Mob Talk - 1/25/16

[Pogo The Clown]

Vella only drove for him once. At least according to Joey.


Pogo

[Pete]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

They are all his childhood friends that's why, don't think any have snitched have they, Merlino and his crew that is? Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

There's lots of childhood friends that flip on each other so I don't get the point your making.

[SonnyBlackstein]

I think perhaps more to the point regards Merlino is that Philly is the only family whereby the extreme set of circumstances would allow his ascension to boss (specifically the NY 5).

At least in the fashion he did so and at his age.

Perhaps if Joey was a skipper in the Columbos or Bonannos the baton would finally be getting round to him but it's hard to see him at the top level in the other three.

Rampant speculation of course.

[Chucky]

Roger vella flipped , he was merlinos driver , it's true though that has defo helped merlino. His core group are very loyal and never flip on each other

He was one of plenty of guys who drove him around town, Vella was and is a jerkoff.

[Chucky]

I think perhaps more to the point regards Merlino is that Philly is the only family whereby the extreme set of circumstances would allow his ascension to boss (specifically the NY 5).

At least in the fashion he did so and at his age.

Perhaps if Joey was a skipper in the Columbos or Bonannos the baton would finally be getting round to him but it's hard to see him at the top level in the other three.

Rampant speculation of course.

If Joey was born and raised in Brooklyn or Queens he would have been a product of that environment and adapted to it, so to me the argument isn't relevant.

[TommyGambino]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

They are all his childhood friends that's why, don't think any have snitched have they, Merlino and his crew that is? Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

There's lots of childhood friends that flip on each other so I don't get the point your making.

Merlino and his crew are obviously extremely tight,

[TommyGambino]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

That's an irrelevant argument that doesn't hold water, try again.

Is it? Merlino and his crew are more like a street gang then CN. He wouldn't have got far in NY with his attitude.

[Chucky]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

That's an irrelevant argument that doesn't hold water, try again.

Is it? Merlino and his crew are more like a street gang then CN. He wouldn't have got far in NY with his attitude.

Look at my response to Sonny for the NY argument, Joey wouldn't have been what he was if he was a Brooklyn or Bronx guy because the climate of things in NY are different, so there's no comparison worth anyone's time.

Joey's father was the underboss and his uncle was a skipper, his friends outside of Mazzone are the sons, nephews or brothers of other made guys, he's been around and close with made guys all his life. You can say he's "more like a gang leader then CN", but fact is he's been a made guy for roughly 25 years and outside of the Sodano bullshit, which he was in the right, NY/NJ never had a problem with him as boss. Look at all the bosses from the 80s and 90s, how many are still on the street? Just him, and it's not by accident.

[Pete]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

That's an irrelevant argument that doesn't hold water, try again.

Is it? Merlino and his crew are more like a street gang then CN. He wouldn't have got far in NY with his attitude.

Because no one with his attitude never ran one of the five families?

[B.]

Angelo Bruno's son-in-law Ralph Puppo (whose father Orlando was a made member)

Do you know when Orlando Puppo died? Thanks.


Pogo

Looks like he died in 2000. He was a barber who owned the building where his son Ralph ran the real estate company.

Sal Avena confirmed Puppo's membership, by the way, which is about as close to a member source as you can get without actually being made.

[Pogo The Clown]

Thanks. The guy must have been a real sleeper to go under the radar as a living member all the way until 2000. Granted he would have been inactive since the Bruno era.


Pogo

[TommyGambino]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

That's an irrelevant argument that doesn't hold water, try again.

Is it? Merlino and his crew are more like a street gang then CN. He wouldn't have got far in NY with his attitude.

Because no one with his attitude never ran one of the five families?

You mean people that bet into there friends books and don't pay? you're probably right

[TommyGambino]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

That's an irrelevant argument that doesn't hold water, try again.

Is it? Merlino and his crew are more like a street gang then CN. He wouldn't have got far in NY with his attitude.

Look at my response to Sonny for the NY argument, Joey wouldn't have been what he was if he was a Brooklyn or Bronx guy because the climate of things in NY are different, so there's no comparison worth anyone's time.

Joey's father was the underboss and his uncle was a skipper, his friends outside of Mazzone are the sons, nephews or brothers of other made guys, he's been around and close with made guys all his life. You can say he's "more like a gang leader then CN", but fact is he's been a made guy for roughly 25 years and outside of the Sodano bullshit, which he was in the right, NY/NJ never had a problem with him as boss. Look at all the bosses from the 80s and 90s, how many are still on the street? Just him, and it's not by accident.

So he wouldn't have bet into his friends books or not pay bookies if he was from NY? Sounds like Merlino would have grown up to be a piece of shit, no matter where he's from.

merlino's spent what, 4 years free since being made boss 16 years ago? and got indicted the same year he was made boss.

New York's interest certainly isn't what it was when it comes to Philly.

He allows top members to hang around with KNOWN rats, like i said he comes across more a gang leader then CN boss.

[Pete]

Merlino doesn't sound like a smart guy at all, sounds very lucky to me.

Say what you want about merlino but he's been boss of a family for close to 20 years and he's never been caught on a wire saying anything very incriminating, never been convicted of the numerous hits he's been involved in, and he's not doing life. His guys are loyal to him which is the main reason he's not doing life. Must be doing something right most guys don't make it 5 years. Of course luck plays a role though

Put him as the boss of any other family and he'd fail miserably.

That's an irrelevant argument that doesn't hold water, try again.

Is it? Merlino and his crew are more like a street gang then CN. He wouldn't have got far in NY with his attitude.

Look at my response to Sonny for the NY argument, Joey wouldn't have been what he was if he was a Brooklyn or Bronx guy because the climate of things in NY are different, so there's no comparison worth anyone's time.

Joey's father was the underboss and his uncle was a skipper, his friends outside of Mazzone are the sons, nephews or brothers of other made guys, he's been around and close with made guys all his life. You can say he's "more like a gang leader then CN", but fact is he's been a made guy for roughly 25 years and outside of the Sodano bullshit, which he was in the right, NY/NJ never had a problem with him as boss. Look at all the bosses from the 80s and 90s, how many are still on the street? Just him, and it's not by accident.

So he wouldn't have bet into his friends books or not pay bookies if he was from NY? Sounds like Merlino would have grown up to be a piece of shit, no matter where he's from.

merlino's spent what, 4 years free since being made boss 16 years ago? and got indicted the same year he was made boss.

New York's interest certainly isn't what it was when it comes to Philly.

He allows top members to hang around with KNOWN rats, like i said he comes across more a gang leader then CN boss.

From what I understand he didn't bet into his friends and not pay. Him and his friends bet into guys like previte who weren't even made guys and didn't pay. Guess we're gonna have to agree to disagree though

[B.]

Montreal, Philadelphia... why do these topics all get polluted with nonsense and bullshit? Some of you need to dial it back.

Huge 10 page topics like this should have page after page of interesting discussion and new info, not "what would Merlino be like if he came up in NYC" and "does he seem more like a gang leader or a mob boss?" Listen to yourselves.