"You can't cross examine tapes" . I love it when people say that. Tapes in organized crime cases have often been a problem for the prosecution due to interpretation issues. So, tapes are not always a slam dunk. Far from it.

I didn't say they were Vinny,but it seems like these are ledgeable and anybody with a half a brain can figure out what they are referring to.We'll see how this thing ends up there Vin,but I sort of think that most of them will get what their guidelines call for.I am not a prosacutor,lawyer,nothing but an observer and I leave myself open to be 100 percent wrong.It's just my opinion.Do you have one on what you think the outcome will be,if so I would like to hear it.Yeah I rememember when the jury had a hard time understanding some tapes on Gotti but I guess it helped that Sammy the Bull bribed the jury.

I love George's stuff. I always try to post his new Philly.com Mob Talk videos on this site. He never promotes his books or his website. If you go to his website you can watch older videos. He also helps Dave Stratweiser on Fox on his Mob Scene videos and still write for the paper. Hes very easy to listen to and gives you what you are looking for. And hes been around forever. He knows his stuff.

Some of these guys are in there late 60s and 70s...so if Mousie does get 20 years...that basically life and if Joe gets 10...thats basically life cause hes like 72. Its going to be interesting as I said before because of the dynamic of these guys and there prior arrests, age and who they were actually loyal to and all.

Ligambi could probably get a pretty decent plea deal if he wants to and if he does decide to go that route, I don't see him doing more than three years. At first glance this case doesn't appear to be very strong and with a lawyer like Eddie Jacobs, he could very well walk out of that courtroom a free man. Now, I'm assuming the case is as weak as it appears to be. Who the hell knows. I just hope Lucibello gets rid of that fucking earring. He looks ridiculous.

Dont forget the Sean John Sweat suit homie! lol Gaeton is mean looking son of a bitch...so you can tell him about the earing. I do agree that they can fight this and win and with Jacobs that does appear to be what Ligambi is going for so I doubt he takes a deal. I guess you never know though. Some guys may take a deal but I dont see Ligambi doing that. I think he gets about 10 years or walks. Mousie...that dude will just go due his time I think....34 arrests..damn! He may take a deal cause hes looking at the most time. All and all...i dont know shit! who does...this could go so many different ways.

Gaeton is a monster lol..

I cant see how Joe feels he could win this case and walk.. He is the boss.. I mean cmon.. I would take a plea and take 4 yrs..

Staino is the only one i can see walking here..

Uncle Joe and his wife Olivia are some of the nicest people around South Philly. They lived around my corner up my grandmother's street. I used to play up there when I was 12-13 and Joe used to hook us up with snacks and everything. Great guy who has lived the "mob life" his entire life.

Steven is the nicest son out of all the three. He's an actor in NY and as a matter of fact I saw him a couple days ago. Great kid. Mark's also a very cool guy. He, for the most part, has his head on straight and works for an insurance firm. Joe Jr is a different story. He's a big drunk and has a beer belly that will make you cringe.

Is there anyone here who hates Ligambi? Why don't they just free him immediately. He's more loved than Jesus.

Fuck Obama!
Ligambi 2012

Vinny, this is a great point.. The guy is beloved.. I love the guy.. I also love Staino as well.. All business...

The mouth Borgesi has arrived,now I hope it gets interesting.He should have known better to do all that talking behind bars.They got like 10,000 intercepts on him,Like Jacobs said I know it has to be deciphered and all that but I think Georgie Boy is going to be watching the 2020 Super Bowl behind bars.

yeah it dosent seem like uncle joe has to many haters! good for him!

Here is the article on George by George : ). Right now he has a court apointed attorney at arraignment.

Mobster Borgesi pleads not guilty to racketeering
Sent from prison to appear in Phila. court, he was the last of 13 defendants arraigned in the case.
By George Anastasia

Inquirer Staff Writer

Making his first appearance in a Philadelphia courtroom in nearly a decade, jailed mob leader George Borgesi pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges Wednesday during a brief hearing in U.S. Magistrate Court.

