Philly Chart 2014

Can anyone actually come up with a good current philly chart.

Larry, Moe, and Curly.

Really tho I thought those guys killed themselves into oblivion under Scarfo

Actually a good question.

But I think the answer right now is nobody knows tbh. Speculation of Merlino, Ligambi stepping down, Borgesi released.

I think we'll have to wait before anyone really knows.

And that's prob inc the guys in Philly themselves

This chart is based on the latest news I'm aware of. And, of course, off Pogo's research. But the ages need to be updated by a couple years or so.


Boss: Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino/51
Underboss: Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi/73
Acting Boss/Consigliere: Steven "Handsome Steve" Mazzone/49

Captains:
Michael "Mikey Lance" Lancellotti/50 (South Philly Crew)
George “Georgie” Borgesi/49 (IP) (South Philly/South Jersey/Bucks County Crew)
Anthony “Tony S/Ants” Staino/55 (IP) (South Jersey Crew)
Joseph "Scoops" Licata/71 (North Jersey Crew)

Soldiers:
1. Martin "Marty" Angelina/50 (IP/7/11/2015)
2. Gennaro "Joseph Costello" Boccia/61
3. Joseph “Bongs” Bongiovanni/66
4. Damion “Dame” Canalichio/43 (IP/12/21/2021)
5. Vincent "Beepsie" Centorino/81
6. John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini/57
7. Joseph "Joey Chang" Ciancaglini Jr/54
8. Joseph “Chickie” Ciancaglini Sr/78 (IP/5/04/2015)
9. Martin "Marty Crutch" Curro/59
10. Eric Esposito/42 (UI)
11. Louis "Big Lou" Fazzini/46 (IP/4/22/16)
12. Vincent "Big Vince" Filipelli/60
13. Robert "The Cook" Gentile/76 (IP/4/16/2014))
14. Dominic Grande
15. Joseph "Wayne" Grande/53
16. Francis "Faffy" Iannarella/66 (IP/7/8/2016)
17. Charles "Charlie White" Iannece/78
18. Vincent "Vince" Iannece/47
19. Gaeton “Gate/The Big Guy” Lucibello/60 (IP/2/2/2015)
20. Frank Martines/59 (IP/L)
21. Joseph "Mousie" Massimino/63 (IP/1/13/2025)
22. Salvatore "Sonny" Mazzone/41
23. Nicholas "Nicky Whip" Milano/52
24. Frank “Windows” Narducci Jr/59
25. Phillip Narducci/50
26. Anthony “Tony Nics” Nicodemo/41 (UI/IP)
27. Nicholas "Nicky O" Oliveri/63
28. Vincent "Al Pajamas" Pagano/83 (IP/9/28/2063)
29. Anthony "Tony Pung" Pungitore Jr/58
30. Joseph "Joey Pung" Pungitore/56
31. Dominic Rugnetta/90
32. Salvatore "Tory" Scafidi/51
33. Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo/84 (IP/1/05/2033)
34. Antonio “Nino” Sciglitano/84
35. Joseph "Joey Electric" Servidio/
36. Ralph "Junior" Staino/80
37. John Stanfa/72 (IP/L)
38. Joseph “Joey” Stanfa/43
39. Luigi “Gino” Tripodi/75
40. Shawn Vetere/44

Possible Members:
Anthony "Tony Cujino" Accardo/52
Michael "Mikey" Angelina/47
Antony Borgesi/43
Nicholas "The Hat" Cimino/47
Frank DiPasquale/early 50's
Albert "Ally Lance" Lancelotti/48
Philip "Philly" Ligambi Sr./66

Members Who Have Died Since 2000:
Giuseppe Bellina (2006)
Nicholas "The Turk" Cifelli (2008)
Joseph “Joe Crutch” Curro (2004)
Anthony “Tony Meats” Ferrante (2001)
Gerardo “Jerry” Fusella (2007)
Frank Gambino (2012)
Santo “Big Santo” Idone (2005)
Mario Maggio (2008)
Alphonse "Funzie" Marconi (2006)
Guerino "Gino" Marconi (2009)
Raymond "Long John" Martorano (2002) (Killed)
Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino (2012)
Ralph “Blackie” Napoli (2003)
Anthony “Tony Buck” Piccolo (2004)
John Praino (2009)
Anthony "Martino/Blonde Babe" Pungitore Sr. (2012)
Michael “Mickey the Walker" Ricciardi (2001)
Harry “The Hunchback” Riccobene (2000)
Salvatore "Shotsie" Sparacio (2011)
Michael "Mikey Pen Knife" Virgilio (2007)

Members Who Have Flipped:
1. Biagio Adornetto/Soldier (1993)
2. Sergio Battaglia/Soldier (1996)
3. Rosario Bellochi/Soldier (1995)
4. Peter "The Crumb" Caprio/Capo (2000)
5. Nicholas "Nicky the Crow" Caramandi/Soldier (1986)
6. Thomas "Tommy Del" DelGiorno/Capo/Soldier (1986)
7. George Freselone/Capo (Dead) (1990)
8. Salvatore "Wayne" Grande/Soldier (1993)
9. Philip "Crazy Phil" Leonetti/UnderBoss (1989)
10. Robert "Bobby" Luisi Jr/Capo (2000)
11. Lawrence "Larry/Yogi" Merlino/Capo/Soldier (1989)
12. Eugene "Gino" Milano/Soldier (1988)
13. Ralph Natale/Boss (1999)
14. Ronald "Big Ron" Previte/Capo (1999)
15. Gaeton "Tommy Horsehead" Scafidi/Soldier (2000)
16. Rocco Scafidi/Soldier (informant since 1960's)
17. John Veasey/Soldier (1994)

Ivy,

Thanks for the update!

