How did Ant get made - Has his name been mentioned in doing any "work". He's away for a while now. Wonder if he gets back involved when he gets out. Still a younger guy but Ligambi will be gone by the time he's out. I'm not sure he's all that close with Stevie and the current street guys

Actually he has been around the merino guys for a while. Back to the war with stanfa. Not sure about work he has done but he is a moneymaker and will be welcomed back by whoever is in charge.

He was a union guy back in the 90s. I think he was forced to resign because some indictment or something.

Thanks guys

U.s. Dealing To Oust Chiefs Of Casino Union

By George Anastasia, Inquirer Staff Writer
POSTED: April 02, 1991
Federal authorities are trying to negotiate the removal of the leaders of the largest and most powerful labor union in Atlantic
City without a lengthy hearing into allegations that the local is mob-controlled.

If settlements could be worked out, several law enforcement sources said yesterday, officials with Local 54 of the Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees International Union would give up their posts. That would avert testimony in a potentially damaging civil court hearing that had been set for today in U.S. District Court in Trenton.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, N.J., declined to comment on the case yesterday. He said, however, that prosecutors would request that the hearing be delayed until Friday.

Officials with Local 54 could not be reached for comment. A rally in support of the union officials, planned for yesterday on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, was canceled late last week, apparently as negotiations intensified.

In a civil racketeering suit filed in December, federal authorities asked for the ouster of every union officer, charging that Local 54 has been controlled by organized crime for 20 years.

Defendants included union president Roy Silbert, vice president Felix Bocchicchio Jr., secretary-treasurer Thelma Hilferty and union executive board members Daniel Daidone, Anthony Staino Jr. and Karlos LaSane. Several other former union officials, including former president Frank Gerace, and a number of mob figures, including imprisoned Philadelphia-South Jersey mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo and his son, Nicodemo S. Scarfo, are also defendants.

Local 54 represents about 22,000 hotel, bar and restaurant workers throughout South Jersey, including about 14,000 casino-hotel workers. The union collected more than $3 million in dues last year, and Local 54 employers paid about $20 million into the international union's health, welfare and benefit funds.

Federal authorities have charged that both Scarfo and his predecessor, the late Philadelphia mob boss Angelo Bruno, exercised hidden control of the union and siphoned hundreds of thousands of dollars from its treasury. Union officials have denied the charges.

Witnesses who were expected to testify about the mob's involvement in Local 54 included Philip Leonetti, the underboss of the Scarfo crime family, Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino, a former capo, or captain, of the Scarfo organization, and confessed mob hitmen Willard Moran Jr. and Charles Allen, all of whom are now cooperating with federal authorities.

Sources familiar with the case said yesterday that negotiations between attorneys for the union officials and the U.S. Attorney's Office have been going on for several weeks. Those sources, who asked not to be identified, said it would be premature to discuss details or potential settlements.

The government wants the court to force union officials named in the suit to give up their posts and agree to never again seek union office. Federal authorities were also seeking a court-appointed monitor to temporarily oversee the union's operations.

Two defendants in the case, former union officials Frank Lentino and Frank Materio, have signed consent decrees, according to federal authorities. Both have been identified as Scarfo associates.

Lentino, 80, recently was released from prison after serving seven years for trying to bribe former Atlantic City Mayor Michael J. Matthews in a mob- controlled political-corruption scheme.

Materio, 69, was a Local 54 business agent and a member of the union's executive board in the mid-1980s.

Both he and Gerace, the former president, were forced to step down by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, which ruled that both men had close ties to Scarfo. Materio and Gerace later were permitted to work for the union in matters not related to casinos. Materio retired in the late 1980s. Gerace is now an administrative assistant to Edward Hanley, president of the Cincinnati- based Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees International Union. Hanley also has been named as a defendant in the civil suit

A.c. Union Official Will Quit Post

By George Anastasia, Inquirer Staff Writer
POSTED: April 03, 1991
TRENTON — One official with the Atlantic City bartenders' union has agreed to step down and several others are negotiating settlements that would remove them from office, federal authorities said yesterday as they continued to press a civil racketeering suit that charges the union is mob-controlled.

Anthony Staino Jr., a business agent and member of the executive board of Local 54 of the Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees International Union, has signed a consent decree in which he has agreed to give up his union posts, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome L. Merin. Another board member, Karlos LaSane, has agreed to do so, Merin said.

Merin made the announcements in U.S. District Court after a hearing into charges against Local 54 was delayed until Friday. In seeking the delay, Merin told Judge Garrett E. Brown Jr. that lawyers for the local and the government were in the midst of "serious talks as to the resolution" of the case.

