John Pennisi Sighting / Sit Down News

[Angelo Santino]

His latest one has Paul Tanso on, they described him as a "former made member" of Philadelphia so officially, I guess that settles it.

Personally, this whole Merlino-offerred-Luisi-his-own-Family seems so off to me, the only time this ever happened was in the Godfather Film where Tessio and Clemente were promised they could form their own Family. Would the other groups even recognize it or be ok with Merlino franchising the LCN?

And Tanso, I mean, oof. Guys in Philly much harder and more connected than him waited longer to get made I just find it hard to believe but... even the look on Pennisi's face gives away the questions swarming around in his brain about it. And given that Tanso never flipped, what made him "former?" Technically if all this is true, his capo flipped and Tanso left the life to go and live with him. It's a very strange thing.

I think that they are lying about Tanso. I don't believe Tanso was a made men.

I see two possibilities:

1 Merlino actually did promise Luisi his own Family and maybe that's the reason they decided to make 12 members in Boston and only 5-8 in Phila. proper. And if this happened, Merlino made mafia history because this is a first in the LCN's 170 years in this country. Next time I talk to DiLeonardo I'm going to ask him what his take would be if he heard of this back in 1999 and what he thinks the Gambino's reaction would be. I'm going to guess he would say- Phila. can do what they want but that doesn't mean we'd recognize them. But I'm curious as to what he'll say about this. And Pennisi, whose a protocol guy, should be wondering this as well.

2 Luisi was a captain with 3 confirmed soldiers under him and he went around bullshitting people by telling them they were made and Tanso was one of these individuals. And if this is the case, that button isn't worth squat without formal approval and recognition from other groups. This is a very important factor because it's the glue that holds things together and makes the Mafia the Mafia.

Tried to do some digging into Phila.'s Boston crew and the legal documents from 1999 identified 3 soldiers- Paulie Pep, Bobby Gentile and Shawn Vetere. If Luisi said in his debriefing that he had 3 guys under him and then 20 years later on a podcast says 12, I'm going with 3.

I really like Pennisi and La Vecchia, my opinion is they have the best podcast, surpassing Gravano/Franzese/Calandra/Alite. This isn't a knock on the latter, I just have no interest in what they generally talk about: Gravano and JFK, Franzese and his mob movie reviews, Alite and his "for the kids" shit." Pennisi flipped within the last ten years and La Vecchia is a helluva mafia expert for podcast standards. I think they are reluctant to make enemies by calling out people who come on their podcast and I get that.

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

[MaccaLCN]

His latest one has Paul Tanso on, they described him as a "former made member" of Philadelphia so officially, I guess that settles it.

Personally, this whole Merlino-offerred-Luisi-his-own-Family seems so off to me, the only time this ever happened was in the Godfather Film where Tessio and Clemente were promised they could form their own Family. Would the other groups even recognize it or be ok with Merlino franchising the LCN?

And Tanso, I mean, oof. Guys in Philly much harder and more connected than him waited longer to get made I just find it hard to believe but... even the look on Pennisi's face gives away the questions swarming around in his brain about it. And given that Tanso never flipped, what made him "former?" Technically if all this is true, his capo flipped and Tanso left the life to go and live with him. It's a very strange thing.

I think that they are lying about Tanso. I don't believe Tanso was a made men.

I see two possibilities:

1 Merlino actually did promise Luisi his own Family and maybe that's the reason they decided to make 12 members in Boston and only 5-8 in Phila. proper. And if this happened, Merlino made mafia history because this is a first in the LCN's 170 years in this country. Next time I talk to DiLeonardo I'm going to ask him what his take would be if he heard of this back in 1999 and what he thinks the Gambino's reaction would be. I'm going to guess he would say- Phila. can do what they want but that doesn't mean we'd recognize them. But I'm curious as to what he'll say about this. And Pennisi, whose a protocol guy, should be wondering this as well.

2 Luisi was a captain with 3 confirmed soldiers under him and he went around bullshitting people by telling them they were made and Tanso was one of these individuals. And if this is the case, that button isn't worth squat without formal approval and recognition from other groups. This is a very important factor because it's the glue that holds things together and makes the Mafia the Mafia.

Tried to do some digging into Phila.'s Boston crew and the legal documents from 1999 identified 3 soldiers- Paulie Pep, Bobby Gentile and Shawn Vetere. If Luisi said in his debriefing that he had 3 guys under him and then 20 years later on a podcast says 12, I'm going with 3.

I really like Pennisi and La Vecchia, my opinion is they have the best podcast, surpassing Gravano/Franzese/Calandra/Alite. This isn't a knock on the latter, I just have no interest in what they generally talk about: Gravano and JFK, Franzese and his mob movie reviews, Alite and his "for the kids" shit." Pennisi flipped within the last ten years and La Vecchia is a helluva mafia expert for podcast standards. I think they are reluctant to make enemies by calling out people who come on their podcast and I get that.