Borgesi, in a green prison jump suit, nodded and smiled at nearly a dozen relatives and friends, including at least two underworld associates, who showed up for the pro forma hearing.

The onetime crime family consigliere is serving a 14-year sentence for a racketeering conviction in 2001. He waived the right to a bail hearing and, with court-appointed attorney Paul J. Hetznecker at his side, pleaded not guilty to the racketeering, conspiracy, and loan-sharking charges in an indictment unsealed last month.

Authorities allege that Borgesi oversaw a mob-connected loan-sharking operation in Delaware County from his federal prison cell in North Carolina.

They charge that Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello, a top Borgesi associate, ran the street operation for him. Monacello made trips to visit Borgesi at the prison and, according to federal prosecutors, funneled part of the profits from the operation to Borgesi's wife.

Monacello, 44, is one of 12 other defendants in the racketeering case. The lead defendant is alleged mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi, 71, Borgesi's uncle.

Borgesi was the last defendant to be arraigned. On Friday, Damion Canalichio, 41, pleaded not guilty. He is completing a federal prison sentence after a drug-dealing conviction and, like Borgesi, was not eligible for bail.

Borgesi, Canalichio, Ligambi, Monacello, and three other defendants are being held without bail pending a trial that is at least a year away.

Six other defendants, including reputed mob capo Anthony Staino, 53, were released and placed under various forms of house arrest and other restrictions.

The racketeering indictment focuses on the economics of the mob, with the charges revolving around sports betting, illegal video poker machines, loans-harking, and extortion.

Unlike earlier racketeering cases, there are no murder, attempted-murder, or assault charges. Prosecutors allege that Ligambi used threats of violence and the violent reputation of the crime family to muscle his way into the video poker machine business and to extort and intimidate gamblers and bookmakers.

Testimony from cooperating witnesses and secretly recorded conversations from body wires and phone taps are expected to make up the bulk of the evidence.

Borgesi, reputed mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, and five others were convicted of similar racketeering charges after a four-month trial that ended in July 2001.

The jury rejected several murder and attempted-murder counts that were part of the case, but convicted the defendants of gambling, loan-sharking, extortion, and the receipt of stolen property.

Merlino, 48, is in a halfway house in Florida, completing a 14-year sentence. The other defendants in that case have completed their sentences.

Borgesi would have been eligible for a halfway house early next year, but his latest indictment makes that unlikely.

It`s funny that artical in the inquirer mentions that quote " Video poker machines are the mob`s ATM"
well I recently watched a documentary on Moe Dalitz in Vegas Where it mentioned that in its heydey "Las Vegas was the mob`s Federal Reserve" This goes lenghths to show how the American Mafia has degenerated from sofisticated corporate racketeers to crude street gang like organizations They`ve gone from a central bank to a corner store ATM.

Back in the '50s, you had several guys who were worth at least $50 million. Lansky put $14 million into the Riviera. That's $85 million in today's money. I couldn't name you one mob guy who is worth this much money today. Maybe Jack Tocco.

Does anyone know eactly what businesses these guys were involved in?

I understand Chang owns the news stand..

I would love to know what Staino was involved in..

Bent Finger, Massimino, Lucibello...

Actually Kathy Chang owns the newstand. LOL. She is very nice person I used to work with her at Memories. She still Bartends there. She is a sweetheart, I never met Johnny though. I think she also bartends at Chickie & Petes.

Yeah Flamingo I have always heard that Kathy Chang is pretty cool and I know she really stands behind him[Johnny Chang]My only thing is their husbands do what they do and let it go at that.I mean don't stick up for them and say what great guys they are and the old line [my husband would never do that,yeah ok].Even during that 01 trial she tried to paint her husband has a saint.She said my mother hit the pick 3 and hid the ticket in a trash can and couldn't find it but Johnny Chang reached into his wallet and handed her 1000.00 dollars.Nice gesture but he'll still put 1 in your ear if he has to.Same with Borgesi's wife,a lot of that delco money was funneled right to her and she played dumb during that 01 trial too.I mean it is what it is but people arn't stupid.

Yes kathy still works at Chickies and Memories during the summer. The news stand is in her mothers name. Both Johnny and Kathy are great people. Ive known them both all my life even before they both met each other and eventally got married.

