B. wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 11:30 am
In the last 14 years all they've uncovered is a fully functional Family maintaining close ties to the Gambinos and beefing with the Scarfos and Luccheses in 2010.
Plus an FBI agent testified during Merlino's 2018 trial that the Philadelphia family ultimately answered to the Genovese family:
IMG_4636.jpeg
Yeah the Genovese ties are a whole other thing. Merlino was hanging out with Genovese captains and meeting with Genovese, Bonanno, and DeCavalcante members in Florida. I'd guess in 2024 the story is different.
I'm not a guy with "street sources" but I've talked to people who do have reliable info and since Merlino started his show the Gambino and Genovese Families have supposedly been unhappy and telling people to cut ties. I trust the info and it seems obvious anyway. We know the Luccheses have always refused to recognize him even though he's friendly with some members so I doubt much has changed there.
outfit guy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2024 8:20 am
Frankly, I with Nadu on this. When will we learn it's in the FBI's pension interests to keep this mafia mystique afloat. Borghesi is a Merlino gofer. Merlino will always get a respect package a few times a year. Capeci has never had sources aside from the FBI. Yeah, they're driving up and down the turnpike to meet with a non-Sicilian lording over what remains of South Philadelphia.
If you believe that narrative then we should take what the fbi says with a grain of salt. We all know how everyone on here is always tripping over themselves with fbi docs or quoted statements by some "special agents" as the barometer of truth. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you, I'm just saying.
Uforeality wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 8:49 am
Finally something to really talk about. And for all of the folks here that think NY can’t pressure Philly to make a move on its boss, you apparently haven’t read much about mafia geopolitics. The idea that Joey grew up with all of these guys and they won’t turn on him is naive. That’s mafia 101. Your best friend walks you into the room.
It's not really geopolitics, bro. Philly and jersey, basically the same thing from where I stand in Conn.
B. wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 11:30 am
Loose-knit? I thought this was a tight-knit circle of best friends.
To be clear it was always Scott pushing this narrative that these child friends have this unbreakable bond and no one will ever snitch on anyone in that circle. Then he reports that his best friend dethroned him. I think its something that he should have at least touched on. Again those are the rules, no one should be surprised. But if you have sources, are you not digging deeper into that part? Seems like you are throwing you sarcasm at the wrong people.
I'm responding to some of the posts and comments making their rounds but I'll happily be equal opportunity and include Scott if he leaned into the unbreakable childhood bonds story though he seems to believe Merlino was taken down despite that.
I've made the same point that Merlino's run has heavily used those types of bonds and that's very "Cosa Nostra". The mafia originally comes from relatives, paesans, and people from the same small community who have known each other their entire lives and even over multiple generations. Philly isn't exceptional in that regard and this has made them very traditional in a roundabout way, not unlike the Persico faction, etc. That said, Cosa Nostra is also a story of mafia politics causing issues despite those bonds. I mean this is a Family where brothers were trying to kill each other. Scarfo and Chuckie Merlino were friends forever too until they weren't. When people start thinking the lifelong friendships of some members supercedes info that Merlino was taken down and shelved, it just goes in the face of everything we know about the mafia.
I don't think this means Merlino is suddenly hated in Philadelphia. These guys might well still love the guy but are they willing to lose all recognition, sever their ties to other Families, and deal with the toxic fallout of Merlino's activities just because "Joey's cool"? Capeci says he was told that no, the rest of the leaders sided with Cosa Nostra and that's unsurprising. If conflicting info came out from a good source I'd consider that valuable too.
EDIT: There is a sharp difference too between bonds stopping someone from flipping vs. taking down/shelving someone. Much different thought process in the life.
<MERLINO meeting with Scott Bernstein for a potential partnership is actually ironic now that he bad mouths Scott ona regular basis
its also a good excuse to get rid of Merlino without killing him , which is a good thing for anyone in the phili mob less heat , we can assume he was to high profile to really conduct any of his own a rackets , so likely he just had his hand out , in the old days it would been borgesi or mazzone putting a bullet in merlino if it came down to it
also with Merlinos track record is it likely Joe snuff is a fbi informant ?
