Fifteen Philadelphia Family Members and Associates Indicted

[Amershire_Ed]

Anyone have a guesstimate of Joey's net worth? Does a lot of money go thru those hands as quickly as it gets into them or does he really not have that much to blow on his gambling habit

Ron Privete said, “Joey’s goal on Monday was to make it to Tuesday.” I’m sure he doesn’t have cash stacked away.

I don’t necessarily think Joey has millions stashed in the ceiling and walls of some condo in south Florida, but I do think he’s someone that can get his hands on cash pretty much any time he needs. He’s got a shit ton of connections and a lot of people willing to do him favors.

[chubby]

Anyone have a guesstimate of Joey's net worth? Does a lot of money go thru those hands as quickly as it gets into them or does he really not have that much to blow on his gambling habit

From everything I’ve heard... from people who’ve been around him, to reading stuff said about him from guys who flipped like previte and rubeo.... Merlino cares about his daily lifestyle and that’s about it... I don’t think the guy saves a dollar... and he’s constantly hounding every single associate of his for $... shit every time he met rubeo for “dinner” he would just say how down bad he was and how he needed money. And I’m not talking like 500$.. haha he’s asking for like 10 grand a time... even Angelo lutz said Joey would spend whatever money he had in his pocket that day, no matter how much he had.... he’s all about image.. he would rather be renting a way nice place in a gated community in boca, wearing a different Rolex a few times a week, making sure his wife and daughters have top of the line designer everything, and be driving a rolls Royce even though it might have the gas light on in it half the time.....
I have no idea how he’s paid for Eddie Jacobs, besides asking literally every single person he knows if they can kick in money to help him out... cause there’s no way joeys got a quarter or half a million liquid laying around that he could part with....

[chubby]

If these guys were gonna jump head first into the hard drug game, they might as well have gone the blow route. The coke game is really fucking grimy and filled with more than it’s fair share of dangerous scumbags, but it doesn’t carry the stigma that Fentanyl and heroin do. If Dom had been caught on a wire saying, “I could sell 8 ounces a day”, instead of his 1000 pill brag, he’d probably be in a little bit better shape. Especially in a place like Philly, which is essentially ground zero of the opioid epidemic.

You’re right. Like I said they picked the #1 drug when it comes to law enforcement scrutiny... all state and federal agencies right now when it comes to drugs, fentanyl is literally all they care about...
honestly if they wanted to get into drugs.. why not finance a bunch of weed from Cali??? The mark up on prices from California to the north east is very profitable... and the sentences these days aren’t bad at all.. weeds basically legal, it sounds like a joke when people get caught moving it.... or they could have started getting in on the legal marijuana dispensaries in Philadelphia.... that’s legit drug money, how can you beat that???? I’m just kind of shocked, it seems like most people (me included) somehow came to a conclusion that Dom was smarter than your average street guy, like he was wise beyond his years being able to move up and navigate his way in the philly family.. but after hearing him on those wiretaps... I’m shocked he hasn’t done fairly long prison sentences yet.. like dame canalichio,,,I was listening to some podcast/interview with mortaranos son who’s finally out of prison and he was talking about the dispensary or dispensaries he owns and how well they’re doing... guy went from getting a life sentence for selling weed.. to now legally selling it..

[chin_gigante]

Scafidi was not part of the inner circle of Merlino’s group. He was friendly with them back in the day, but was mostly buddies with Scarfo Jr and his crew.

But weren't they all the same crew before the split between the Scarfos and Merlinos in 1986? I think it was GA who said that Tory Scafidi and Merlino were best friends growing up and that Scafidi, Merlino, Scarfo Jr. The Changs,catch were part of that Junior Mob Crew back in the 1980s. The Scafidi's were close with the Scarfos who where like family with the Merlinos. All of them grew up together.

The only thing I’ll say in Anastasia’s defense is most of the criminal activity in this indictment is from 4-5 years ago. And to be honest it’s a lot of low to mid level type stuff. It’d be one thing if some huge hundred million dollar Medicare scam was exposed, or evidence that Grande was moving hundreds of kilos, but none of that is in there. It’s all neighborhood extortion stuff. In some ways I bet he almost feels vindicated with the indictment. It shows that Philly is still active, but the rackets aren’t what they were in 1985, which has kinda been his point. On the first episode of Philly Prime, he said “there’s more guys on the street now that at anytime over the past 25 years. We just don’t know if the pie is big enough to go around”.

