Couple other mentions of Lance


What follows is a partial transcript from that meeting, with Licata reminiscing about the 2007 "making" ceremony at which Fazzini and others were formally inducted into the Philadelphia crime family, refered to in the document as "LCN" (La Cosa Nostra).
Licata notes that Fazzini and Eric Esposito, a co-defendant in the racketeering case, were made at the same ceremony conducted by Ligambi. He states that Anthony Staino, another codefendant, also was present, along with Michael Lancelotti. Staino and Lancelotti, referred to as "Lance," have been described as capos or captains in the Ligambi orgnaization.


Licata: No. They brought him in. Lance [Michael Lancelotti] brought him in.
Fazzini: Yeah. Yeah.
Licata: He came late. He came late with him.
Fazzini: Yeah. And then, uh –
Licata: Lance. Caporegime.


Turncoat Philly mob associate and drug dealer Mike Orlando told jurors at a 2012 trial that the younger Lancellotti smashed the windshield of his car with a baseball bat when he fell behind on loan payments (Lancellotti wasn’t involved in the trial proceedings). Orlando testified that Lancellotti requested that he help in a conspiracy to falsely raise his uncle’s credit score, too.

Eric Esposito, who is still awaiting trail on gambling charges, ran the club, according to evidence. Martin Angelina, a mobster indicted in the current case and who pleaded guilty several months ago, was one of the club's owners.

Tapes played for the jury Thursday included discussions about a patron named Ralphie who was causing problems and picking fights in the club. In one conversation Canalichio described Ralphie as a "fuckin' junkie" and told Esposito that he wanted to "crack his head." In other conversations he asked both Angelina and mobster Michael Lancelotti to help with the problem.


The last piece of evidence shown to the jury Wednesday before the prosecution rested was a video surveillance tape made by the Philadelphia Police Department's Organized Crime Unit. The tape showed Ligambi and others entering the Saloon, a South Philadelphia restaurant, for what authorities said was a mob Christmas party on Dec. 17, 2009.

Police Officer Cynthia Felicetti, who worked the surveillance detail, identified the individuals she saw going into and coming out of the restaurant that night. She said she and her partner were tailing Ligambi and Staino. Staino drove to the Saloon and, over the course of the next three hours, she said, they watched and video-taped mobsters entering and leaving the restaurant. The tape shown to the jury included shots of Ligambi, Staino, Fazzini and Licata.

Others seen that night, she said, included Angelina, Massimino, Gaeton Lucibello (who also pleaded guilty pre-trial), Steven Mazzone, Michael Lancelotti, Frank Narducci Jr. and the late Frank Gambino.