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

Completely agree with everything you’re saying mate.
Luisi certainly has an interesting story but if he was to make someone under him, he essentially can’t pass his name around in the local area as there aren’t other families (Patriarca but they didn’t get on right?) so they certainly wouldn’t be recognised as a friend anywhere.
Totally agree with what you’re saying about all the other podcasts & shows. Some of them are terrible and they don’t have any structure to them whatsoever. Alite just mumbles on about people randomly. It’s a shame because he does have a good story to tell. Just doesn’t know how to share it. Tom Lavecchia is brilliant at what he does because he knows what questions to ask and knows exactly how to open John up. They’re podcast will be the biggest one soon, I’m sure of it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[B.]

Agreed on LaVecchia. He doesn't have the knowledge people have on here and I'm not into the "here's how the mafia is like a corporation" schtick, but he knows much more than the average interviewer and he is able to give Pennisi good prompts.

A lot of mafia interviews come across like Tony Soprano golfing with the doctors, who just ask him about John Gotti and the Galante hit ("How old do you think I am?"). If one of us was golfing with Tony Soprano, we'd be asking, "Who was the boss before DiMeo? What year did Uncle Junior get made?", etc.

LaVecchia has done a great job getting all kinds of details out of Pennisi we'd never get from the typical interview where they ask questions that can be answered on Google. Credit to both of them for making an interesting show.

[Nick Prango]

Pennisi’s stuff is the best insight of modern day LCN.

[Nick Prango]

His latest one has Paul Tanso on, they described him as a "former made member" of Philadelphia so officially, I guess that settles it.

Personally, this whole Merlino-offerred-Luisi-his-own-Family seems so off to me, the only time this ever happened was in the Godfather Film where Tessio and Clemente were promised they could form their own Family. Would the other groups even recognize it or be ok with Merlino franchising the LCN?

And Tanso, I mean, oof. Guys in Philly much harder and more connected than him waited longer to get made I just find it hard to believe but... even the look on Pennisi's face gives away the questions swarming around in his brain about it. And given that Tanso never flipped, what made him "former?" Technically if all this is true, his capo flipped and Tanso left the life to go and live with him. It's a very strange thing.

I think that they are lying about Tanso. I don't believe Tanso was a made men.

I see two possibilities:

1 Merlino actually did promise Luisi his own Family and maybe that's the reason they decided to make 12 members in Boston and only 5-8 in Phila. proper. And if this happened, Merlino made mafia history because this is a first in the LCN's 170 years in this country. Next time I talk to DiLeonardo I'm going to ask him what his take would be if he heard of this back in 1999 and what he thinks the Gambino's reaction would be. I'm going to guess he would say- Phila. can do what they want but that doesn't mean we'd recognize them. But I'm curious as to what he'll say about this. And Pennisi, whose a protocol guy, should be wondering this as well.

2 Luisi was a captain with 3 confirmed soldiers under him and he went around bullshitting people by telling them they were made and Tanso was one of these individuals. And if this is the case, that button isn't worth squat without formal approval and recognition from other groups. This is a very important factor because it's the glue that holds things together and makes the Mafia the Mafia.

Tried to do some digging into Phila.'s Boston crew and the legal documents from 1999 identified 3 soldiers- Paulie Pep, Bobby Gentile and Shawn Vetere. If Luisi said in his debriefing that he had 3 guys under him and then 20 years later on a podcast says 12, I'm going with 3.

I really like Pennisi and La Vecchia, my opinion is they have the best podcast, surpassing Gravano/Franzese/Calandra/Alite. This isn't a knock on the latter, I just have no interest in what they generally talk about: Gravano and JFK, Franzese and his mob movie reviews, Alite and his "for the kids" shit." Pennisi flipped within the last ten years and La Vecchia is a helluva mafia expert for podcast standards. I think they are reluctant to make enemies by calling out people who come on their podcast and I get that.

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

I agree with you. Pennisi’s stuff is the best insight of modern day LCN. I watch all of these guys ex LCN made men and associates on youtube. From Salvatore Gravano to Jimmy Calandra. Gravano's videos are becoming ridiculous. Franzese is boring. Alite is literally unwatchable.

[Ryan98366]

I’m back at the same Popeye’s Chicken in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The fat black manager is here. I asked her where where the older “New York guy” was at. She said his name was Jim Levine and he quit and no longer works there. He just quit one day.

We are on your ass Pennisi. Woman beater! We will find you.

[elasticman]

His latest one has Paul Tanso on, they described him as a "former made member" of Philadelphia so officially, I guess that settles it.