Correct. Just compare the indictments from the different eras.


Scarfo 1987-1990: 36 made members (many of them indicted in several different cases)

Stanfa 1991-1994: 12 made members

Natale-Merlino 1995-2000: 13 made members

Ligambi 2001-2011: 12 made members

2012-2020: 9 made members


Notice the trend. With each era we are seeing less and less members indicted. The crimes are getting more and more small time and the money involved is getting smaller and smaller.


Pogo

Another thing to note about Tommy Scafidi was that he was scared to death of Michael Ciancaglini and switched over to Stanfa during the war partly because he thought Merlino and co. were going to kill him. That was also then his reason for flipping in 2000. Monacello has also stated that he thought Borgesi was going to kill him once he got out because of what he had tried to do to Angelina. So the guys closest to that inner circle who have flipped have done so partly because they felt their lives were at risk.

[AntComello]

If these guys were gonna jump head first into the hard drug game, they might as well have gone the blow route. The coke game is really fucking grimy and filled with more than it’s fair share of dangerous scumbags, but it doesn’t carry the stigma that Fentanyl and heroin do. If Dom had been caught on a wire saying, “I could sell 8 ounces a day”, instead of his 1000 pill brag, he’d probably be in a little bit better shape. Especially in a place like Philly, which is essentially ground zero of the opioid epidemic.

You’re right. Like I said they picked the #1 drug when it comes to law enforcement scrutiny... all state and federal agencies right now when it comes to drugs, fentanyl is literally all they care about...
honestly if they wanted to get into drugs.. why not finance a bunch of weed from Cali??? The mark up on prices from California to the north east is very profitable... and the sentences these days aren’t bad at all.. weeds basically legal, it sounds like a joke when people get caught moving it.... or they could have started getting in on the legal marijuana dispensaries in Philadelphia.... that’s legit drug money, how can you beat that???? I’m just kind of shocked, it seems like most people (me included) somehow came to a conclusion that Dom was smarter than your average street guy, like he was wise beyond his years being able to move up and navigate his way in the philly family.. but after hearing him on those wiretaps... I’m shocked he hasn’t done fairly long prison sentences yet.. like dame canalichio,,,I was listening to some podcast/interview with mortaranos son who’s finally out of prison and he was talking about the dispensary or dispensaries he owns and how well they’re doing... guy went from getting a life sentence for selling weed.. to now legally selling it..

Agree 100% the only thing I can think of is that these wires were from 4-5 years ago right? I mean I know fentanyl has always been looked at as the worst of the worst but did we know that much about it 4-5 years ago? Idk I don’t really remember lol either way your right pure greed on his part.

[CabriniGreen]

Yeah what makes it look even worse for Dom is when the informant (who I assume is Persiano) came to him about moving a kilo of coke, he said “be careful, but do what you gotta do”. Almost kinda like, “I’d rather you didn’t, but since you are going to anyway, just be careful”.

But then with the fake pills he was like “yes bring that shit on. I can move thousands. These things are selling like hot cakes”. From a PR perspective on a wire, he honestly woulda been better off getting caught urging caution on the fake oxy and celebrating the cocaine, instead of vice versa.

100 percent about the drugs... the feds look at coke like coffee compared to fentanyl.... like I said the fact he was interested in moving those things... honestly shocked... thought he was much smarter than that.

I been reading through all this, a consistent theme from everyone is that they thought Dom was " smarter", and surprise that he got caught up in a drug beef.

My question is, what's rackets were expected of these guys? Labor racketeering? An elaborate scam like the pain cream? White collar stuff?

Philly always seemed pretty blue collar to me....

[HoagieNose]

Anyone have a guesstimate of Joey's net worth? Does a lot of money go thru those hands as quickly as it gets into them or does he really not have that much to blow on his gambling habit

From everything I’ve heard... from people who’ve been around him, to reading stuff said about him from guys who flipped like previte and rubeo.... Merlino cares about his daily lifestyle and that’s about it... I don’t think the guy saves a dollar... and he’s constantly hounding every single associate of his for $... shit every time he met rubeo for “dinner” he would just say how down bad he was and how he needed money. And I’m not talking like 500$.. haha he’s asking for like 10 grand a time... even Angelo lutz said Joey would spend whatever money he had in his pocket that day, no matter how much he had.... he’s all about image.. he would rather be renting a way nice place in a gated community in boca, wearing a different Rolex a few times a week, making sure his wife and daughters have top of the line designer everything, and be driving a rolls Royce even though it might have the gas light on in it half the time.....
I have no idea how he’s paid for Eddie Jacobs, besides asking literally every single person he knows if they can kick in money to help him out... cause there’s no way joeys got a quarter or half a million liquid laying around that he could part with....

