Mob Sitdown - Philly LCN Landscape in 2018

[NJShore4Life]

Great Mob sitdown by George A this week, thought it deserved a new thread:

https://youtu.be/fwss_O8gvT0

[Wiseguy]

Thanks for posting NJShore4Life.

Really interesting stuff. Here's what I got out of it...

Joey Merlino - still the boss, though not necessarily in good standing with older Scarfo era guys, but most of them are inactive or legit

Michael Lancelotti - street boss, introduced by Merlino to Rubeo at the Rigoletto's Christmas party as "the boss of Philadelphia"

Joe Ligambi - basically retired, possibly still serving in an unofficial consigliere role when needed

Steve Mazzone and John Ciancaglini - both have stepped back, don't want to be boss, Anastasia doesn't see them as major players anymore

George Borgesi - also "off the chart," seems to be only involved in his legit businesses

Dominic Grande - the fact he also attended the part with Merlino and Lancelotti shows he has standing in the family, has been identified as a captain, the face of the new generation in the family

Phil Narducci and Joe Pungitore - gone legit

25-30 members active

[NJShore4Life]

It’s really hard for me to see Steve Mazzone “stepping back” the guy has always been a player and you want me to believe he’s going to live his lifestyle on a personal trainer’s salary (yes that’s his legit job he says he does)

[NJShore4Life]

Mazzone lives large, no way he’s going to be accomplishing that on a personal trainer’s pay at the gym....

[Wiseguy]

Well, as Anastasia said, it's not an exact science an subject to change. He and Shratweiser appeared to be combining what they had heard with their own opinions up to this point. Still interesting stuff in absence of more concrete info or an indictment.

[NickyEyes1]

Is that the news station following these guys all the time or are they getting surveillance vids?

[Frank]

Merlino draws attention. The rest of the big names laying low.some maybe retired, some moving their money into legitimate business. Why do I feel sorry for Lancelotti.

[Teddy Persico]

Is that the news station following these guys all the time or are they getting surveillance vids?

Dave S and his cameraman post up at their regular hangouts to get some video footage of them.

[Chucky]

I have trouble seeing Borgesi going legit given that he's been with Merlino in Florida quite a bit, met with Patsy Parrello in Philly, met with Joe Bilotti down in Florida, and has been in contact with their Boston guys...all of this reported by Anastasia and Capeci. Fuck, in this video there is footage of Borgesi (and Mazzone) having a walk and talk with Dom Grande. There has been similar smoke with the Scarfo guys, but who knows?

[Ivan]

I have trouble seeing Borgesi going legit given that he's been with Merlino in Florida quite a bit, met with Patsy Parrello in Philly, met with Joe Bilotti down in Florida, and has been in contact with their Boston guys...all of this reported by Anastasia and Capeci. Fuck, in this video there is footage of Borgesi (and Mazzone) having a walk and talk with Dom Grande. There has been similar smoke with the Scarfo guys, but who knows?

Yeah, their interpretation struck me as really conservative. Though I guess it beats "when will the bodies start dropping?" style sensationalism.

[TJ]

nj - great find thank you...
ok, i think that this was the best in a while by these 2...i will agree with nj though, stevie is no way taking a back seat, not in his make up...they have a good interpration of chang, with his dad a lot, not totally downtown in the mix like everyone else, but not sure if he takes a back seat to anyone, just more low key..its crazy after 25 year they still say george's name wrong..and yes, george doing legit work, although of course people find it hard to believe...far as phil n goes, these 2 seem to always want to beat that drum, its gone from his own faction lol to him being legit...the legit part is true, but there is no friction with he and this other group, most have been in there for a bite, some multiple times...pung...is on his own....not mentioned joe grande, who is obviously friendly with everyone as well...

[Chucky]

I have trouble seeing Borgesi going legit given that he's been with Merlino in Florida quite a bit, met with Patsy Parrello in Philly, met with Joe Bilotti down in Florida, and has been in contact with their Boston guys...all of this reported by Anastasia and Capeci. Fuck, in this video there is footage of Borgesi (and Mazzone) having a walk and talk with Dom Grande. There has been similar smoke with the Scarfo guys, but who knows?

Yeah, their interpretation struck me as really conservative. Though I guess it beats "when will the bodies start dropping?" style sensationalism.

I was surprised too. Just a couple years ago Anastasia said there was a ruling panel in place and the guy were Mazzone, Chang, and Narducci and that Ligambi was consigliere...but now that is not the case? Borgesi is meeting with NY guys and Merlino, and I'm supposed to believe that shitbag actually went straight? Him? Of all people...

Licata said the first thing Joe Pungitore did after getting out of prison was meet with Ligambi and Staino and tried to convince them to clip Joe Grande, and he fought Grande in jail for not being loyal to Merlino/Ligambi. Does that sound like a guy who plans on going completely legit?

I'm not saying they're wrong, they could be right. What I am saying is that they both are contradicting themselves quite a bit here, based off their own reporting for the past 2-3 years. The Stefanelli tapes from 2010/11 had all those guys blabbing about the status of things then, and the picture painted by Licata about Mazzone and Pungitore (Borgesi and Johnny Chang were't mentioned) didn't sound like two guys running off into retirement.

For what it's worth, Frank Narducci violated his supervised release twice and I think it happened once for Sal Scafidi, We haven't heard much about that Grande drug case in a bit either.

[PHL_Mob]

I know that Phil and Johnny Garbs hang out and are close. As Chucky said, Joey pung on the Licata/Fazzini detention memo says a lot to me despite being 8 years ago. I saw Nicky Whip 2 weeks ago and he was sitting down with two other connected guys- they could have been talking about what pepporoni they’re putting on the pizza or Fam business I don’t know but the it was an interesting sighting. I just think it’s a little ridiculous to say just because these guys have and are involved with legitimate businesses then they must be “out”. If anything, they’ve all done serious time and just smarted up and realized you have to show legitimate income and you have to have legit “day jobs” as opposed to sitting outside of some social club all day. Joe Massino made every one of his guys have a legit job. Too easy for the Feds if you don’t do that- so this is not like a new phenomenon by any means just smart.

[NJShore4Life]

nj - great find thank you...
ok, i think that this was the best in a while by these 2...i will agree with nj though, stevie is no way taking a back seat, not in his make up...they have a good interpration of chang, with his dad a lot, not totally downtown in the mix like everyone else, but not sure if he takes a back seat to anyone, just more low key..its crazy after 25 year they still say george's name wrong..and yes, george doing legit work, although of course people find it hard to believe...far as phil n goes, these 2 seem to always want to beat that drum, its gone from his own faction lol to him being legit...the legit part is true, but there is no friction with he and this other group, most have been in there for a bite, some multiple times...pung...is on his own....not mentioned joe grande, who is obviously friendly with everyone as well...

What is the correct way to pronounce Borgesi’s name?

[Pogo The Clown]

Johnny Chang has really deteriorated in recent years. He looks almost as old as his dad.


Pogo