Personally, this whole Merlino-offerred-Luisi-his-own-Family seems so off to me, the only time this ever happened was in the Godfather Film where Tessio and Clemente were promised they could form their own Family. Would the other groups even recognize it or be ok with Merlino franchising the LCN?

And Tanso, I mean, oof. Guys in Philly much harder and more connected than him waited longer to get made I just find it hard to believe but... even the look on Pennisi's face gives away the questions swarming around in his brain about it. And given that Tanso never flipped, what made him "former?" Technically if all this is true, his capo flipped and Tanso left the life to go and live with him. It's a very strange thing.

I think that they are lying about Tanso. I don't believe Tanso was a made men.

I see two possibilities:

1 Merlino actually did promise Luisi his own Family and maybe that's the reason they decided to make 12 members in Boston and only 5-8 in Phila. proper. And if this happened, Merlino made mafia history because this is a first in the LCN's 170 years in this country. Next time I talk to DiLeonardo I'm going to ask him what his take would be if he heard of this back in 1999 and what he thinks the Gambino's reaction would be. I'm going to guess he would say- Phila. can do what they want but that doesn't mean we'd recognize them. But I'm curious as to what he'll say about this. And Pennisi, whose a protocol guy, should be wondering this as well.

2 Luisi was a captain with 3 confirmed soldiers under him and he went around bullshitting people by telling them they were made and Tanso was one of these individuals. And if this is the case, that button isn't worth squat without formal approval and recognition from other groups. This is a very important factor because it's the glue that holds things together and makes the Mafia the Mafia.

Tried to do some digging into Phila.'s Boston crew and the legal documents from 1999 identified 3 soldiers- Paulie Pep, Bobby Gentile and Shawn Vetere. If Luisi said in his debriefing that he had 3 guys under him and then 20 years later on a podcast says 12, I'm going with 3.

I really like Pennisi and La Vecchia, my opinion is they have the best podcast, surpassing Gravano/Franzese/Calandra/Alite. This isn't a knock on the latter, I just have no interest in what they generally talk about: Gravano and JFK, Franzese and his mob movie reviews, Alite and his "for the kids" shit." Pennisi flipped within the last ten years and La Vecchia is a helluva mafia expert for podcast standards. I think they are reluctant to make enemies by calling out people who come on their podcast and I get that.

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

I agree with you. Pennisi’s stuff is the best insight of modern day LCN. I watch all of these guys ex LCN made men and associates on youtube. From Salvatore Gravano to Jimmy Calandra. Gravano's videos are becoming ridiculous. Franzese is boring. Alite is literally unwatchable.

As has been discussed, Gravano is at the point of running out of stories and heavily embellishing things/making things up.

[Angelo Santino]

His latest one has Paul Tanso on, they described him as a "former made member" of Philadelphia so officially, I guess that settles it.

Personally, this whole Merlino-offerred-Luisi-his-own-Family seems so off to me, the only time this ever happened was in the Godfather Film where Tessio and Clemente were promised they could form their own Family. Would the other groups even recognize it or be ok with Merlino franchising the LCN?

And Tanso, I mean, oof. Guys in Philly much harder and more connected than him waited longer to get made I just find it hard to believe but... even the look on Pennisi's face gives away the questions swarming around in his brain about it. And given that Tanso never flipped, what made him "former?" Technically if all this is true, his capo flipped and Tanso left the life to go and live with him. It's a very strange thing.

I think that they are lying about Tanso. I don't believe Tanso was a made men.

I see two possibilities:

1 Merlino actually did promise Luisi his own Family and maybe that's the reason they decided to make 12 members in Boston and only 5-8 in Phila. proper. And if this happened, Merlino made mafia history because this is a first in the LCN's 170 years in this country. Next time I talk to DiLeonardo I'm going to ask him what his take would be if he heard of this back in 1999 and what he thinks the Gambino's reaction would be. I'm going to guess he would say- Phila. can do what they want but that doesn't mean we'd recognize them. But I'm curious as to what he'll say about this. And Pennisi, whose a protocol guy, should be wondering this as well.

2 Luisi was a captain with 3 confirmed soldiers under him and he went around bullshitting people by telling them they were made and Tanso was one of these individuals. And if this is the case, that button isn't worth squat without formal approval and recognition from other groups. This is a very important factor because it's the glue that holds things together and makes the Mafia the Mafia.

Tried to do some digging into Phila.'s Boston crew and the legal documents from 1999 identified 3 soldiers- Paulie Pep, Bobby Gentile and Shawn Vetere. If Luisi said in his debriefing that he had 3 guys under him and then 20 years later on a podcast says 12, I'm going with 3.

