Steven Mondevergine

Other than Philly mob figures such as Merlino, Natale, and Stanfa. Lets talk about an Italian-American Steven Mondevergine he was President of the Pagan's motorcycle club, close friend and grew up with Joey Merlino, and shoot out with the 10th and Oregon gang. Recently Steven Mondevergine got sentenced to jail time for shooting and stabbing a Pagan's President in northeast Philly didn't kill him, but there was some kind of dysfunctional gang war going on within the club.

List some things that you know about Steven Mondevergine.

He was living with his mother in Washington Township a few years ago. The whitman Square section. He used to work out at powerhouse gym in township also. The gym is no longer open, sucks that was a nice gym.

The Gorilla liked to shoot people on 10th and oregon, shoot other bikers, Kiss Joeys ass and doesn't mind going to jail cause he does the dumbest shit. Oh and he was a cop.

Kiss Joey's ass? What did he do w Joey and any stories w these 2?

I was exagerating a little biot. They did grow up together in the same neighborhood and when gorilla was running the pagans he did joey favors. They has a little aliance going on.

Joey actually went to one of Gorillas trials or sentencing hearing or something like that back in the late 90s. But Gorilla did act like they were more then they were and would throw his name around.

Did everyone fear Joey and kiss his ass?

Like restaurant owners and other neighborhood tough guys or did they see him as a jackass

A LOT of people saw him and see him as a Jackass. But he definitely never paid a bill. A lot of kiss ass...I guess some fear. But Joey was known not to pay resturants, bars and bookies.

I hear people say they grew up in the same neighborhood and I thought I even heard an associate say they played on the same Pop Warner Team.But if I'm not mistaken Gorilla is like 55 or 56 to where Joey is 47-48.Later on in life that is not a big deal but did you ever know anybody to ''hang around'' with like a 7 or 8 yr.age difference back in HS.That means if Gorilla's a senior Joey was like in the 6th grade.NOT.I see where they said Gorilla worked out but when they showed him at his arraigment about that fight with the other Pagan biker,he looked a little out of shape.I'm sure he's still a bad ass plus that reputation goes a long way.

the gorilla is a very very serious guy.. no matter how out of shape he is trust me

There was a story floating around that a Pagan pulled a gun on Chucky Merlino, shot up his nona's house and that Scarfo and Co were afraid of the Pagans. Joey heard this story and blew a gasket, said it was BS and implied that the Pagans paid tribute like everyone else and that they were deathly afraid of Sal Testa and would avoid him like the plague and would make monthly payments to Yogi Merlino because Testa would make them nervous even when they came to give him $.

I don't know who is telling the truth but it is kind of funny when you think of a guy as highly ranked as Joey getting upset over what people on the internet say.

I have family that are pagans in baltimore.I def don't believe they were paying

I used to see him all the time in Upper Darby. As far as I could tell he was a goof who liked to feel important.

But he was a stone cold killer. Or at least surrounded himself with them. The mob was, as far as I always heard, scared of the Pagans. Hell, the COPS were scared of those guys. They used to get SWAT out all the time for them. That's other than the cops in Marcus Hook, Chester, or pretty much anywhere in Delco that were on the Pagans payroll.

joey can get as mad as he wants..he aint no where near physically tough as 90% of those bikers.. because discover channel or natgeo has a segament where i believe scarfo was wanted to tax the Pegans and they were getting irritated..So they kidnapped a scarfo guy and while beating him up in the car at gunpoint he bolts out of the car at Broad an Chestnut and runs right up to a police officer..I believe if you see this program the Pegan guy said yea i shot him right in front of that police officer..

yea. the PAGANS name was Joey Delgiorno. He tells the story on the Pagans Gangland episode. He winded up turning informant after the pagans and mob both wanted to kill him.

Your thinking of James "Jimmy D" DiGregorio. He was president of the Pagan's philly chapter before he flipped. DiGregorio was the one that shot Victor Deluca in front of a cop.

They weren't Scarfo guys, they were associates of the Hunchback.

