Jersey, geography, trends, etc.

[Tonyd621]

The last big Gambino bust in the state was in 2007 and Merola and Muccigrosso (both soldiers) were the only Gambino members indicted.

Was Merola indicted as a soldier in that case? A gangland article regarding that bust has Merola as having "moved up the ladder in the Gambino organization, taking over the remnants of the Bisaccia crew" and "Merola is a reputed Gambino family capo and leader of the organization’s New Jersey faction."

Keep in mind the article was written by GA and not JC, for whatever its worth.

Yes, he was indicted as a soldier. Press releases called him a "high ranking soldier."

Is that guy that originally had the last name of knapik or something and had it changed to merola? If so how can he be made not being italian?

[johnny_scootch]

Is that guy that originally had the last name of knapik or something and had it changed to merola? If so how can he be made not being italian?

IIRC it turned out that Knapik was his step fathers surname.

[Tonyd621]

Is that guy that originally had the last name of knapik or something and had it changed to merola? If so how can he be made not being italian?

IIRC it turned out that Knapik was his step fathers surname.

I never heard that. If that's true, so he took his step father's then went back to his biological dads maiden name?

[johnny_scootch]

Is that guy that originally had the last name of knapik or something and had it changed to merola? If so how can he be made not being italian?

IIRC it turned out that Knapik was his step fathers surname.

I never heard that. If that's true, so he took his step father's then went back to his biological dads maiden name?

He had his step fathers name from very young age and before the gambinos would put him on the list to be proposed IIRC I believe Jackie D'Amico had something to do with it but he switched back to his biological fathers last name.

Bottom line is the guy is Italian.

[Tonyd621]

Is that guy that originally had the last name of knapik or something and had it changed to merola? If so how can he be made not being italian?

IIRC it turned out that Knapik was his step fathers surname.

I never heard that. If that's true, so he took his step father's then went back to his biological dads maiden name?

He had his step fathers name from very young age and before the gambinos would put him on the list to be proposed IIRC I believe Jackie D'Amico had something to do with it but he switched back to his biological fathers last name.

Bottom line is the guy is Italian.

Understood

[Rocco]

I'm not sure if Manna was ever a Capo. He may have risen from Soldier (from the Gigante crew) to Consigliere.


Pogo

Yeah, I don't think Manna was a captain.

Vincent Beltempo was a Gambino captain in NJ around 2010 per the Nicky Skins tapes. Louis Filippelli is based in NJ seems to have took over the Funzi Sisca crew and was identified as a captain in the Campos indictment.

It seems to be more a case of Sisca/Filippelli being New York-based (mainly Queens) with operations in New Jersey

You're right, the Skins tapes from 2010 seem to have identified Beltempo as a captain. If that's the case, he (and the Gambinos as a whole) have been rather quiet in Jersey over the past decade. One also wonders why NJ officials didn't seem to acknowledge them last year. Like the Bonannos, the Gambinos don't seem to have enough activity in Jersey to warrant a standing crew based there.

This is great. How do you remember this stuff?

I've just kept a running record of mob cases since 2000. Besides being a good reference, it provides a way to identify trends that one otherwise can't by just going on memory or that last article, indictment, etc.

I'd say there is a Gambino crew - small - in Belleville and surrounding area. DiGilio being a powerful soldier true but still an understatement. Super tough guy.

Well, until he ended up floating in the river with bullets in the head.

Fiumara was away for so long, and he a powerful soldier only at the time of incarceration. He had a Down Neck crew but someone from Hoboken I know insists he reported there. Gatto is a separate crew in and around Lodi in my view. Bruschi seems to be an offshoot really of the Boiardo crew as that whole Long Branch area was his turf. With all the arrests, many were just operating large crews.

The question is, at what point is this info, and how things lined up 15-20+ years ago, outdated?

I thought Vincent Beltempo died? Maybe he is the Capo that Merolo was reporting to?. Beltempo grew up in Little Italy and is Def not NJ based. He was close to Ralph Cuomo(they grew up together) and was a junk dealer earlier on.

[West Coast1]

I swear I saw a list one time that had the Baby John the cannoli king from Little Italy was now listed in NJ charts now. Sorry I can't find it.

[Mason_dixon]

Thought the Bonnanos have a full crew in Bayonne, NJ. Aso Buffalo is an offshoot in a way or almost part of the Bonnanos. The Montreal crew still operates with the Bonnanos as well as Hamilton right ? The also have at least one crew in FLA and I believe are one of the largest families right now with influence in many areas it seems.

