This week’s episode of Mob Talk featuring George Anastasia and Dave Schratwieser includes some Philadelphia mafia history and new rumors of a potential rat.
The FBI brought in a seasoned supervisory agent from New York last year to oversee a newly formed organized crime strike force that seemingly has its sights set on the mafia in Philadelphia. There have been rumors floating around ever since then about the feds building a new case against the Philly mafia and now those rumors are expanding. According to the guys, there might be a mid-level mobster cooperating with the feds that could potentially provide new evidence along with backing up information from previous testimonies. There hasn’t been a name tied to these rumors yet and it is still unclear how close the feds may be to having any kind of case but as the old saying goes where there’s smoke there’s fire. With Joey Merlino already facing an upcoming trial and mounting rumors, there may be some wiseguys in The City of Brotherly Love on edge.
We have seen multiple reports of the feds continuing investigations into the still-unsolved murders of John “Johnny Gongs” Casasanto, Raymond “Long John” Martorano, and Ronnie Turchi. The feds believe these gangland hits could involve some high ranking members of the current Cosa Nostra family including Joseph Ligambi and other top associates. But these murders go back several years and as Anastasia noted the feds would probably need guys who were in on these hits to take the witness stand connecting the bodies to the family hierarchy and corroborating other pieces of evidence. According to George, the mid-level guy in these rumors may not fit that bill especially since the feds seem to lack in secondary witnesses that could back up the turncoat’s story in court. But if someone is talking then the potential for major problems to arise certainly exists and as history has shown when it comes to the mafia today there is always another potential rat looming somewhere.
Related: Mafia cop Stephen Caracappa passes away behind bars
Feds are prob still pissed that Ligambi walked away free after that last case and they would like nothing more then to take another run at him along with hitting Joey with as many new charges as possible. But as Goerge mentioned I am not sure some mid-level guy will be doing that kind of damage but once one guy starts talking then dominoes can begin to fall and who knows where the next rat crawls out from. Def worth keeping on eye on Philly in next year or so.
First …The Stuykell expressway. Attempted Hit on John Stanfa during rush hour with Van with portholes custom built for shooting out of by alleged Merlino crew cannot be prosecuted statue of Limatations has expired….Next attempted Hit on Nicky Scarfo JR. At Dante Liugis Halloween nite.Again even tho Scarfo took multiple bullets from 9 mm machine pistol….Statued of Limatations has also Expired…so Take those attempted murder hits off the menu…..Joey was in the big House during time frame of Johnny Gongs and Long john so Ligambi has more to worry about….Joey Merlino has much less of chance of murder conviction than uncle joe Ligambi…..The Feds are pushing the Rat Storey to psychologically try to cause panic and try to flip other weak associate
Yeah their main target in those murder investigations is Ligambi which they seem to have made pretty clear and prob guys like Mikey Lance and may be even Mazzone. But eventually all roads lead back to Joey esp if he beats the feds out on his upcoming case.
That’s exactly what the Feds do. They can’t beat these guys fair and square by the law so they gotta resort to lying and other scumbag tactics to try and stir the pot Whatever happened to good police work? Lol. Fed’s are really pathetic.
La Cosa Nostra are all a bunch of rats so what’s new. Maybe that’s not completely accurate so I’ll put it this way: The vast, vast majority of La Cosa Nostra are rats. You’d think they’d have enough pride or honor to be like, “Damn, the whole world is talking shit about us, about how weak we are and how we’re unable to do time. We need to get our shit together.” But I guess pride and honor are two things that are lost on the Mafia. I think it would suit the Mob well to find people who just don’t give a fuck if they go to prison forever. Imagine how much more of a force they’d be if they weren’t afraid of prison time. Oh well, stay in school folks.
The vast majority are NOT rats! It’s actually the other way around. Out of 800 to 1000 made guys in NY maybe 1% turn out to be rats. The majority are stand up guys who stick to the oath. All you gotta do is the math.You don’t know what your talking about.
I’m talking about La Cosa Nostra as a whole, not just NYC. I wonder if I actually sat down and made a list of all the mobsters who flipped, how long would that list be? Probably long enough to make you reconsider. And that’s not counting the informants whose status as rats are never revealed to the public. Who knows how many of those there are. Gregory Scarpa was a rat for decades before he was finally exposed.
I’m not trying to offend anyone. I find these figures just as repulsive as anyone else. Regardless if it’s the majority or not, the fact remains that there are far too damn many for my liking.
I don’t agree with your “vast majority ” comment but do agree that those that “rat” are the ones facing the least amount of time. Which shows Those that are “all in” are the Ones a Leader can trust. That’s why Merlino/Leaders will find out who’s talking but hopefully before Fed’s realize it. Then again these Murders happened when he was predisposed by Fed’s. So unless he wanted/ordered them he’s somewhat safe.
A guy just recorded his own induction ceremony so shut the hell up. Clinton is right they’re all a bunch of rats. They’ve lost all credibility.
OK, 1 guy outta who knows how many that got made. Yes, there is a rat problem but most guys go away and do their time like a man. There is a reason they have been around 100 years. U sound like your rooting for the rats.
Jeff your right…..Not on single man in joe Merlino crew has ever ratted…Joey did amored car theft did time mouth shut…Joe did 11 years in Federal penitentiary mouth shut….Johnny Chang to prision stints mouth shut…George Borgesi 14 years and 2 years solitary confinement….never spoke…gayton Lucibello and Marty Angelina never talked…Sonny mezzone.it was john stand a bunch had weak scumbag rats…and nick scarfo had the nick crow rat and tommy Delgiorno rat….so Joey is a stand up guy no matter what people think…and his inner circle never cracked…..men of honor in my book
I agree. That inner circle is tight. They know how to keep themselves insulated.. Joey fucked up bringing that Rubeo asshole around but hopefully he comes out OK …
Rubeo way vouched for as stand up guy by New York so joey got the word from them…so they have blame also
not only that but the mob fly’s way under the radar nowadays. how many mob bust do you hear? not so many involving top guys. if the mob was only rats im not sure how they would exist especially after the tremendous pressure the feds put on them in the 80`s open until 2001
You’re a f*****g idiot if you think they’re are more rats than stand up guys. It’s not even close.
I’m with you 100% LCN RIGHT TO THE POINT
Okay, one rat feels like 20. Maybe it just feels like there’s more than there actually is.
(You don’t know what your talking about.) as usual
Jeff …I meant john Stanfa. Had veasey that shit head….and many rats …