Who made Joey merlino?

Post by **Momo** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 3:42 pm

I heard it that he made by Stanfa but I'm not sure about it because I discussed it with users of reddit on r/mafia and they weren't sure about that. I tought maybe you guys could give me some legit information.

Post by **chin_gigante** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 4:30 pm

Made by Stanfa in 1992

Post by **TallGuy19** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:32 pm

John Stanfa inducted Merlino and Michael Ciancaglini to try and ease the tensions between the two factions and bring them into the fold.

Post by **johnny_scootch** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 6:16 pm

TallGuy19 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:32 pm John Stanfa inducted Merlino and Michael Ciancaglini to try and ease the tensions between the two factions and bring them into the fold.

Well that certainly didn't work out the way he planned it.

Post by **HoagieNose** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 6:18 pm

Stanfa made him and then Merlino double crossed him.

Post by **johnny_scootch** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 6:34 pm

While we are talking about this is it true that Mikey Chang was actually the leader of their little group and Joey only took over after Mikey got killed?

Post by **TallGuy19** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 7:10 pm

johnny_scootch wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 6:16 pm
TallGuy19 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 5:32 pm John Stanfa inducted Merlino and Michael Ciancaglini to try and ease the tensions between the two factions and bring them into the fold.
Well that certainly didn't work out the way he planned it.

Obviously not. Joey was mad that a foreigner had taken over "his" city and Stanfa probably thought that making him would be enough to placate him. I'm guessing Stanfa still would have killed them once they let their guard down.

Post by **chubby** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 7:34 pm

Joeys had it in his head that he was gonna be boss since he was like a teenager.. he’s gonna be like the persicos and never step down even if he’s serving life..

Post by **Momo** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:49 pm

I heard it that he made by Stanfa but I'm not sure about it because I discussed it with users of reddit on r/mafia and they weren't sure about that. I tought maybe you guys could give me some legit information.

Post by **chin_gigante** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:43 am

johnny_scootch wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 6:34 pm While we are talking about this is it true that Mikey Chang was actually the leader of their little group and Joey only took over after Mikey got killed?

At the very least they were co-leaders, but I'd still put my money on Ciancaglini being number one. In 1993, Merlino was going around saying he was the underboss and Chang was the boss. John Veasey has said that Mikey was considered the real power in the anti-Stanfa faction.

Post by **Chucky** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:48 am

Made by Stanfa in '91/'92, proposed by Joe Licata.

Post by **dack2001** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:47 am

Stay off Reddit threads. Read the book The Goodfella Tapes. Contains a lot of snippets of the wiretaps during that time that discusses Joey and Mike Chang. Their crew had essentially taken over the South Philly shakes after they blasted Scarfo Junior back to Atlantic City. Stanfa came in and got himself appointed boss but hadn't been a presence in South Philly for 10 years and had few connections left there. When his guys started to muscle in on the Chang/Merlino crew shakedowns andmake their presence known, Little Felix got killed in retaliation. Then Mike Chang got shot at in his home. Stanfa then made Joey and Mike Chang with the idea if they didn't get in-line with the administration it would be easier to kill them. There was a period of relative peace but they didn't want to take orders or turn over money to Stanfa so they went to war.

Post by **CornerBoy** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:55 am

Chucky wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:48 am Made by Stanfa in '91/'92, proposed by Joe Licata.

Scoops proposed Merlino?

Post by **NJShore4Life** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 7:35 am

Scoops is the Forest Gump of the mob here in Jersey, guy has been around forever and involved in a lot shit that went down over the years.....

Post by **stubbs** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:19 pm

dack2001 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 25, 2020 6:47 am Stay off Reddit threads. Read the book The Goodfella Tapes. Contains a lot of snippets of the wiretaps during that time that discusses Joey and Mike Chang. Their crew had essentially taken over the South Philly shakes after they blasted Scarfo Junior back to Atlantic City. Stanfa came in and got himself appointed boss but hadn't been a presence in South Philly for 10 years and had few connections left there. When his guys started to muscle in on the Chang/Merlino crew shakedowns andmake their presence known, Little Felix got killed in retaliation. Then Mike Chang got shot at in his home. Stanfa then made Joey and Mike Chang with the idea if they didn't get in-line with the administration it would be easier to kill them. There was a period of relative peace but they didn't want to take orders or turn over money to Stanfa so they went to war.

100% this. It wasn’t because Stanfa was a foreigner like someone else said. It’s because Stanfa was an unknown, nobody in South Philly really knew him. So why would they trust some nobody?

He was a general with no army behind him. That’s why he had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to make guys like Veasey and the former cop Previtie. Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean people on the street are going to automatically respect you.

At the end of the day, all of Merlino’s guys grew up together and were like 3rd or 4th generation gangsters in South Philly.

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