Gangland news 13th July 2017

[Teddy Persico]

Excellent new insight into the Merlino case. So glad Merlino, O'Nofrio, etc. are planning on going to trial, really making things interesting. They all could have taken easy pleas and gotten less than two years but they're sticking it out. Great stuff.

The article said that only Merlino is likely to go to trial. And now the government might drop that case. Sucks for us.

It makes me wonder how strong the Lucchese case is. These LE cutbacks are really starting to show.

[Teddy Persico]

Damn, Philly and George have a lot more pull and relations with the Genovese than I thought. Says a lot Patsy drove to Philly and that he met George. Interesting it was Borghesi and not someone else.

It seems Borgesi has turned himself into a bit of a white collar criminal according to media reports. He has really hit the ground running since his release.

[Cheech]

Onofrio aint going to trial. he has heart problems. he wants out now. feds want another year. both are playing chicken. believe it or not

[johnny_scootch]

Borgesi must have a high position, meeting with Joe Bilotti in Florida and Parrello in Philly last year would suggest that anyway.

It's clear he wants to be the top guy in Philly when Merlino isn't around and I wouldn't be surprised if he was already.

[Chucky]

Borgesi must have a high position, meeting with Joe Bilotti in Florida and Parrello in Philly last year would suggest that anyway.

It's clear he wants to be the top guy in Philly when Merlino isn't around and I wouldn't be surprised if he was already.

Wouldn't rule it out, could be any number of guys...Borgesi, Ligambi, Mazzone, Ciancaglini, Lancellotti, etc. A Merlino trial could clear up the current pecking order.

[Teddy Persico]

Merlino asked Ligambi to come out of semi-retirement to help transition things. Mazzone and Johnny Chang have been major players since they were released in 2008. Merlino called Lance his main guy in Philly and Borgesi has smoothed his relationship with Merlino and is moving up the ranks according to GR. So those are the top guys. I'm guessing Chang is closer to hanging it up than the others since he is older that the rest of Merlino's inner circle. So it looks like Borgesi, Mazzone and Lance will take the tops sports in the future.

[Chucky]

Ciancaglini hasn't shown any sign of stepping aside, he holds court with his old man at Stogie Joe's regularly.

[PHL_Mob]

Yes Chucky. Johnny Chang isn't going anywhere. He's active and smart and has his hands in a lot of pots - legit and illegitimate. As Chucky mentioned, he's with his father a lot and they've got at least one of Mikey Chang's son's running around for them and seem to bringing him (Michael Ciancaglini Jr) along. His other son actually went to college for a little so I'm not sure what his deal is exactly. I know he's a card carrying member of the Local Stagehands Union (IATSE 8) and works for them, which I personally believe the Philly family has some sort of influence over, but to what extent exactly I'm not positive on.

[PHL_Mob]

Joey Baldino and his little brother Frankie Baldino also run around for Johnny Chang and word is that Joey Baldino, whose parents/family home is next door to Johnny Chang's home on Syndenham Street, was sponsored and proposed by Johnny Chang before being made last fall. Joey Baldino (and his little brother Frankie) were the ones that were caught up in the Borgata bookmaking bust. They also are the root cause for both rifts between Phil Narducci and his sister Susan Narducci Baldino as well as Johnny Chang who Phil does not get along with either. Johnny Chang stepped in for Joey Baldino while Phil was finishing up the end of his 25 year prison stretch and Phil took offense to it because he felt it was a family matter with which Johnny Chang shouldn't have been meddling in. Phil's nephew Joey Baldino also supposedly pushed Phil out of the family's Old City nightclub called Encore as well as Phil's namesake Cheesesteak joint called 'Philips Steaks', which led to Phil disowning his nephews (Joey and Frankie Baldino) and his own sister Susan Narducci Baldino. It went so far that before Phil opened his restaurant 'Chick's' he filed a lawsuit in open court basically establishing a non-compete between the restaurant/club businesses and his restaurant. Since then there's apparently been several physical altercations that I've heard of. One was in a gym where apparently Joey Baldino actually went after and punched his uncle Phil, which I can't imagine how that went down being that Phil is huge and everything else that goes along with his rep. The second was an altercation in a Delaware Ave strip joint where Phil actually spat in his nephews face and so Joey threw a bottle at his uncle Phil and all Phil's guys (Johnny Garbs and the other 10th & O guys) went after Joey and his friends. Johnny Chang was with Joey Baldino then and apparently didn't do much to stick up for Joey against Phil and those guys, but they could've just been outnumbered as Johnny Chang is no slouch either even behind his sports coats and horn rimmed glasses...don't be fooled!

[Teddy Persico]

I've heard all that in bits and pieces. Thanks for summarizing the entire thing.

I seriously doubt Johnny Chang would of put himself in danger like that. We don't know the details of the situation, but I don't know how much he could of done. You're better off taking the L and planning your revenge.

And regarding the future of the Philly family, I don't think Merlino is going anywhere anytime soon either. He seems to have set up a good hierarchy with himself on top and a full administration below him. He's shown he can use his position and contacts to continue making money. What I meant about Johnny Chang is that Merlino, Borgesi, Mazzone and Lace are all the same age. Since I don't see any of them retiring soon, attrition would say that Chang would be the first to bow out (retire or die).