Stanfa family chart request

[Angelo Santino]

Fresolone stated that Sparacio wanted to become boss. And in TGT Stanfa recalls Sparacio proposing himself as Boss early on.

[Ivan]

Agreed on Shotsie. He had been a successful bookmaker for the family for decades before he even got made. Now there's a guy who should have written a book about his life, could probably say a lot from being an associate during the Bruno era, soldier during Scarfo, and captain under Stanfa.

I remember him in Goodfella Tapes always referencing "my fifty years" to highlight how long he had been around.

I've been on these mob forums since 2000, so I should start going on and on about "my fifteen years".

[Pogo The Clown]

I wonder how things would have turned out if Sparacio had become Boss instead of Stanfa. Sparacio was smarter and was more known in the family but I still don't see the Merlino guy's accepting him and falling in line. Would he have had a better shot at placating them and bringing them into the fold? What do you guy's think?


Pogo

[Ivan]

I wonder how things would have turned out if Sparacio had become Boss instead of Stanfa. Sparacio was smarter and was more known in the family but I still don't see the Merlino guy's accepting him and falling in line. Would he have had a better shot at placating them and bringing them into the fold? What do you guy's think?

I dunno, I think they might have accepted him as a real Philly guy the same way they did as Ligambi, maybe. And in Goodfella Tapes, Shotsie talks about switching sides to the Merlino camp at one point. He definitely would have made the effort to work with them in an amicable manner.

Pogo that phrase in your sig should be "das raysis", not "dats raysis". No "T".

[Teflon john]

What made Stanfa weaker on top of alot of guys not respecting him was the fact that he couldn't control or kill Merlino and his crew. I mean they did whatever they wanted and answered to no one. Every one knew Stanfa was chosen to be boss because he was a safe choice after the bloody Scarfo era,the problem is that the safe choice didn't make an effective boss. Merlino's crew shot Stanfa's kid and even though he lived Stanfa didn't even avenge his own son getting shot,if that doesn't make you look weak i don't know what does. Imagine what Scarfo would have done if someone shot his kid. What i never understood is how Ron Previte turned evidence and got Stanfa sent away and then stayed on the street for Natale and Merlino's reign and turned evidence on them. How did they not find out he was a fuckin rat when Stanfa got sent up,that cocksucker should have never survived on the street long enough to inform on more guys. I can't stand watching any documentary with this asshole talking,one minute he's Al Capone the next he's an honorable cop according to him. Whatever he thinks he is he is just a coward piece of shit rat and wherever he is i hope he is bleeding or in somebody's crosshairs,Ha Ha.

[Rocco]

What made Stanfa weaker on top of alot of guys not respecting him was the fact that he couldn't control or kill Merlino and his crew. I mean they did whatever they wanted and answered to no one. Every one knew Stanfa was chosen to be boss because he was a safe choice after the bloody Scarfo era,the problem is that the safe choice didn't make an effective boss. Merlino's crew shot Stanfa's kid and even though he lived Stanfa didn't even avenge his own son getting shot,if that doesn't make you look weak i don't know what does. Imagine what Scarfo would have done if someone shot his kid. What i never understood is how Ron Previte turned evidence and got Stanfa sent away and then stayed on the street for Natale and Merlino's reign and turned evidence on them. How did they not find out he was a fuckin rat when Stanfa got sent up,that cocksucker should have never survived on the street long enough to inform on more guys. I can't stand watching any documentary with this asshole talking,one minute he's Al Capone the next he's an honorable cop according to him. Whatever he thinks he is he is just a coward piece of shit rat and wherever he is i hope he is bleeding or in somebody's crosshairs,Ha Ha.

Previte survived according to Natale because of him. Merlino and his guys wanted to kill Previte...Natale saved him according to Ralph.....

[Teflon john]

I dont know why Natale would have saved him. Shows how dumb he was i guess. I love reading and hearing anything on the Philly LCN but i think i will skip Natale's book,the guy was just a drug dealer that happened to be Italian and was only put in a position to take the heat off Merlino. I for one hope Skinny Joey is still running things in Philly because things were alot more interesting when he was around. Natale was a clown and the fact that he saved Previte from being whacked out just proves that.

[Pogo The Clown]

Imagine what Scarfo would have done if someone shot his kid.

He wasn't able to do anything when Merlino shot Nicky Jr a bunch of times.

What i never understood is how Ron Previte turned evidence and got Stanfa sent away and then stayed on the street for Natale and Merlino's reign and turned evidence on them. How did they not find out he was a fuckin rat when Stanfa got sent up.

Because he was secretly informing. His info also played no role in Stanfa going away (t was the bugs and later guy's like John Veasey and Phil Colletti flipping).


Pogo

[toto]

How strong has Philly family had a presence in South Philadelphia historically?

It seems it was mostly a more spread out family with operations everywhere and members living outside Philly but in the past 20-30 years its become more focused on South Philly. Is my thinking wrong?

[Pogo The Clown]

South Philly has always been their main base of operations.


Pogo

[Ivan]

Imagine what Scarfo would have done if someone shot his kid.

He wasn't able to do anything when Merlino shot Nicky Jr a bunch of times.

Well, he was in jail and so was most of his army. If someone had pulled that shit when he was out, Scarfo Sr. would have been on the warpath.

[B.]

I wonder how things would have turned out if Sparacio had become Boss instead of Stanfa. Sparacio was smarter and was more known in the family but I still don't see the Merlino guy's accepting him and falling in line. Would he have had a better shot at placating them and bringing them into the fold? What do you guy's think?

I dunno, I think they might have accepted him as a real Philly guy the same way they did as Ligambi, maybe. And in Goodfella Tapes, Shotsie talks about switching sides to the Merlino camp at one point. He definitely would have made the effort to work with them in an amicable manner.

Pogo that phrase in your sig should be "das raysis", not "dats raysis". No "T".

Hard to say if the Chang/Merlino guys would have accepted Sparacio as boss, but he was a well-known bookmaker for decades and anybody who was anybody knew him. Sparacio was originally from Camden which was a huge powerbase in the family in the 1940s and 1950s when he was starting out. You could put him in the same camp as Anthony Pungitore as they were both well-connected within the family for a long time but didn't get made until they were old.

[Chucky]

It may have gone a little smoother for Sparacio, like B. said he was around forever, whereas Stanfa was a minor player even as a made guy and was off the grid for about a decade before becoming boss out of the blue. I don't think Sparacio would have thrown his weight around as quickly as Stanfa which alienated the old timers who were still around and obviously the Merlino-Ciancaglini crew.

[Pogo The Clown]

Here is another what if. Lets say that Mike Ciancaglini was only wounded in that shooting like Merlino. How does the post Stanfa family look like? Does Natale still become Boss or do Ciancaglini and Merlino just tak over themselves? If not does Merlino still become UnderBoss or does Cincaglini get it, Does Truchi still become the Coniglieri? Interested in your thoughts.


Pogo

[B.]

Here is another what if. Lets say that Mike Ciancaglini was only wounded in that shooting like Merlino. How does the post Stanfa family look like? Does Natale still become Boss or do Ciancaglini and Merlino just tak over themselves? If not does Merlino still become UnderBoss or does Cincaglini get it, Does Truchi still become the Coniglieri? Interested in your thoughts.


Pogo

Ciancaglini is likely ranked over Merlino. Whether that ends up being Chang as boss with Merlino as underboss, or Natale as boss with Chang as underboss, who knows. Merlino didn't have to back Natale as boss, so I suppose if Chang survived he may have backed Natale as well.