At one time he was a feared and very legitimate tough guy. Before he was convicted a few years ago he was living in a crappy aprtment in new jersey and looked like a walrus. The years have not been kind to him. He's "out bad" as far as the Pagans go. They dont want anything to do with him, which leaves him pretty powerless. Also, It's been rumored for years that he's an informant. No idea if this is true, but he's recieved some lighter sentences for some pretty serious crimes. Two shootings?

Gorilla's still locked up, he's at SCI Somerset which is a medium security state prison. Not sure on his release date.

I'm in the middle of reading a book on the Pagans and in it i just read that when Gorilla was shot by the 10th & O gang it was supposedly because a Pagan ("Mangy” Menginie) from the mother club paid them to shoot him. I've never heard that before...i always thought they had a running beef.

Anyway the book is by Maingy's son Anthony "LT" Menginie. Just getting into the interesting parts now. The conflicts between the Pagans, mob guys and the 10th &O gang.

I don't know that Gorilla is "out bad" with the Club.If you go to www.paganroosternomad.com,and go to the blog,there is an entry that mentions Gorilla having cancer,and getting chemo. It expresses support and best wishes for his recovery and refers to Gorilla as a brother. The term "brother" is not used lightly in the MC community,and certainly not for any one not in good standing with the Club. This is the personal website of Dennis "Rooster" Katona,the current (alleged) National President,so I would tend to give it some weight in the overall picture.

Oh shit, i didn't know Gorilla was sick. Oh well.

"paganroosternomad.com" ..Interesting site, thanks Lou.

Just wanted to add it wasn't the Pagans MC Mother Club that paid the 10th & O gang to shoot Gorilla...it was Maingy himself according to the book. In the book it also said Maingy got half a mil from the 81 to buy a clubhouse for them and for different expenses. Seems that Maingy patched over.

Good searching on that website bet that was hard to find.

Actually,I was tipped to the site by someone "in the loop" so I didn't spend a lot of time searching,but thanks anyway,hope you enjoy it.It has some pretty cool photos and info.

Is that true?

Yes, Gorilla was a philly cop back in the very late 1970's and got fired for taking bribes in the early 1980's.

"Mondevergine, who makes his living as a carpenter, was a Philadelphia police officer in the late 1970s and early '80s. His law enforcement career ended in 1982, when he was fired after three years on the force. He was accused of accepting bribes to protect an illegal numbers operations - an allegation he angrily and bitterly denied.

Charges were later dropped."

http://articles.philly.com/1999-08-29/ne...on-ralph-natale

Yeah Lou you're right. Looks like he's back with the pagans again. I know for a time he was out in bad standing, but obviously that's in the past. The book by maingys son doesn't paint a very pretty picture of mondevergine. Sounds like a meth fueled control freak. Think he gets out in a few years. Should be interesting to see where he lines up. Pagans have been quiet around here of late.

The Pagan's were at their psycho best i'd say in the early 1980's. Them and the Warlocks were the 2 big clubs back then in the philly/south jersey area. The Warlocks were even crazier but never could match the Pagans in numbers.

All those bikers seemed to be wired out of their minds on angel dust and meth back then. 2 drugs that make you crazy and these nuts were on both at the same time.

The Warlocks entire club i think was either locked up or dead by the mid 1980's maybe a little earlier. Mudman Simon, Dago, Sal Branco (Lucibello's brother in law) ..etc etc. They were all lunatics. Same with the Pagans back then....just pure insanity.

The entire area was pretty crazy back then. Between the biker clubs and Scarfo's guys and the big drug gangs like the 10th & O it seems that bodies were dropping all over the place. Just a real crazy time back then but by the late 1980's most of those guys were locked up.

So whos got more power? Pagans or Philly LCN?

IMHO i think both are just a shell of their former selves. They were both at their peak in the early 80's. It's been mostly downhill since then for both.

But i'm out of the loop these days and i really don't know. Maybe one of the south philly guys here could say.

