Joe Massino Dead

[NYNighthawk]

Guys - come'on - the family cut ties with him. you beleive that then Ihave a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
SOmething smells and theybrought him back to NY for rehab in September and the family is all there for him?
And Karen and gerald Gravano are all walking aorund NY and NJ with no issues?
Something smlles and it not like a rose!

[Mikeymike12]

Did Massino really think Gotti and Sal were going to kill Him ??? Why would John want to do that??? He basically had Massino’s ear and control. John was the one trying to put the Bonanno’s back on the Commission so he had one more vote with Massino there.Doesnt make sense to me .... Any thoughts ?

Where did u year Gotti wanted to kill him??

and sal Vitale was more worried about himself getting killed then killing massino

It came out in Vinny B. Trial Massino testified. “If John was in the street, I believe him and my brother-in-law would have killed me.”

[AnIrishGuy]

There is no doubt Merlino is the real deal but a Cosa Nostra boss doesn’t belong on tv or the Internet or social media at least not willingly. It’s an insult to his position and all the men he represents. By Cosa Nostra standards this is a dark blemish on a long and storied career and some guys won’t care but plenty others will.

Just the age we live in I think. You can be the 'real deal' and also a lunatic on a podcast.

If the opportunity had been there for Gotti (to take an example using a similar personality to Joey) in his heyday to put out some media in a format where he 100% controlled the content I could easily see him doing it - as opposed to a tv / radio interview where he'd be asked awkward questions and couldn't control the narrative.

Personally I think it cheapens him a bit and at his age he should be doing something else with his time. But I guess even bona fide gangsters aren't immune to the nonsense of social media.

Does he think it distances him from accusations that he's number one in Philly?

[dack2001]

Joey's eye is down the road to the next indictment. You can't stand all day on the street corner anymore and drive a Benz. You have to work and what better argument in front of a jury than arguing "would a sitting mob boss have a podcast"?

Towards the end of his life, Wyatt Earp refereed a famous boxing match between Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey. Took tremendous heat for it. Was he any less a killer? Any less a lawman? Times change, you have to try and stay ahead of them to survive a dying world like OC.

[dreww]

Was looking forward to hearing from Massino at some point. It's ironic that Merlino is trash talking Massino while talking on a podcast.

Pretty sure Merlino stood up to a murder wrap. Podcast or not Merlino is a stand up guy and more than deserves the right to talk shit on a sitting boss who flipped.

By all accounts, Merlino is respected by his peers. But a mob boss on a podcast? I don't care if he's talking about football or his mother's favorite pasta dish. Can you imagine what the New York guys are saying about this? And Merlino is in his 60's, that's still part of the old-school generation that practices what we all know about Cosa Nostra. It's a secret society. Joey might as well go on the Joe Rogan podcast.

I see your point, and it's a good point but I don't think it's so straight forward. There's all kind of theories (front to make him look legit, etc.) but it is a totally different time and maybe he is legit. We just assume he's an LCN boss.

[dreww]

Joey's eye is down the road to the next indictment. You can't stand all day on the street corner anymore and drive a Benz. You have to work and what better argument in front of a jury than arguing "would a sitting mob boss have a podcast"?

Towards the end of his life, Wyatt Earp refereed a famous boxing match between Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey. Took tremendous heat for it. Was he any less a killer? Any less a lawman? Times change, you have to try and stay ahead of them to survive a dying world like OC.

This 100%

[johnny_scootch]

Joey's eye is down the road to the next indictment. You can't stand all day on the street corner anymore and drive a Benz. You have to work and what better argument in front of a jury than arguing "would a sitting mob boss have a podcast"?

When that next trial comes around and the prosecution is presenting evidence that he is in fact the boss of Philadelphia and has been for many years him saying hey I’m on a podcast isn’t going to negate any of that. That fact of the matter is Joey dances to his own tune and always has. He went to war with a boss before he was even made, he made a guy then made him a boss immediately after, he made guys in another state on another families turf for money and now he’s on a fucking podcast! He just doesn’t give a fuck and nobody has the balls to stop him so he’ll keep doing whatever he likes until he ends up dead or in jail for life.