[Wiseguy]

Thought the Bonnanos have a full crew in Bayonne, NJ.

That begs the question. Sammartino, who was said to be a captain and Jersey based, was busted in 2009. I don't recall if it was a result of a GL article or what but Civello was put as his replacement on the charts. But at least as of 2015, New Jersey authorities had him as a soldier. And last year, authorities in the state seemed to make a distinction between the Genovese and Luccheses (who we know have crews there) and the Gambinos and Bonannos, who were said to "have ties" to New Jersey.

Aso Buffalo is an offshoot in a way or almost part of the Bonnanos.

Um, no.

The Montreal crew still operates with the Bonnanos as well as Hamilton right ?

Obviously the Bonannos still work with mafiosi up in Canada. But they no longer have a crew based there.

The also have at least one crew in FLA and I believe are one of the largest families right now with influence in many areas it seems.

Which Bonnano crew is based in Florida? Again, we're not talking about simply having activity there. The last Florida bust involving the Bonannos was in 2009 when 11 associates (led by Thomas Fiore) were indicted. But they were part of his uncle Jerry Chilli's New York-based crew.

[TommyNoto]

Thought the Bonnanos have a full crew in Bayonne, NJ. Aso Buffalo is an offshoot in a way or almost part of the Bonnanos. The Montreal crew still operates with the Bonnanos as well as Hamilton right ? The also have at least one crew in FLA and I believe are one of the largest families right now with influence in many areas it seems.

The Bonnanos have a book out of north Arlington. Pre . That town also got some big card games that I heard that crew was part of too.

The Gambinos have a book in bellville per earlier poster but I heard awhile ago that went into Staten Island .

Most Staten Island crews today have NJ action given the proximity

[West Coast1]

westside had some fun lottery games in newark if the pubs ever open again just ask a bartender
they pay very well it was all fun and noone ever got stiffed my friends tell me


I think blue and rocco

[chubby]

Ninny Bruschi who was skipper of the crew that operates down here at the shore mainly in Monmouth/Ocean Counties recently passed away.

I haven’t heard who is steering the ship now there but someone is, they ran a HUGE sports betting gambling package going on years now (probably like 30 years or more). Especially now during football season, someone is running that crew in his place $$$

Dante

It’s insane to me how many profitable bookmaking crews there are in jersey.... I mean just ninnys crew and the perna crew are 2 crews that are and have been pulling in insane money for a long time, and that’s not counting the other west side crews in the state... (yeah I know ninny’s crew and pernas crew didn’t both work in the same towns/counties... with ninny mainly in the Monmouth area and pernas more north in Morris and Essex counties it seems.. just crazy for a small state to have that much sports action.. and like I said that’s only 2 crews... there’s at least several more.. not even counting Phillys north jersey crew, which is also basically a bookmaking/shy crew...

[TommyNoto]

westside had some fun lottery games in newark if the pubs ever open again just ask a bartender
they pay very well it was all fun and noone ever got stiffed my friends tell me


I think blue and rocco

Yeah the Westside dominates the Ironbound Newark gambling scene . They have lots of poker machines in bars and don’t have the competition they had in the past.

With Port activity , gambling , loan sharking and money laundering , Newark is possibly one the Westsides biggest cash cows and the last indictment gives some credibility to that. Not to mention garbage / recycling/ landfills rackets are still very active in Newark area unlike in NYC

I can only imagine the hooks they have into businesses from COVID loan sharking activity and with the state having funding issues, IOC LE and maybe even Waterfront Commission funding could be reduced or de prioritized.

I keep waiting for Fan Duel and Draft Kings to pressure LE to break up these gambling crews but that’s seem unlikely now. After an initial uncertainty period , it seems legalized gambling might of helped their gambling interests.

[Rocco]

The Decav's administration meets on Thursday nights at the club house of Holiday City South......lol

[Rocco]

Thought the Bonnanos have a full crew in Bayonne, NJ. Aso Buffalo is an offshoot in a way or almost part of the Bonnanos. The Montreal crew still operates with the Bonnanos as well as Hamilton right ? The also have at least one crew in FLA and I believe are one of the largest families right now with influence in many areas it seems.

The Bonnanos have a book out of north Arlington. Pre . That town also got some big card games that I heard that crew was part of too.

The Gambinos have a book in bellville per earlier poster but I heard awhile ago that went into Staten Island .

Most Staten Island crews today have NJ action given the proximity

Its really just Sammartino in Bayonne/north Arlington and a few associates. The crew he belongs too is out of SI and most the guys operate there as well.