The evidence that merlino is official boss is vastly overrated.
1. He could easily be living his current lifestyle through money saved during his tenure whilst on the street or through wealthy mafia groupies for numerous reasons.
2. Ligambi being introduced as acting at the Gambino meet indicated nothing. The Genovese family haven't had an official since chin. But they've had several acting eg Daniel Leo.
Just because Ligambi was acting doesn't make Merlino official.
3. That guys on the street in Philly would be working the grind day to day risking the can just to send Merlino who's sunning himself in Florida a fat envelope every month is reaching at best. Would you?
4. The guy would have to be clinically insane to think he has a chance in hell of not getting put away again if he resumed his position. He's already done a 10 stretch. He's not stupid enough to not know it's over for him if he returns.
And this crap about he's OG through and through? Living large in Miami beats the shit out of being an OG in a box in supermax Colorado. And joey knows this.
Sonny is completely right. The feds have a hard on for him and he would be a lunatic to taking the official role again. Whether he is still involved, semi-retired or officially retired might not be something we know for a few more years. The whole selling his story thing and trying to do TV was something that made me think he was retired, but who knows.