[dack2001]

Look at Eddie Jacobs previous defenses. Look at the defense rolled out during Ligambi's trial and again at Joey's trial in New York. The public has a perception of OC and the government gets funding based on fueling of the perception as this monolithic criminal organization. RICO is five years for the conspiracy. Gotti and others have proven that you can withdraw, you can move on with your life. Don't fool yourself, the fact that Joey has a podcast will be a big piece of evidence to say he's not involved, he's moved on etc.

[Uncle Pete]

Look at Eddie Jacobs previous defenses. Look at the defense rolled out during Ligambi's trial and again at Joey's trial in New York. The public has a perception of OC and the government gets funding based on fueling of the perception as this monolithic criminal organization. RICO is five years for the conspiracy. Gotti and others have proven that you can withdraw, you can move on with your life. Don't fool yourself, the fact that Joey has a podcast will be a big piece of evidence to say he's not involved, he's moved on etc.

This is a good point, I had forgotten about the 5 year thing for RICO. I think that may be Joey’s defense angle should he get jammed up in the future.

[Wiseguy]

Look at Eddie Jacobs previous defenses. Look at the defense rolled out during Ligambi's trial and again at Joey's trial in New York. The public has a perception of OC and the government gets funding based on fueling of the perception as this monolithic criminal organization. RICO is five years for the conspiracy. Gotti and others have proven that you can withdraw, you can move on with your life. Don't fool yourself, the fact that Joey has a podcast will be a big piece of evidence to say he's not involved, he's moved on etc.

Gotti Jr was shelved, so he didn't have much of a choice. Merlino is a different story and was at least involved up to his last indictment in 2016. And as long as money is going to him, if that's still the case, he's involved.

[peteyboxcars]

Was looking forward to hearing from Massino at some point. It's ironic that Merlino is trash talking Massino while talking on a podcast.

Pretty sure Merlino stood up to a murder wrap. Podcast or not Merlino is a stand up guy and more than deserves the right to talk shit on a sitting boss who flipped.

By all accounts, Merlino is respected by his peers. But a mob boss on a podcast? I don't care if he's talking about football or his mother's favorite pasta dish. Can you imagine what the New York guys are saying about this? And Merlino is in his 60's, that's still part of the old-school generation that practices what we all know about Cosa Nostra. It's a secret society. Joey might as well go on the Joe Rogan podcast.

Joey being on a podcast wont end well for him with the feds or prob some street guys as well. Nicodemo is doing 25 to life and Merlino is on a podcast. Hmm.

[SonnyBlackstein]

OG report.
Burnstein, so take what you will.
Massino lived in south side of Cleveland, go to Casino, eat at a steakhouse, live in a retirement residence and drove a Caddy.
Was actually made/ID'd in Cleveland and this guy stalked him.

Take what you will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuX1_JZZ-Y8

[NorthBuffalo]

Seems odd the FBI would relocate someone to a city where there has been a mafia presence for decades - obviously not much left in Cleveland, but you would think there would be a rule in place with LCN people. They usually go to western or southern states.

[Ivan]

Seems odd the FBI would relocate someone to a city where there has been a mafia presence for decades - obviously not much left in Cleveland, but you would think there would be a rule in place with LCN people. They usually go to western or southern states.

There's a little joke at the end of Goodfellas where they suggest that he's been relocated to Youngstown (the newspaper he gets delivered is the Youngstown Vindicator).

[NorthBuffalo]

Seems odd the FBI would relocate someone to a city where there has been a mafia presence for decades - obviously not much left in Cleveland, but you would think there would be a rule in place with LCN people. They usually go to western or southern states.

There's a little joke at the end of Goodfellas where they suggest that he's been relocated to Youngstown (the newspaper he gets delivered is the Youngstown Vindicator).

Ha I had no idea about that actually. That said I've been to Youngstown and they have some old italian restaurants on market street - not noodles and ketchup as he said in the move. Hell according to this article even Massino was impressed with Ohio's Italian cuisine