I think borgesi helped pay for his lawyer.

[dack2001]

I think the guys downtown have been more circumspect in how they conduct business over the past 10 years. I also think the FBI has been slower to put a case together partly because of the loss in the Ligambi case and also because of less bodies dropping. They have different priorities because the headlines aren't there. I also don't think we can draw huge conclusions about how these guys were conducting business from a snippet in a bail detention memo. Maybe Dom slipped up...maybe the tapes aren't that clear or maybe he's always a sloppy guy (which I doubt)....but he's not a surgeon he's a gangster....it shouldn't be shocking.

[NJShore4Life]

If these guys were gonna jump head first into the hard drug game, they might as well have gone the blow route. The coke game is really fucking grimy and filled with more than it’s fair share of dangerous scumbags, but it doesn’t carry the stigma that Fentanyl and heroin do. If Dom had been caught on a wire saying, “I could sell 8 ounces a day”, instead of his 1000 pill brag, he’d probably be in a little bit better shape. Especially in a place like Philly, which is essentially ground zero of the opioid epidemic.

You’re right. Like I said they picked the #1 drug when it comes to law enforcement scrutiny... all state and federal agencies right now when it comes to drugs, fentanyl is literally all they care about...
honestly if they wanted to get into drugs.. why not finance a bunch of weed from Cali??? The mark up on prices from California to the north east is very profitable... and the sentences these days aren’t bad at all.. weeds basically legal, it sounds like a joke when people get caught moving it.... or they could have started getting in on the legal marijuana dispensaries in Philadelphia.... that’s legit drug money, how can you beat that???? I’m just kind of shocked, it seems like most people (me included) somehow came to a conclusion that Dom was smarter than your average street guy, like he was wise beyond his years being able to move up and navigate his way in the philly family.. but after hearing him on those wiretaps... I’m shocked he hasn’t done fairly long prison sentences yet.. like dame canalichio,,,I was listening to some podcast/interview with mortaranos son who’s finally out of prison and he was talking about the dispensary or dispensaries he owns and how well they’re doing... guy went from getting a life sentence for selling weed.. to now legally selling it..

“No, No , I don’t want any of that California Bullshit” - Tony Soprano

LOL Whenever I read one of your posts Chubby that scene from Sopranos comes to mind haha.

[tylerdurden]

Any of these guys get out? I listened to DS podcast and he said on there he did not see why they didnt deserve to be let out aside from Mazzone being a convicted felon and they do not seem to be flight risks

[HoagieNose]

Any of these guys get out? I listened to DS podcast and he said on there he did not see why they didnt deserve to be let out aside from Mazzone being a convicted felon and they do not seem to be flight risks

Sonny Mazzone got let out on bail

[jmack]

Anyone have a guesstimate of Joey's net worth? Does a lot of money go thru those hands as quickly as it gets into them or does he really not have that much to blow on his gambling habit

Ron Privete said, “Joey’s goal on Monday was to make it to Tuesday.” I’m sure he doesn’t have cash stacked away.

I don’t necessarily think Joey has millions stashed in the ceiling and walls of some condo in south Florida, but I do think he’s someone that can get his hands on cash pretty much any time he needs. He’s got a shit ton of connections and a lot of people willing to do him favors.

Don’t be confused, liquidity is not the same thing as net worth. He may have access to a certain amount of cash, but that’s it. He’s not sitting on money like King Croesus...

[johnny_scootch]

FBI HAS PHILLY MAFIA MAKING RITUAL ON TAPE, HANDSOME STEVIE MAZZONE SAYING ‘WE’RE F’ING GANGSTERS,’ PER DETENTION MEMO
Scott Burnstein


November 28, 2020 – A detention memo filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office in eastern Pennsylvania on Friday details the taping of a mob making ceremony in Philadelphia and includes transcripts of defendants Steven (Handsome Stevie) Mazzone and Domenic (Baby Dom) Grande talking crime. News of the bombshell memo was first reported by Mob Talk Sitdown’s Dave Schratwieser (FOX29) on his social media after Mazzone and Grande pleaded not guilty and were both denied bail in a sweeping racketeering case that dropped Monday and included more than a dozen members and associates of the Bruno-Scarfo crime family.