When Gorilla got shot,he basically asked for some backup so he could go to war with the 10th and O crew.When it was denied,he felt that the Club had let him down,and began making a lot of noise among the membership. Gorilla is a much feared and respected member,and a lot of the guys sided with him. On more than one occasion,the upper echelon tried to take his colors,but couldn't. He actually said to one guy "If he wants my colors,tell his fat friend Flood to come get them". Flood refers to Tim "Casual" Flood,the guy who Gorilla stabbed and shot and who testified against Gorilla in court.Flood had replaced Gorilla as the Chapter President.
You never know with 1%er politics,but if I were a betting man,it would not surprise me if Mondevergine becomes the President of the Club some day. Had he stayed under the radar,he might have already been in that position. He is one of the guys who are still left,that represent the old school Club and a lot of the guys love him. Young guys who patched-in back in the "Gorilla days" are getting older and moving up in the ranks,so his support network is increasing.

The feds would love to put the hit on Tom "Thinker" Wood on Gorilla. I think he was locked up at the time but he might of okay'd the hit. Was Gorilla a chapter president when Woods got hit?

Decent amount of info on Gorilla in that book on the Pagans that Maingy's son wrote. But so far i'm really not too impressed with the book.

The speculation was that the Feds were possibly going to pressure Gorilla on the Flood assault hoping he would come clean on the Woods hit. As everyone who knows him expected,Mondevergine told them to f**k off,took the plea bargain,and went off to do his bit as a standup brother. As far as his being a chapter Prez at the time of the Woods hit,I don't know for sure. He was replaced in that position by Flood in early 2008,so it is possible.

anything associated with Kerrie Droban is suspect.

Are you guys sure you are around in south jersey (camden and Gloucester counties) or south philly? Pagans are def not a shell of there former selves, they are in full swing and very active.

Absolutely. The Philadelphia chapter in particular has long been recognized as one of the strongest in the entire Club.

It seems like every time there is any kind of arrest or conviction,the media reports that "The (insert Club name here)"
are feeling the effects of Law Enforcement,and are not what they were years ago.

Bulls**t.

No major 1% Club is any weaker than they once were. Every one of them has gotten stronger,smarter,and more diversified.None of them are going anywhere any time soon.

Hang on...let me check. Yup....unless i'm having another flashback.

Yes the pagans are very active around here

The Pagans have always been the biggest club here in the south jersey - philly area. It used to be the Pagans and the Warlocks were the 2 major clubs......probably still are. But as long as i can remember the Pagans were the top 1%er club around here.

Now i hear the Outlaws are expanding here and i read some Warlocks might of patched over. Not really sure though what they're local numbers are compared to the Pagans but as far as i know the Pagans still rule the local 1%er scene.

The 81 left town but i think they're still in north jersey and of course have a chapter in NYC. Not sure whats up with the Breed these days....but i would guess they're still active in the Bristol PA area and up in North Jersey.

Wheels of Soul used to have a clubhouse in Camden years ago but i don't think they're still there...not sure though. Their clubhouse used to be behind the Earl Schieb (or maybe it was a Maaco) paintshop. They might of moved over the bridge to philly...but again i'm not sure about that.

Wheels of soul club house has been in west philly on market street for ages, lots of stuff happened there and around it past few years. The breed is also around in philly, south jersey etc.

Wheels of soul guys are not like the other bikers, much more laid back in general.

Really? I didn't know the Breed was that active here in SJ. Good to know...thanks.

I know before I moved from South Jersey , I was seeing a lot of African-American Biker gangs that I never noticed before. I would see Pagans sometimes but they just reminded me of my dad with a motorcycle.

Thats what made the Wheels of Soul stand out......they were pretty much an all black club when they had the clubhouse in Camden. All the bikers back then that i saw around were all white guys....mostly Pagans and Warlocks back then.

Vegas Mike do you know if that West Philly chapter of the WOS were originally the Camden Chapter? Or were they 2 different crews? No big deal...just curious.