Thanks for the correct info about the news stand.

I will say that out of all the mob guys in Philly I would say that I do have the most respect for Johnny Chang.He seems like he would make a great boss,I heard while he was in prison he used to settle disputes amongst the different gangs.It's like his word mattered.I know he's had it tough losing his mother,I think in 86,his brother in 93,his other brother severley wounded,and his father basically incarcerated since 83.I didn't want to sound like a hater in my last post its just sometimes the women say things that are just you know,but no dis-respect to him or his wife at all.They do seem like hard-working people.

Hey 22... I agree, Johnny Chang would make a very good boss.He is like Uncle Joe, in the way that everybody respects him.

Johnny Chang is higher up than any of these charts indicate to begin with. Like his father he is the true meaning of a stand up guy. He goes away for a long time, comes out and in a short matter of time Merlino and crew are locked away where he was during this time acting boss. Most of the charges Merlino and Co faced in the 01 trial were during the time Chang spent away but then a few months later he gets jammed up in a RICO act where he is tied in the Vesey murder, Instead of going rat he goes right back in and does his time.

Even the Rat Ralph Natale couldnt say a bad word about him when he was on the stand. Im sure as of how he is boss again especially considering he is completly off parole and can mingle with anyone where as Mazzone cannot.

If I'm not mistaken after he got out in 95 and before he went back in in 01 he wanted to get out altogether.I think it was either North or South Carolina he wanted to go and open up a constuction business but due to parole stipulatons he couldn't and then one thing led to another and he was right back in it.I believe his lawyer brought that up in the 01 trial.I never knew what his extortion charge was but when I looked it up he was involved with Stanley Branche a black activest back in the day.He was Major Coxson and Gus Lacey's buddy,that seemed like an unusual duo ,him and Chang.They were extorting drug dealers in the northeast making them pay street tax for Scarfo.Norman Lit turned informant on that,I remember that name[Joey Pungitore's buddy back in 86].Johnny Chang has definetley been around.

Whoever is the boss Mazzone or Chang,they should take a page out of Lancelotti's book. Whatever he has been doing for the past 20 years seems to be working.

Good Mob Talk. There's footage of Anthony Staino's house. Beautiful home I might add. This guy's stylin'.

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/mob_talk/mob-talk%3A-at-the-heart-of-indictment062311

Staino is a gangster. Love this guy. Looks like all business. He's the cash cow of ligambi crew. Future bOSS

Staino is no future boss, he will be only a soldier when he gets out of prison, Mazzone,Lancelotti,Nicodemo and Chang have more power than Staino. Bobby Ranieri was Staino's bodyguard and Driver and his main guy. Bobby left that life when he got married maybe 5 years ago, he was in the bust.He was indicted for crimes before he walk away from Staino.He is one of the gorilllas Staino brags about on tape. Anyway my point is he was not makin shit staino. Staino's power within the family has always been bullshit.

Youre right on that account. People have to realize that Stanio holds such a high position because of his clean record and Ligambi and Stanios uncle Ralph made their bones together. Stanio has never been a real cash cow he just had the blood lines and started out as Ligambi's driver. Ligambi was smart to elevate him since Stanio has no record and is a great go between kwith a low risk rat factor. Stanio will see little time if convicted and wont rat but he will never be considered boss material until perhaps he hits his 70's and nobody is left.

I dont see how Staino has no power?

The video poker machines were the cash cow of the Philly Mob.. 3 people really benefited from that and that was Mousie Ligambi and STAINO..

So to say he had no power is crazy. If he had no power why was he one of the 3? This business also made him a ton of money. George has mentioned hes a cash cow as well. He meets Ligambi every week, runs South Jersey as well.. The underboss basically..

At Stainos wedding people from New York sent guys as well.. A major event, if he was a nobody with no power why did this happen? To say Nicodemo is more powerful is crazy..

Future boss? Yes .. When Chang and Mazzone go to jail.. Staino will be the guy out of jail and take over... Obv Lancoletti doesnt wanna be boss. So who else ???