Mob Talk - 1/25/16

[B.]

We also heard rumors of Ligambi speaking ill of Merlino to Borgesi ~15 years ago, then move forward a decade and we hear that it's Ligambi and Borgesi having problems while Ligambi supports Merlino to NY members on tape.

Pungitore as I said was apparently advocating for Ligambi (and maybe Merlino as well?) while still in prison, then he gets out and is said to be at odds with the new regime.

Joe Ciancaglini has always been said to have supported Michael Chang and Merlino against Joe Chang Jr. and Stanfa, but new reports from Scott say that Ciancaglini Sr. supported Chang Jr. and Stanfa.

Etc.

What's the truth? A big fucking nothing until we hear more. Let's ask Picasso.

Didn't Merlino rob Pungitore's mothers house, highly doubt he'd be loyal to Merlino over Scarfo, I remember people saying a few years ago that it was Pungitore being loyal to Scarfo in prison and beefing someone from the new regime.

From Lou Fazzini's detention memo, which is taken from Scoops Licata's own mouth:

LICATA discussed how Joseph Pungitore and Joseph Grande (Philadelphia LCN Family soldiers convicted in the Scarfo RICO case) began a fight in prison over their divided loyalties. Pungitore claimed loyalty to Joseph Merlino and LIGAMBI, while Grande claimed loyalty to Nicky Scarfo, Sr. LICATA stated that Scarfo, Sr., is never coming home and he is no longer in charge. LICATA noted there has been a change of leadership with Merlino and LIGAMBI now in control of the Philadelphia LCN Family. LICATA stated he will influence Grande away from Scarfo and toward the new leadership structure. LICATA also said he will tell Grande to report to LIGAMBI, and if Grande is scared to do it himself, LICATA will take Grande to see LIGAMBI. FAZZINI stated: “You gotta fall in line with the administration.... You have to understand there’s a new administration."

[brianwellbrock]

The going was good for Grande and Pungitore in the 80's and I guess you can see why hed not want to fall in but thats prison talk. When I was inside all you had was talk. But Im sure when Grande got out he didnt continue that talk, not saying I know Philly LCN but I know how it is to be in jail feeling like youll walk out with a bone to pick but literally the minute you get out you just want to sleep and not start shit. The ones who do end up shelved or killed.

[joeycigars]

Merlino somehow has keep his position and Let Ligambi and Mazzone run the day to day , Merlino isnt as dumb as people thought , This Family is bigger and stronger then all the predictions of most insiders would lead people to believe in the last 15 years , They where wrote off as a street gang and glorified crew by most that would be extinct in a few years , Now they are back at full strength adapting to the new normal in the LCN world , most these guys violate parole and supervised release and go back to the can and still have a bunch of war tested members , THESE GUYS ARE ALL IN not half way ,Some are bat shit crazy nothing to fool with ,
My point is..
Joey Merlno made a smart move by getting Ligambi back in the fold and keeping Mazzone right there too, Merlino has to be recognized as a at least good or decent leader under some of the most treacherous circumstances in a mob family ever , Nicky Scarfo has to be shaking his head and wondering how this happened,When Scarfo JR was shot Merlino started this plan , And now its come home to roost .... Nice Job by keeping this family alive who would have thunk it

[scott22]

just a quick note: I didn't report that Chickie supported Stanfa, I reported, based on a source incredibly close to that particular situation, that Chickie simply didn't endorse Merlino and Mikey Chang going to war against Stanfa at that time, rather he preached peace until Johnny Chang could get out and mediate between the two feuding brothers - basically he knew a war would end up bad for his kids, which it did, and advised against it. That said, he didn't support Stanfa In any way and he wasn't coaching from the sidelines like some have thought. Chuckie Merlino was on the other hand.

Scott

[scott22]

And obviously Ralph Natale was too.

[Lupara]

Merlino isnt as dumb as people thought

Everyhing I've read and seen about him suggest that he's very clever.

[Lupara]

I tend to agree with the B./Toto/Christie faction on this faction talk, but I also get what the Pogo/Wiseguy/Blackstein faction is saying.

[B.]

just a quick note: I didn't report that Chickie supported Stanfa, I reported, based on a source incredibly close to that particular situation, that Chickie simply didn't endorse Merlino and Mikey Chang going to war against Stanfa at that time, rather he preached peace until Johnny Chang could get out and mediate between the two feuding brothers - basically he knew a war would end up bad for his kids, which it did, and advised against it. That said, he didn't support Stanfa In any way and he wasn't coaching from the sidelines like some have thought. Chuckie Merlino was on the other hand.

