brother got off supervised release.

Nicholas Olivieri, 73:
North Jersey crew. Identified in a 2018 NJSCI report on corrupt commerce, having been on the payroll of a crooked scrap metal dealer as recently as 2017. I thought it was odd that Olivieri was included on the 2009 Philadelphia PD chart when the rest of the North Jersey crew wasn’t. I thought perhaps Olivieri was reporting to another crew, especially after he did not go to the 2009 Christmas party with Licata, Centorino and Fazzini. However, I think the more likely reason is that Olivieri lives in Ocean County, so perhaps geography is why Philadelphia PD grouped him in with the members from Philadelphia and South Jersey.

The five made in 2015:
Likely all still active. Scott Burnstein wrote that some of them were proposed by Borgesi. Given that Anthony Borgesi and the Salvo brothers are frequently mentioned as potential members that’s a strong possibility. If Borgesi is a captain, they would most likely be reporting to him. In the Stefanelli transcripts Licata talked about possibly wanting to induct Vito Malgeri so there is a chance he or someone else from North Jersey was part of the 2015 initiation ceremony.

Others:
Joe Ligambi is allegedly retired or a possible contender for consigliere. Anastasia described Chickie Ciancaglini as a ‘dual consigliere’ with Ligambi in 2015 but there’s been no word since then (and he’s in his mid-80s so he could very well be retired). The Pungitore brothers appear to be keeping to themselves. Phil Narducci appears to be keeping to himself. Tory Scafidi lives in Florida according to the White Pages. Nick Milano was listed as inactive on the 2009 Philadelphia PD chart. Shawn Vetere was filmed hanging out in South Philly by Mob Talk. We haven’t heard anything else on any of the other Boston guys since the 1990s.

Possible members:
Phil Ligambi was inaccurately identified by Kitty Caparella as consigliere in 1999. I haven’t found anything else identifying him as a member and he wasn’t on the 2009 Philadelphia PD chart. One article from I think 2013 wrote that Michael Orlando had identified Albert Lancellotti as a member. I haven’t personally listened to the court recording from this date but I have listened to of Orlando’s testimony from earlier in the trial in which he talked about the Lancellotti’s and only identified Michael as a member (so it’s possible the writer confused Albert for his uncle). It also seems to be the consensus that if Albert was made he would have been inducted, at the earliest, in the ceremony that took place after Long John Martorano’s murder. However, Orlando was off the street by then and cooperating with the government so how could he attest to Albert being made?

Summing up

So, being generous, that’s five captains (with Ciancaglini reputedly less active than the rest and some doubt about Borgesi) and about 15 active soldiers, including the North Jersey crew. Not far off at all from the four or five captains and about a dozen soldiers estimate.

[Cheech]

Missing Dame I think

[Mikeymike12]

Ligambi I think pulled in more money in a year than Stanfa did... agreee?