Neither Merin nor attorneys for the defendants would comment publicly on those talks. Privately, however, several said agreements with all Local 54's officers - which would avert a hearing - were likely.

U.S. Attorney Michael Chertoff would not discuss the particulars of the proposed agreements but said the government would continue to press for a court-appointed monitor to temporarily oversee the operations of the 22,000- member local. New union elections are scheduled for June.

Local 54 president Roy Silbert could not be reached for comment yesterday. Federal authorities have charged that he became president in 1984 only after he was approved by mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo.

Staino, authorities said, also had Scarfo's blessing. In the civil suit, authorities charged that Scarfo crime family soldier Ralph "Junior" Staino arranged his nephew's appointment.

Scarfo and Ralph Staino are in prison on racketeering convictions.

If Silbert agreed to step down, he would give up an annual salary of about $92,000. In 1989, he also collected expense reimbursements of more than $11,000. Staino's salary was about $47,000, according to the union's latest annual filing, and he received an additional $8,000 in expenses and allowances.

Under terms of the consent decrees being worked out, sources say, union officials will step down and will be enjoined from participating "in any way, directly or indirectly, in the management and/or control of the affairs of Local 54." They will not, however, have to admit to any of the charges in the 66-page civil complaint suit and will be permitted to remain members of the union.

That was back in 1991.. I seen a piece of fbi video in a philly documentary at a xmas party in 1995 and you see Ligambi and Staino having a conversation together.. The only other thing i can find on Staino from the 90's was this next article im about to post.

Jail Pal Eyed In Turchi Hit Roger Vella Had A Last Dinner With Victim

by Kitty Caparella, and Nicole Weisensee, Daily News Staff Writers
POSTED: November 23, 1999
Roger Vella Jr. - the mob associate who wanted to go back to prison to be with Joey Merlino - is the lead suspect in the Oct. 22 gangland slaying of onetime mob consigliere Ronald Turchi, say law enforcement sources.

The night before Turchi disappeared, Vella, 28, ate dinner with Turchi, 61, at the Saloon, a South Philadelphia restaurant, two witnesses said.

Turchi, demoted to soldier, and Vella were allegedly associated with a sports gambling business in South Philadelphia with reputed mob associate Anthony Staino, said street and law enforcement sources.


"Both were bothering people," a witness said. "I wouldn't be surprised if [Vella] set him up."

From late August through early October, Vella "smacked around" associates of the sports gambling business in an attempt to collect the mob's street tax, the same source said. "Those guys are scared to death of him."

Vella's street name is "Outta His Mind." Reputed acting mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino called Vella "outta his mind" in an FBI tape recording made public.

Vella and Turchi, a bookmaker, met nearly every day to discuss the illegal sports gambling business, the source continued. "They were pretty close. They went out to eat at Nifty Fifty's, the Saloon, and Turchi came to [Vella's] house and ate."

Investigators are looking into Turchi's relationship with Vella and others in an attempt to piece together his last days and find his killer or killers.

Authorities have theorized that Turchi was targeted so he couldn't cooperate with the government and testify against other members of the crime family.

On Oct. 22, the day of his disappearance, Turchi had a luncheon date with an undisclosed person to discuss getting into the imported olive oil business, said a law enforcement source.

Investigators have narrowed the window in which they believe Turchi was killed to a 10-hour period between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Oct. 22, the source added.

The last time anyone is known to have seen Turchi alive was 11 a.m. when Deborah Vitagliano told police he left her South Philadelphia home for a lunch appointment.

At 9 p.m. that night, police, unaware Turchi was missing, ticketed his wife's car, a 1992 black Toyota on Passyunk Avenue near Christian, law enforcement sources said.

Three days later, Turchi's wife reported him and the car missing. Police "found" the car the next day on Oct. 26, at the same location where it had been ticketed, the sources said.

Police discovered Turchi's naked body, shot twice in the head, with his hands and feet tied with white rope and a white plastic bag over his head, in the trunk.

Investigators want to know if Turchi's nakedness was a mob message, or just a sign of disrespect.

Turchi and Vella became friends when they were in federal prison at Allenwood, Pa., and later at The Kintoch Group, a halfway house for federal prisoners on Broad Street near Wood.

Last Thursday, Vella was returned to a restrictive "sanctions center" at Kintoch, where he was ordered to serve four months for parole violations for associating with Merlino and convicted felons.

Vella is permitted to work in a restaurant during the day, but must report back to Kintoch.

