Uncle Joe won’t be going home anytime soon. Reputed Phialdephia mafia boss Joseph Ligambi was denied bail by a federal judge in Philadelphia on Monday.
Ligambi is said by authorities to have served as the acting boss of the Philadelphia crime family since 1999 when then boss Joseph “Skinny Joe” Merlino went to prison. Ligambi was acquitted of several charges involving racketeering conspiracy , loan sharking , and illegal gambling by a jury last month but that same jury were also deadlocked on some charges. Now Ligambi is facing a retrial along with fellow reputed Philly mobster George Borgesi on those deadlocked charges that has been set for April. The judge made it clear that he still found Ligambi to be a danger to the community when denying his bail request.
“Joseph Ligambi”
It is unknown as to who now runs the Philadelphia mafia with Ligambi sitting in prison and Joey Merlino down in Florida seemingly retired. Some mob insiders believe that Merlino may be running the family again from Florida through associates on the streets in Philly. Some high ranking members of the crime family were convicted by a jury last month including Joseph “Mousie” Massimino and Anthony Staino. Authorities claim that Massimino held rank of underboss and Staino captain in the Philly mafia. These convictions leave some voids to be filled with in the crime family and possibly some instability.