I think they are two different chapters. I did time with a black wheels of soul biker from camden and if I recall correctly he said they hang out at a place in camden called the doghouse. I also used to do a little business with a white wheels of soul guy who was a total degenerate gambler and a coke head too, he was from mount holly but he would go to the clubhouse in west philly. I do know the clubhouse in west philly has been there forever. The wheels guys are all about fun and brotherhood where the pagans fancy themselves more as gangsters or whatever you wanna call it.

Pagans in Florida are a joke.

The Wheels had two suspicious fires at their clubhouses,one being in Pittsburgh. They also had some major guys go down on charges in the last year or so. Speculation around here (Western Pa)is that while the Wheels and the Pag*ns get along,they sometimes need a reminder of who runs the show.

Fla. belongs to the Black and White and always has. The Pag*ns have chapters in a few areas,just like the Outl*ws have a few chapters in the northeast which is Pag*ns territory.They also share territories in areas like VA.
The Major 1%er Clubs are more prone to work out mutually beneficial business arrangements than they were in the past.
Other than the H.A. (who every major Club hates),Clubs are more willing to compromise in some areas.

I seen these guys wearing jackets that said Top Shelf on it before outside at a bar called Adelphia's in South Jersey.. They were African American..

Most of them were wearing orange and black and ON the back it said Shadow Riders M.C. .. they had a patch on front that says Top Shelf. also another small one that says W.O.S. Brotherhood... so maybe there a branch of wheels of soul? not sure how the M.C. do it..

Probably a support club like how the Black Pistons are.

Thanks Mike. I'm a pretty laid back guy myself so if i had to choose between them i'd probably hang out with those WOS guys. lol

Those other big 1%er clubs are way too high strung for me.

yeah Meth will do that to ya

Ain't that the truth. lol

Those guys should take some valium or xanax before they all drop dead of heart attacks.

Some of the 10th and O guys used to hang out at Adelphia's in Deptford.

As of a couple of years ago the clubhouse was still in Camden. I remember seeing it. I believe it's on Mt. Ephraim Ave near the Virtua Hospital.

yea Adelphia's is a pretty chill place. I've heard 10th&O guy hang there but i dont know any so i wouldnt know the difference. Only person I know that was even part of that was Dennis Virelli but hes long gone out the picture.

Ahhh ok jmack, that makes sense I guess there is a clubhouse in camden and philly. I don't get out to camden too much anymore since I'm off ISP. What a toilet.

I hate to generalize but most bikers are some real jokers lol. The wheels guys are more laid back but in general all bikers are too high strung for me. I used to hustle a little bit with a pagan and that was a nightmare, guy thought he owned me and all of south jersey too lol.

No reason for anyone to be in Camden anymore (Unless you are buying drugs). They are moving most of the services out of the city. A few years ago they moved probation/ PTI out to Cherry Hill. I know they still do house arrest out of the city but I heard recently that is moving as well.

yea parole and probation is in the pavilions in cherry hill, unfortunately for me I was on ISP program which is in camden right next to mcdonalds on haddon ave and across the street from the police administrative building. what a shithole.

ISP? is that the Intensive Supervision Program? My buddy got popped selling bad shit and was in prison for a month (sentence was 5 years) but got released under that program. It's pretty intense...they control every facet of your life for the time your in the program. But it's better then being in a cell.

surprised they would let a cop in a 1% mc. that's a bad look to make him the national president. good cop or crooked. I thought the pagans are really run by some crew of crazy hillbillys in w.v.. on my way back from myrtle beach acouple yrs ago we stoped at the jersey and walked the boardwalk its was earlt sept. we walk by 1 big bar the place was full of pagans. they had like 12 guys blocking the entrence. I live down the street from a bar were you'll see 20 to 50 ha's on any given weekend. patches from all over the place. they do runs there. and there 1 mob guy right across the street. Howie winter around here to.