The Turchi slaying is the second murder in which Vella is a suspect. He was earlier named as a target in the 1995 unsolved murder of drug dealer Ralph Mazzucca, who was shot, hogtied and set afire.

Mazzucca's killing and five other murders and attempted murders are under investigation by a federal grand jury, expected to indict Merlino mob associates.

Vella's attorney, Joseph Santaguida, dismissed the latest allegations.

"I don't really believe any of it. The Mazzucca murder, Turchi and he shot Gorilla" referring to the Aug. 28 shooting of Pagan Motorcycle Club president Steven Mondevergine. "He's a one-man crime wave," said Santaguida sarcastically.

"Yeah," added his secretary, "He's the Center City rapist too."

So in 1999 law enforcement were calling him an associate still. Ligambi must of seen Staino was a smart guy and kept him close.

Thanks HS - I must have overlooked those articles in the past. I knew who his uncle was but wasn't sure when he got engaged. Looks like he's been a wiseguy for some time it looks. I was at the trial the day the undercover agent testified about staino and his loansharking .. Buried him. It's probably why he ended up taking the plea.
It's intesresting last week the agent on the stand and on tape mentioned Stevie .. I'm assuming there wasn't enough to name Stevie in the case unless they are building something bigger with him.

Well Stevie was in jail for more then 6 years outta all the years they were building the investigation and then he was very low key while on parole.. now his restrictions are up.. and its been said that Gary Battaglini was running Mazzones sport book for him while he was away. so maybe thats how steves name was brought up? They probably have a few guys watchin Mazzone and them especially since its football season.

And them articles i actually found them by putting stainos name in and searching between the years 1990 and 2000. I was surprised. Also on one of the Philly mob Documentaries you see Staino talking with Ligambi at a Christmas party in 1995..

Anybody know when Staino was made?

2012

Staino was def made before 2012.. they got indicted in 2011 and he was made well before then. Im not sure off top of my head but ill find out when exactly.

Kidding

I read some old articles on turchi seemed like he was the real deal they said he was a free lance hitman in the 1970tys went to jail in 79 got out in the early 90tys was made under stanfa like 92. the article said he was around south philly all his life and people liked him maybe he was a threat to become boss?

did he get hit after people found out ralph natale flipped. the guy did 13 yrs in the can before I wouldn't think he would be a rat weird hit, like the long john one. hitiing old guys.

I think in one of the Mob Talks or Mob Scene video's George A. said Turchi looked like he was tortured. Like they were trying to get info out of him. Anyone else remember that? Pretty sure i'm remembering that right.

Long John was old but he was a danger to Ligambi. Most likely thought he should of been the boss. Smart move imo taking him out when they did.

U would think at his age , long john would have enjoyed his retirement not trying to muscle in on gambling operations controlled by ligambi , not really a wise move trying to get bak in the game like that

Turchi was hit because he was close with Natale, right after Ralph flipped.

Heres that Mob Scene on Turchi. GA said they found him in the trunk of his car...he was stripped naked with a bag over his head..beaten..probably tortured..and then shot. Sounds like they did a real number on the guy.

I doubt Ralph gave a shit what they did to Turchi but it was supposed to be a message to him....who knows.

http://www.philly.com/philly/video/BC72279987001.html

According to a list of philly making ceremonies on the RD forum that Pogo made when he was posting there Anthony Staino was made in 2005.

so who demoted turchi? I read he was made under stanfa in the city paper. he was on parole for a long time to. he was close to natale so was all those guys wasn't ralph joeys step dad or some shit. also read mousie was made by stanfa in 92. so if not for stanfa making joey and these guys there wouldn't be a lot of people. that's why I don't believe privite all these guys had ceromys he didn't. and did veasey say he got made or was it another lie the g men told him to tell the jury. I don't think veavey horsehead or privite got really made they all lied I think. the kid vella told some many lies, he got crushed on the stand he lied about getting made, and is out now.

If you watch that Mob Scene on Turchi it sounded to me like it was Natale who demoted Turchi. It said after he was demoted he remained an associate of Ralphs. At least thats what it sounded like to me that Anastasia was saying...but check it out for yourself.

I thought i heard he was demoted by natale too. and then killed to teach natale a lesson.

2004. It was Staino, Nicodemo, Marty Crutch and Damion Canalicchio.

Didn't Turchi make Natale? Wasn't he Acting when Natale was released? Or was it Joey who made him?

everything ive seen says it was Merlino who made Natale(who was just a soldier at the time), then Natale was made boss the very same day he was made.

Yeah that was a joke , Merlino who didn't have the authority made natale and them natale proclaimed himself boss , wot a mess the Philly mob became