"if he's such A sports wizard , whys he tending bar ?" Nicky Scarfo
Yep, Merlino was in talks with Burnstein about doing a show together years ago. Burnstein kept it pretty quiet at the time actually. That's the irony of everything, that Merlino was more than open to working with someone whose entire platform is exposing the mob and now attacks him for it.
People might treat Borgesi like a joke because he looks like a 12-year-old who just walked out of the nearest Lids but he's a seasoned killer, was an active bookmaker in the Scarfo years, his uncle is Ligambi, he's always shown an interest in legitimate business (the food business with Lutz, etc.), reportedly played a big role putting together the Boston crew, kept his captain rank all those years in prison, has allegedly been meeting with other Families for years now, etc. It shouldn't be a surprise if he's the boss now.
B. wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 6:15 pm
Yep, Merlino was in talks with Burnstein about doing a show together years ago. Burnstein kept it pretty quiet at the time actually. That's the irony of everything, that Merlino was more than open to working with someone whose entire platform is exposing the mob and now attacks him for it.
People might treat Borgesi like a joke because he looks like a 12-year-old who just walked out of the nearest Lids but he's a seasoned killer, was an active bookmaker in the Scarfo years, his uncle is Ligambi, he's always shown an interest in legitimate business (the food business with Lutz, etc.), reportedly played a big role putting together the Boston crew, kept his captain rank all those years in prison, has allegedly been meeting with other Families for years now, etc. It shouldn't be a surprise if he's the boss now.
He's a really, really serious guy. Not sure why people sneer at him other than his appearance.
B. wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 11:30 am
But in 2024 the same guys are just a group of old buddies who only care about keeping an arrogant podcasting boss rich at the expense of everything else they've always been and always done.
Gotta say bud. Sarcasm and strawman's. Leveled down.
outfit guy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2024 8:20 am
Frankly, I with Nadu on this. When will we learn it's in the FBI's pension interests to keep this mafia mystique afloat. Borghesi is a Merlino gofer. Merlino will always get a respect package a few times a year. Capeci has never had sources aside from the FBI. Yeah, they're driving up and down the turnpike to meet with a non-Sicilian lording over what remains of South Philadelphia.
I think most of the info capeci gets is from the preeminent defense attorneys in the area.
Burnstein is at it again. Now Merlino went to Brooklyn to inform Mannino as if he is subjugated to him. Borghesi was essentially ordered to have Merlino shelved. It's so sad this is being accepted. Merlino never gave a shit. When Tino F. wanted to see him, he told a liaison to get down there.
outfit guy wrote: ↑Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:32 am
Burnstein is at it again. Now Merlino went to Brooklyn to inform Mannino as if he is subjugated to him. Borghesi was essentially ordered to have Merlino shelved. It's so sad this is being accepted. Merlino never gave a shit. When Tino F. wanted to see him, he told a liaison to tell him then get down here.
outfit guy wrote: ↑Sun Sep 15, 2024 7:32 am
Burnstein is at it again. Now Merlino went to Brooklyn to inform Mannino as if he is subjugated to him. Borghesi was essentially ordered to have Merlino shelved. It's so sad this is being accepted. Merlino never gave a shit. When Tino F. wanted to see him, he told a liaison to get down there.
Maybe you'd be taken more seriously if you actually knew Borgesi's name.
TommyGambino wrote: ↑Fri Sep 13, 2024 4:52 am
Nadu might actually be retarded
Might explain his hair style.
I don't watch most of his stuff but I caught his recent current 15 most powerful mobsters in NY (not including bosses). Some made sense, like John Spirito. But others like Allie Shades, Sonny Ciccone, or Gene Gotti? It was like he was just throwing darts at a big wall of NY names.