Scott

Thanks for clearing that up, Scott. I think what you just said is the most likely scenario. I know when Tommy Scafidi talked about the situation he basically implied that Chick Ciancaglini was in a really tough place, not that he was taking sides.

[B.]

Speaking of the Scafidis, Tory Scafidi is one of the Scarfo era guys I'm most interested in hearing about but there isn't much about him in any of the rumors. He was hit with a parole violation, so seems he is at least meeting with members. He and Merlino were very close growing up, but when the Merlinos were shelved Scafidi stuck with Scarfo and got made. Unlike Ligambi and Angelina, Scafidi doesn't seem to have showed loyalty to the Merlinos at the time so I wonder if there are any grudges there. His brother Tommy also stuck close to the Scarfos and apparently helped give Angelina a "forceful reminder" to follow Scarfo.

[Angelo Santino]

I think Merlino always has a plan B, for sure. Maybe he had ulterior motives by trying to make it seem like he was looking to cash in on his past, when in reality he wasn't that interested. And as much as people like to talk about his social media presence putting too much heat on him, isn't it also what normal people do these days in our narcissistic image-obsessed digital world? Sure he's with a bunch of his longtime mob associates in half the photos, but the Philly family has always used the "lifelong friends together on the corner" angle when defending themselves and to some extent it's worked. One person might see Merlino as John Gotti posing with his capos, another person might see your average yuppie with an instagram account.

Anyway, you're very right about the shit talking, the soap opera type shifts in friendships and alliances, all of that constantly changing. To keep the focus on Philly, you can look at Ignazio Denaro and Angelo Bruno. Bruno is Pollina's right hand man, then suddenly he's on his bad side and at risk of being killed, so Denaro stands up for Bruno and the two get Pollina removed from power. Bruno becomes boss, promotes Denaro to underboss because they're best pals, then within a year or two they're not getting along anymore and Denaro loses his standing, but Bruno keeps Denaro in the official underboss position until he dies of natural causes. Then Phil Testa gets the official promotion but slowly he and Bruno's relationship deteriorates according to some sources, yet Testa stays loyal to Bruno until the end and helps avenge his murder. It goes on and on. These are complex, dynamic relationships. And I haven't even mentioned Rugnetta who had his own faction and occasionally butted heads with the rest of the administration despite being a loyal part of the Bruno regime for two decades.

Imagine if Schratweiser was trying to write about Philly in the 1960s?

Good points on all.

Not to shift away from Philly, but one early example I came across is the Bonannos and Morellos had a small beef over one Morello member pulling out a gun because the other Morello member didn't want to drink in his bar. During this shoot out A Bonanno member got pulled into it and he started shooting. So while I previously said that talking shit is not proof of a fued, the fact is many mob disputes occur over childish and petty shit that no one expected. It happened in 1911, it happens today.

And one alliance I find interesting is: after the Corleonesi break up into the Gen and Luc families, after the war with D'Aquila ended in 1924, Morello and Reina went into business together. Kinda odd considering the family split with Morello and his allies in a serious dispute with Palermitan boss D'Aquila, Reina and co. toed D'Aquila's line and, like you said, are the true successors of the Corleonesi family.

[Wiseguy]

Somebody posted this list of properties in Philadelphia owned by the Pungitores -

http://philly.blockshopper.com/search?f ... BPungitore

[Handsome Stevie]

that was me wiseguy, i thought i posted here but guess i didnt.. all i did was google pungitore and real estate and that was one of the top ones. there was more too but not any worth posting so far

[Garbageman]

So a bunch of guys who have known each other all their lives are fixing up houses and that is la cosa nostra? Fkn kidding me, right?

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[Wiseguy]

So a bunch of guys who have known each other all their lives are fixing up houses and that is la cosa nostra? Fkn kidding me, right?

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C'mon we know who and what these guys are. Are they involved in legit things? Yes, the mob always has been. But they're also involved in crime including gambling and murder. And their legit stuff is often funded by dirty money. Let's be real here. Not apologists for career criminals.

[Garbageman]

So a bunch of guys who have known each other all their lives are fixing up houses and that is la cosa nostra? Fkn kidding me, right?

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C'mon we know who and what these guys are. Are they involved in legit things? Yes, the mob always has been. But they're also involved in crime including gambling and murder. And their legit stuff is often funded by dirty money. Let's be real here. Not apologists for career criminals.

I hear ya, wiseguy. But there's none of that in the news video. It's a little pathetic quite honestly.

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