Attempt on Mike Ciancaglini

[Pogo The Clown]

Was it ever revealed who where the two gunmen that chased Mike Ciancaglini and fired into his house back in 1992? According to Tommy Scafadi Mike suspected that his brother Joey Chang (who would have been the UnderBoss at the time) was one of them but who knows. Thanks.


Pogo

[Rocco]

Still cant past how stupid these Chang bros were trying to kill each other. Unreal.

[brianwellbrock]

All those guys were dumb. I mean imagine Merlino actually running a shy or sports book or running numbers. I cant even see him in his younger days breaking down kilos and distributing it. Just having his hand out and asking for a cut. It almost seems that the guys who revolted against Stanfa did more or less because they just thought by being made money would be handed to them and didnt want to come up with their own schemes.

[B.]

All those guys were dumb. I mean imagine Merlino actually running a shy or sports book or running numbers. I cant even see him in his younger days breaking down kilos and distributing it. Just having his hand out and asking for a cut. It almost seems that the guys who revolted against Stanfa did more or less because they just thought by being made money would be handed to them and didnt want to come up with their own schemes.

None of the Ciancaglinis would be considered "dumb". Made bad choices in life? For sure.

Pogo, I don't think it ever came out. I think that Mike Chang thought one of the guys was built like his brother or something. I suspect Martines was one of them.

[Dwalin2014]

All those guys were dumb. I mean imagine Merlino actually running a shy or sports book or running numbers. I cant even see him in his younger days breaking down kilos and distributing it. Just having his hand out and asking for a cut. It almost seems that the guys who revolted against Stanfa did more or less because they just thought by being made money would be handed to them and didnt want to come up with their own schemes.

Merlino wasn't always that smart to keep his hands clean. It's alleged he was the triggerman in the Scarfo Jr shooting, didn't send somebody else but did it himself.

[Rocco]

Merlino has just enjoyed a shit load of luck ...plain and simple. Technically he should have been killed in the 90s. His luck will run out again soon. He's not fooling anyone with his restaurant job. Multiple LE agency's have a hard on for him. None of these guys are riding off into the sunset at the end of the day. They are all doomed for prison.

[brianwellbrock]

Borgesi and Johnny chang would of been made first had Scarfo not gone down Imo. They were active in book and other things in the 80's than Merlino and his friends just came in and tried collecting the street tax. Ojce Stanfa took over if they werent a bunch of common thugs who actually followed orders and tried setting upvtheir own shit Philly could of gotten back to their Scarfo size and dominance. But once thy took over they just looked for anybody who they could get money out of. Say what you want about Borgesi but he still earned in prison and seemed to of been a notch aboved the others in the 80's.

[Pogo The Clown]

Pogo, I don't think it ever came out. I think that Mike Chang thought one of the guys was built like his brother or something. I suspect Martines was one of them.

Yeah you'd figure with all of the Stanfa guy's who flipped someone would have revealed it.

Borgesi and Johnny chang would of been made first had Scarfo not gone down Imo. They were active in book and other things in the 80's than Merlino and his friends just came in and tried collecting the street tax. Ojce Stanfa took over if they werent a bunch of common thugs who actually followed orders and tried setting upvtheir own shit Philly could of gotten back to their Scarfo size and dominance. But once thy took over they just looked for anybody who they could get money out of. Say what you want about Borgesi but he still earned in prison and seemed to of been a notch aboved the others in the 80's.

Pretty spot on. I remember back in the early 2000s how Gaeton Lucibello was cought on tape complaining about how Merlino screwed up the bookmaking business in Philly because of his antics.


Pogo

[B.]

Borgesi and Johnny chang would of been made first had Scarfo not gone down Imo. They were active in book and other things in the 80's than Merlino and his friends just came in and tried collecting the street tax. Ojce Stanfa took over if they werent a bunch of common thugs who actually followed orders and tried setting upvtheir own shit Philly could of gotten back to their Scarfo size and dominance. But once thy took over they just looked for anybody who they could get money out of. Say what you want about Borgesi but he still earned in prison and seemed to of been a notch aboved the others in the 80's.

Ralph Pungitore was one of the young guys who was proposed to be made before Scarfo went down, but not sure who else was officially "proposed". John Ciancaglini would have inevitably gotten made at some point. The way things were looking at the time, Scarfo would have eventually made Tommy Scafidi, too. I doubt Borgesi would have been one of the first to be made. He had a great teacher in Joe Ligambi, who had a reputation as a smart bookmaker even before he was a somebody in the mob, but that's about it.

[Pogo The Clown]

It is interesting to think who else would have gotten made if Scarfo and co had stayed on the street for a few more years (say until the early/mid 90s).


As you said Ralph Pungitore was proposed and would have been one of them. George Freselone would have been another one since he was also proposed. I think Scarfo would have made Nicky Jr. As you said Tommy Scafidi would have gotten made as well considering how close he was to the Scarfos. Maybe Joey Chang and Mike Chang. Any thoughts on some of the others? As we know Scarfo certainly wasn't stingy about giving out buttons.


Pogo

[brianwellbrock]

Id say in'87 Ralph Pungitore and Freselone since they were proposed and maybe within a few months Tommy Scafidi and Nicky Jr. By the 90's all of the Changs perhaps though it seems like Michael was more of a punk.

Id say out of the guys who the media would refer to as the young turks, Borgesi would have gotten his first. Remember Scarfo hated Merlino so unless he patched things up with Chuckie no way Joey would of gotten it.

Safe to say if Scarfo lasted until '90-'91 a 10 to 15 guys would of gotten made.

A better question would be had Crow and Del not flipped when would Scarfo of gotten busted?

[Pogo The Clown]

A better question would be had Crow and Del not flipped when would Scarfo of gotten busted?

Nope. A least not a for a few years. It was their info that led to the Rouse extortion indictment, the Testa murder indictment (which they beat), the meth ring indictment (which most of them beat), the Frankie Flowers (which they lost the first time and beat the second time) and of course the big RICO indictment.


When you think about Scarfo was the real Teflon Don with all of the cases he beat (Salerno, Meth, Testa and DAlfonso) and unlike Gotti the fix wasn't in when he won.


Pogo

[brianwellbrock]

Scarfo was impossible to pick up on wiretap. Same with Leonetti. The feds would of had to go after Del and faffy and hopefully get them on something big ans hope a crew member flipped. The challenge would of been being able to pin a murder on somebody abd wrap it in a rico.

[Chucky]

Caramandi was the key, DelGiorno was a mutt and would have sunk as the star witness, he had too much working against him.

Anyway, to your other discussion, John & Joe Chang were already pretty serious guys by the mid 80s, and Vinny Iannece was well on his way at that point, he was a leg breaker for his old man. I'd imagine Scarfo would bring his son in as well if he had lasted longer.

[Chucky]

Another thing, the guys Stanfa surrounded himself with like Martines, Pagano, or Gino Tripodi would have stayed on the fringe.