George Anastasia and Dave Schratwieser talk about the impact of legalized sports betting on the Philadelphia mafia and more on this latest episode of Mob Talk. We discussed the broad impact of legal sports gambling on organized crime in an earlier report here at About the Mafia but smaller families like Philly could be … [Read more…]
Illegal sports betting and loan sharking have long been two of the most vital rackets for the Mafia. They so often go hand and hand providing Cosa Nostra with millions of dollars in illicit profits per year. It’s been called the mafia’s bread and butter and it was just dealt what some consider to … [Read more…]
The recent release of Andrew Scoppa put another potential key player in the Montreal mafia back on the streets. Authorities consider Scoopa to be the head of an independent Calabrian mafia clan and an increasingly important mobster in Montreal. He was busted back in 2017 on drug charges and had been held without bail … [Read more…]
The Lucchese crime family had viable leadership in place and seemed to be one of the more stable of the New York Mafia families. That changed when the feds dropped a major racketeering indictment last year targeting members of the Cosa Nostra families current administration. Lucchese family acting boss Matthew Madonna, underboss Steven (Stevie … [Read more…]
This week’s episode of Mob Talk with experts George Anastasia and Dave Schratwieser takes a look at Joey Merlino and his recent guilty plea. The alleged Philadelphia mafia boss decided against going to trial for the second time and plead guilty to a single gambling charge. His first trial ended in a hung jury … [Read more…]
Joey Merlino the alleged boss of the Philadelphia Mafia got an offer he couldn’t refuse and pleads guilty today in New York. According to a report from Dave Schratwieser Joey plead guilty to using a cell phone to place a bet. Merlino decided to plead guilty to a crime for the first time ever … [Read more…]
Vincent Asaro came away with an eight-year prison sentence from last years arson case and he isn’t happy about it. The 83-year-old Bonanno crime family captain wants an appeals court judge to resentence him. He thinks the sentence given to him by Judge Allyne Ross was over the top for the charges he plead … [Read more…]
The Rizzuto crime family has seemingly been on the losing end of a long-running Montreal mafia war. The organized crime family lost several high ranking mobsters over the last few years including longtime godfather Vito Rizzuto. Their control over the mafia in Montreal is at the very least wavering and likely at an end … [Read more…]
Ralph Santaniello one of the new leaders of the Springfield mafia faction controlled by the Genovese crime family was sentenced on Tuesday. Authorities had been investigating the New York Mafia linked crew for several years and were finally able to make a case back in 2016. Santaniello and fellow mobster Giovanni “Johnny Cal” Calabrese … [Read more…]
Former New England Mafia boss Francis (Cadillac Frank) Salemme seems to be up against it as he heads to trial. The 84-year-old mobster who was the head of the Patriarca crime family in the early 1990s has been charged with murder. According to prosecutors Salemme, Paul Weadick, and Francis Salemme Jr. murdered Boston club … [Read more…]
The Philadelphia mafia once again has a rat problem according to the latest mafia bust. On this episode of Mob Talk with George Anastasia and Dave Schratwieser we get an inside look at the bust and its impact. According to reports, the New Jersey-based mafia crew was dealing drugs that included crystal meth, fentanyl, … [Read more…]
Joseph Merlino the alleged boss of the Philadelphia mafia has agreed to a plea deal according to recent reports. Merlino squared off against the feds in the East Coast LCN Enterprise case and walked away with a hung jury. The outcome wasn’t exactly a win for Merlino because the jury was seemingly closer to … [Read more…]
A Lucchese crime family crew running an extensive illegal gambling and loan sharking operation in Bronx and Westchester County has been dismantled. According to reports 61-year-old Dominick Capelli a made man in the Lucchese family and nine mafia associates were indicted and arrested. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the year-long investigation dubbed “Operation … [Read more…]
Ronald Giallanzo an alleged acting captain in the Bonanno crime family along with two soldiers have agreed to plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges. According to court documents Giallanzo, Michael Palmaccio, and Nicholas Festa all admitted to being part of a Bonanno family crew that operated out of Howard Beach, Queens. According to the … [Read more…]
According to reports the feds have busted a New Jersey-based crew of the Philadelphia Mafia on various drug-related charges. Among those arrested were Joseph (Joey Electric) Servidio and Salvatore (Sam) Piccolo both referred to in the indictment as made men and soldiers in the Philly mafia. According to the indictment the defendants are being … [Read more…]