Mazzone, 56, is the family’s underboss. He took a racketeering conviction and did nearly a decade in federal prison in the 2000s. Grande, 41, is Mazzone’s nephew and reputed to be a captain in the borgata. Salvatore (Sonny) Mazzone, Handsome Stevie’s younger brother and an alleged soldier in the family, was part of the bust as well, but he was granted bond.

Per the detention memo, the feds recorded Sonny Mazzone’s induction into the mafia, a ceremony Handsome Stevie and Grande attended. Handsome Stevie was introduced to the new initiates as the crime family’s underboss and gave a speech ordering an expansion of the organization back into Atlantic City.

“Got to get ahold back on Atlantic City, buddy,” Mazzone said. “That’s what I want. We have to get that back.”

It is unclear who conducted the “making” ritual, part of a rash of induction ceremonies to take place in the Bruno-Scarfo clan during the past five years, both in-state and out, according to sources. The traditional gun and knife display and burning of the saint card is confirmed to have occurred at the one memorialized by the feds.

The FBI believes the mafia in Philly is in the midst of ballooning its’ ranks and stretching its’ reach; a crew in New England has been operational for more than five years, reinvigorating a presence in the region from the late 1990s, per sources. Soldiers have been “made” in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Florida, in the flood of recent ceremonies, sources claim.

Back in the 1980s, Atlantic City was the Philly mob’s playground and golden goose. The Bruno-Scarfo crime family under maniacal don Nicodemo (Little Nicky) Scarfo dominated the A.C. rackets, controlling street activity, construction and labor union affairs.

Today, the New York mob families have more of a foothold in the area. Four of the five New York Italian crime syndicates are alleged to have a presence in Atlantic City these days. Little Nicky Scarfo died of a heart attack in prison three years ago.

Mazzone explained his attitude towards life in the mob in another excerpt.

“I don’t want nobody glomming on to our fucking shit (our rackets), you know what I mean, you hear what I’m saying? We’re still street guys. Let’s face it, we’re fucking gangsters. I’m not going to let some sucker take that.”

In the recorded ceremony, Grande was introduced to new members as a captain and was later caught on tape referring to himself as a “skipper.” Grande is also heard listing the hierarchy of the current Philly mafia lineup in another conversation.

An unnamed wired-for-sound informant recorded Grande discussing the Atlantic City expansion effort. Grande told the informant he wanted to “plant the flag” for the Bruno-Scarfo crime family in the Jersey resort town.

“We’ve got our hooks in (now), they either pay or get the fuck out,” said Grande of the local bookies and loansharks they were extorting.

Drug dealing was in the mix, too. Grande was intercepted bragging of his ability to sell counterfeit oxycodone pills.

“I can move thousands of them,” he said. “You know, these kids sell them for 20 bucks apiece.”

If found guilty on all the counts, Mazzone and Grande are looking at maximum 20-to-40 year prison sentences. Grande only has a minor bookmaking charge on his record.

Mazzone’s best friend, the swashbuckling 58-year old Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino, is the crime family’s reputed boss and lives in Florida. Merlino, with help from Mazzone and other childhood friends, fought and won a war for power and control of the Philly mob kingdom in the 1990s. Mazzone has filled the role of either Merlino’s underboss, acting boss or street boss since the fall of 1996, per sources.

Grande’s dad, Salvatore (John Wayne) Grande was an enforcer and hit man during the Philly mob’s erratic Little Nicky Scarfo era. The elder Grande got nailed pushing drugs in prison and entered the Witness Protection Program.

[johnny_scootch]

The FBI believes the mafia in Philly is in the midst of ballooning its’ ranks and stretching its’ reach; a crew in New England has been operational for more than five years, reinvigorating a presence in the region from the late 1990s, per sources. Soldiers have been “made” in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Florida, in the flood of recent ceremonies, sources claim.

I thought this was most interesting part. Jersey ok Florida ok Massachusetts yeah ok Ive heard of their Boston crew but Rhode Island is surprising. It's a complete and total encroachment upon another families territory.

Why do the New England guys allow that?

[tylerdurden]

Grande is going to get a ton of time if this stuff is true about the oxies; always 2 sides but this side being told looks bad