Yes. I am surprised he only did a month but it is a program where they let you out very early but it is no walk in the park. I also had a 5 flat, that means a 5 year sentence with no back number, or stipulation before parole. Your normal parole eligibility is after 15 months for a 5 flat but ISP will take you and let you go home after say three months or so. I waited 15 months for parole, got denied parole, and opted to take the program. I was on it for 30 months. It's a pretty brutal program, you start with a 6 pm curfew, they come to your house roughly 3 times a week at all hours. Weekly drug tests, weekly community service, you must work 30 hours a week. You must report every week. All that being said I paid huge money and had Rocco Sipparone JR as my attorney and was very thankful to say the least that I only got 5 years. As all the blacks in jail would say "I stole" haha. Anyway it was more like 30 grand lol. So I was on ISP for 30 months and graduated and I'm Scott free now. I lucked out and got like the one easy officer, who happened to know my mother, and I flew under the radar and even smoked weed a lot and beat tons of drug screens and everything. It still was tough being home a lot but it sure beat being in Yardville still.

As far as I know the Pa*ans are the only major 1%er Club that allows former Law Enforcement to become patched members. In addition to Gorilla,there is a former Pittsburgh Police officer,fully patched,who was arrested as part of a homicide investigation in Western Pa. Also,a currently employed Corrections Officer in the same area is patched. At least one Member that I am aware of actually filed a racial discrimination suit against the Pittsburgh Police for hiring minority candidates over him.(That suit was dismissed)

It might of been longer then a month but it just seemed that not so long after he first went in he got out on that program. He used to call me collect all the time from prison and cry the blues over the phone. But when he did get out he had very little contact with anyone until he was finally done his sentence. This was back in the 90's.

Well i'm glad to hear your done with that...sounds depressing.

No the pagans are not run grom wva.the warlocks are big in the wva panhandle.check out there harvest party 1year or the weekend long crab feasts.soooooo much fun.

Thank you, and honestly the whole ordeal was kinda depressing but I did what I did so I paid the price and it made a man outta me. lol

A lot of CO's are bikers and a good deal of them are in clubs. Most are in harmless recreational clubs but a few off them are in 1% clubs. In NJ there are even CO's that are in street gangs like the Bloods or Latin Kings.

So you are in your late 20's? I know they don't put people in Yardville unless they are under 26, if I remember correctly. A friend of mine came home on ISP about a year ago. His officer was that guy Frank whatever. Needless to say he is back at Southern State finishing up his sentence.

I had a 4 flat back in 2006 and after four months in annadalle(MYCF) they let me go on isp.. but after about 6 months I violated and had to to Bordentown(WYCF) for 11 more months. Shit i wish they would of put me in Yardville cause Bordentown was crazy as hell... Intensive SETUP PROGRAM! you need to seriously be a boy scout to complete that shit. I remember the guy Kevin calling me and making me stick my head out the front door at like 9 pm and crazy stuff like that. i would of rather just not taken isp and just stayed in cause they would of paroled me after about 10 months anyway... and yous are def. right half them CO's are criminals themselves. Thats how people get phones and drugs and shit.

Not sure how they do it today but years ago all adults sentenced to over a year in prison in NJ were first sent to Yardville. Thats where they processed you into the system and determined where you would go to serve your time....and the security level. They also determined if you had physical or mental problems.

Back then you would go from whatever county jail to Yardville and then to another state prison to serve out your sentence.

Frank Ruzniak. A real ball breaker. I hit the vile right around my 25th birthday. They send pretty much anyone under 30 to youth corrections these days. Although my best friend and co-d was 24 and he went to Southwoods. Frank was the worst officer, he is legendary for being a tough prick. He was my uncles officer in the late 90s. They did not get along

Kevin is a sweetheart lol, I walked all over that guy. Bordentown and yardville are pretty much the same, lots of violence. I am a pretty large guy and pretty violent myself so the stress of missing my girl and friends is what was rough for me.

Yes that Is true. Nowadays they use CRAF for that. Straight hell hole. COs think they are tough and you are locked down eating state food and not getting out of your cell much. An hour in the yard every other day And an hour on the tier everyday which is pretty much a hallway.