Gangland news 8th feb 2018

[gohnjotti]

Thanks for the pics. The Tommy Valente I was thinking of was in his 50s around the same age as Merlino and lives in Coral Springs west of Pompano. But this guy looks like he is in his early 30s... ?

It looks like an old mugshot. And if Valente was a soldier nowadays he probably wouldnt be sporting that goatee.

Do you have any more information on the guy?

[gohnjotti]

The way this was worded i thought it was saying Merlino was a Genovese Capo at first:

"But Jacobs questioned Inzerillo's own expertise — and the prowess of the FBI — by noting that despite being assigned since 1997 to the FBI's squad that investigates the crime family dubbed the Ivy League of Organized Crime, he wrote in a 2013 affidavit that his client, the longtime Philadelphia mob boss, was a Genovese family capo when Rubeo first met Skinny Joey."

Thanks for posting Halibritain.

Interesting that Lovaglio may have had 16 soldiers, though given his reputation, I don't know that we can take it to the bank. It would point to him being connected to the Graziano crew given the location and size of the crew.

I agree. It looks like John Zancocchio (Graziano's ex-son-in-law, business partner, and acting capo in the 90s and early 2000s), took over Lovaglio's crew. All through 2015, Zancocchio was described in the Giallanzo Probation Memo as an acting capo, but sometime between Sept. 2015 and Dec. 2015, Zancocchio was promoted to official capo.
In Nov. 2015, Lovaglio had that drunken fight with Fred Forte in a Staten Island sushi place (a scene straight out of Donnie Brasco ), and according to Jerry Capeci, Joe Cammarano Jr. shelved and demoted Lovaglio as a result. So all the signs point towards Zancocchio taking over Lovaglio's crew.
Lovaglio DID show up at the Dec. 2015 Bonanno family Christmas party, however, and was described as an "official capo" alongside John Zancocchio. But Capeci consistently reported that Lovaglio was shelved and lost a lot of respect due to the sushi incident, and other evidence seems to back that up.

My money is on Zancocchio taking over Lovaglio's crew, and then being promoted to consigliere, at which point George Tropiano became the "acting capo" of Zancocchio's old crew.

[B.]

The way this was worded i thought it was saying Merlino was a Genovese Capo at first:

"But Jacobs questioned Inzerillo's own expertise — and the prowess of the FBI — by noting that despite being assigned since 1997 to the FBI's squad that investigates the crime family dubbed the Ivy League of Organized Crime, he wrote in a 2013 affidavit that his client, the longtime Philadelphia mob boss, was a Genovese family capo when Rubeo first met Skinny Joey."

Thanks for posting Halibritain.

Interesting that Lovaglio may have had 16 soldiers, though given his reputation, I don't know that we can take it to the bank. It would point to him being connected to the Graziano crew given the location and size of the crew.

I agree. It looks like John Zancocchio (Graziano's ex-son-in-law, business partner, and acting capo in the 90s and early 2000s), took over Lovaglio's crew. All through 2015, Zancocchio was described in the Giallanzo Probation Memo as an acting capo, but sometime between Sept. 2015 and Dec. 2015, Zancocchio was promoted to official capo.
In Nov. 2015, Lovaglio had that drunken fight with Fred Forte in a Staten Island sushi place (a scene straight out of Donnie Brasco ), and according to Jerry Capeci, Joe Cammarano Jr. shelved and demoted Lovaglio as a result. So all the signs point towards Zancocchio taking over Lovaglio's crew.
Lovaglio DID show up at the Dec. 2015 Bonanno family Christmas party, however, and was described as an "official capo" alongside John Zancocchio. But Capeci consistently reported that Lovaglio was shelved and lost a lot of respect due to the sushi incident, and other evidence seems to back that up.

My money is on Zancocchio taking over Lovaglio's crew, and then being promoted to consigliere, at which point George Tropiano became the "acting capo" of Zancocchio's old crew.

It says Lovaglio became a captain in 2011, which was when Graziano went back to prison I believe. He may have been acting for Graziano then took over that crew or a part of it, with Zancocchio serving as acting captain then captain after that.

Hopefully Lovaglio can supply some reliable info that leaks out our way eventually.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Anyone know if Tommy Valente is related to Fat Sammy Valente?

Fat Sammy's surname is Valenti.

Good pick up G.

[yatescj7781]

this case is a joke. the feds have a losing streak going on this past decade. no wonder the easy plea deals they give. And Ask Andy? Pipe the Blind? Cant even get the nicknames right anymore. Pip the Blind.

[Pogo The Clown]

Interesting that Lovaglio may have had 16 soldiers, though given his reputation, I don't know that we can take it to the bank. It would point to him being connected to the Graziano crew given the location and size of the crew.

I agree. It looks like John Zancocchio (Graziano's ex-son-in-law, business partner, and acting capo in the 90s and early 2000s), took over Lovaglio's crew. All through 2015, Zancocchio was described in the Giallanzo Probation Memo as an acting capo, but sometime between Sept. 2015 and Dec. 2015, Zancocchio was promoted to official capo.
In Nov. 2015, Lovaglio had that drunken fight with Fred Forte in a Staten Island sushi place (a scene straight out of Donnie Brasco ), and according to Jerry Capeci, Joe Cammarano Jr. shelved and demoted Lovaglio as a result. So all the signs point towards Zancocchio taking over Lovaglio's crew.
Lovaglio DID show up at the Dec. 2015 Bonanno family Christmas party, however, and was described as an "official capo" alongside John Zancocchio. But Capeci consistently reported that Lovaglio was shelved and lost a lot of respect due to the sushi incident, and other evidence seems to back that up.

My money is on Zancocchio taking over Lovaglio's crew, and then being promoted to consigliere, at which point George Tropiano became the "acting capo" of Zancocchio's old crew.

It says Lovaglio became a captain in 2011, which was when Graziano went back to prison I believe. He may have been acting for Graziano then took over that crew or a part of it, with Zancocchio serving as acting captain then captain after that.

Hopefully Lovaglio can supply some reliable info that leaks out our way eventually.

Interesting. That is certainly a possiblity. Though there may not be a direct succestion from Graziano to Lovaglio since Anthony Sclafani, Joseph Sammartino, Anthony Mannone and Joe Loiacono (acting) were all member of the Graziano Crew in the early 2000s who showed up as Capos in later years. So it is most likely that the Graziano Crew was broken up at some point.


Pogo