I really like Pennisi and La Vecchia, my opinion is they have the best podcast, surpassing Gravano/Franzese/Calandra/Alite. This isn't a knock on the latter, I just have no interest in what they generally talk about: Gravano and JFK, Franzese and his mob movie reviews, Alite and his "for the kids" shit." Pennisi flipped within the last ten years and La Vecchia is a helluva mafia expert for podcast standards. I think they are reluctant to make enemies by calling out people who come on their podcast and I get that.

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

I agree with you. Pennisi’s stuff is the best insight of modern day LCN. I watch all of these guys ex LCN made men and associates on youtube. From Salvatore Gravano to Jimmy Calandra. Gravano's videos are becoming ridiculous. Franzese is boring. Alite is literally unwatchable.

As has been discussed, Gravano is at the point of running out of stories and heavily embellishing things/making things up.

Not going into details, but the wife of "someone" made me laugh when she said he looks like Freddy Krueger. For an outsider like me, it was interesting to hear her talk about "Karen" on a first name basis asking how she could stay with him after it came out he murdered her brother.

[Tonyd621]

Just don't criticize Pennisi. He can't handle it.

[chin_gigante]

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

Somewhat related to that last comment, this is from the newest Mob Talk Sitdown GA and DS put up today.

GA: Once [Merlino] comes off [supervised release] there's a rumour circulating he's gonna become part of the blogosphere or whatever, he's gonna get involved in something.
DS: Yeah, very prominent site, in fact. We won't talk about it because we have not had anything confirmed, but the rumours are after he's off supervised release he's gonna do something with them.
GA: You know and I think, you know, one: I'll be surprised if he does it because it's contrary to his nature to do something on a regular basis, "look at me", that kind of stuff.
DS: Yeah.
GA: On the other hand, I think he sits there and sees other guys doing it and supposedly making money.
DS: Mm-hm.
GA: Talking about a guy like Gravano, like Franzese, like John Alite, and Joey's sitting there saying, you know, "I got as much to say as they."
DS: Yeah.
GA: We'll see. I mean, it would be difficult for me to see Joey being as frank and open as those guys are. I don't think it's his nature.
DS: Yeah, and the transition from being super quiet the last 12 months to going onto a blog or a podcast or whatever is a complete change for Joey but -
GA: It would get a following.
DS: Yes, he will.
GA: It will get a following if that happens. So, that's something to watch. But again, that's not gonna happen until after he gets off supervised release, and given his character, his whole nature, it's kind of contrary to what he's always been. We'll see.

[Pmac2]

Joey starts talking on youtube he'll probaly talk himself rite into another federal indictment. There never gonna be done with him. I think its bullshit anyway. That guy is a lcn lifer

[Chopper]

The guy is a sitting boss.

[BobbyPazzo]

Can’t see him destroying his legacy like that. Say what you want, he’s the real deal. He’s ducked major indictments, took the time he did get , and still has the power to this day. How many guys can say that? He’s got a group of guys that would follow him into hell. That doesn’t exist anymore outside of philly

[Angelo Santino]

Maybe one day La Vecchia/Pennisi can get Merlino on the podcast and they can ask him. Who knows where we'll be in five years with this stuff.

Somewhat related to that last comment, this is from the newest Mob Talk Sitdown GA and DS put up today.

GA: Once [Merlino] comes off [supervised release] there's a rumour circulating he's gonna become part of the blogosphere or whatever, he's gonna get involved in something.
DS: Yeah, very prominent site, in fact. We won't talk about it because we have not had anything confirmed, but the rumours are after he's off supervised release he's gonna do something with them.
GA: You know and I think, you know, one: I'll be surprised if he does it because it's contrary to his nature to do something on a regular basis, "look at me", that kind of stuff.
DS: Yeah.
GA: On the other hand, I think he sits there and sees other guys doing it and supposedly making money.
DS: Mm-hm.
GA: Talking about a guy like Gravano, like Franzese, like John Alite, and Joey's sitting there saying, you know, "I got as much to say as they."
DS: Yeah.
GA: We'll see. I mean, it would be difficult for me to see Joey being as frank and open as those guys are. I don't think it's his nature.
DS: Yeah, and the transition from being super quiet the last 12 months to going onto a blog or a podcast or whatever is a complete change for Joey but -
GA: It would get a following.
DS: Yes, he will.
GA: It will get a following if that happens. So, that's something to watch. But again, that's not gonna happen until after he gets off supervised release, and given his character, his whole nature, it's kind of contrary to what he's always been. We'll see.

When he got out of prison the first time he was trying to float the idea of a movie or book deal, which led me to believe that he was retired. He keeps things interesting, I'll give him that.

[B.]

We've seen where Gigante's crazy act and Carneglia's "beard defense" didn't work in court, but maybe the new angle is going to be "I can't be a mob boss -- I have a blog and a podcast."