Great job IVY,the only little boo-boo was Joseph Grande is just Joseph Grande,its the one who flipped Salvatore ''Wayne''Grande.He's the one that has the Wayne nickname.

Wonder who's going to be #.18 on the Members Who Flipped list?

in scott bernsteins recent article about philly he puts the leadership as Merlino at Boss, Steve Mazzone as acting boss, John Chianglini as underboss, and Ligambi as Consiglieri. and he had Borgesi at soldier. just thought i would mention it.

Yeah dellacroce , I read that , I also heard that john ciancaglini and Phil narrduci despise each other and there is the potential for violence

I'm surprised that none of the old scarfo guys have been rewarded , I can't see those guys taking orders from Merlino and mazzone for to much longer , the narducci brothers and the old scarfo guys were whacking people wen merlino and mazzone were street corner kids , plus they have served lots of time in prison , surly they think they r owed a large piece of the pie

You think it's weird how much inflience and manpower they got in Jersey? With the constant take over by the five families the DeCavalcante's can't have it easy. I would maybe ally up with some NY peeps and whack the shit outta the philly guys in Jersey.

All that shit is frowned upon these days from what I read. Funny enough, it seems like the most dangerous place to be a gangster is Canada. Maybe those people let all those South Park episodes get to their heads and they're tired of being made fun of.

Edit- I mean in our section of the world. I'm not factoring in italy and Russia and all those crazy spots

I'm betting it starts with an 'Anthony' and ends in a 'Nicodemo'...

^^^^

While things could have changed since then, Mazzone was identified as the official consigliere in the Stefanelli tapes and was reported to be the acting boss in 2013.

We know that prior to his indictment, Ligambi had been the acting boss/official underboss. But the latest reports suggest he is going to retire. But I suppose it would be relatively easy to be retired for the most part while still being consigliere.

Borgesi was named as a captain in the Ligambi indictment. But that might have changed too since then.

Scott's article was the first I heard of John Ciancaglini being the underboss, though it's also possible, I guess. He was reported to control the rackets in Delaware County earlier this year.

Scott cited the information coming from "underworld sources".

Yeah, I forgot that he had written that in his article now buried a page or two back on the forum. I guess time will tell.

Actualy, Lou Bent Finger Monacello(4give my spelling) should be #18.

Are there even many rackets left in Philly to control? The family has gone down the tubes over the last 30 years and there isn't enough gambling with the amount of legal casinos in the state of Pennsylvania. They appear to me as more of a gang than a structured, smooth running criminal organization.

There is the mob's mainstay - sports betting. As well as video poker machines.

the list is just of made guys who ratted.

I heard " Charlie White" is the true boss.

Not true , Charlie White is old as shit

so the guy lucibello can be in a halfway in less then a month that philly pre release. smart plea seems like that time flew. wonder if he got his hip replacement.

Very Interesting News Report from 1992 on Scarfo, Stanfa, etc

Id love you see you run your mouth like around the wrong person.

Who would be the wrong people? Pretty sure that has been written down in basically those exact words in the Inquirer in the past 6 months and that journalist is still healthy. Guy is facing life in prison and it seems pretty clear he ia going down.... flipping seems to be an easier choice these days for people than it was for the earlier guys

Ivy, how about Associate Philip "Philly Faye" Casale who flipped on Caprio

And not to be technical but Wayne Grande never flipped on the family he did flip on some dopers in prison. That still qualifies him as a rat but not again the Philly family. Maybe he should have an asterick after his name.

In love the philly threads anyone know who was Joe costello boccia was he's mid60tys how he not get indicted in that family in the last 30 yrs no one fly low.there. I give it to them they got.probably 20 made.guys walking around.philly with multi victims shot dead or beat down and most under 60. I'm in then vote.Merlino got the final.say. so that means some more tough guys will be inducted. I'm guessing there's a dozen of smarter guys who even new not to go near bent finger Lou who couldn't only hurt Borges guys and he really didn't. Uncle.Joe walking the street. My phone auto corrects everything

Frank grande from big brother got to be on the list. Drips gangster

@IVY...#2 on the Philly Soldiers list...Gennaro "Joseph Costello" Boccia....Would this by any chance be his father?....The reason why i ask is, I didn't know if you got the age wrong or the guy on the list is a JR...

great list ivy



scott bernstein is from the detroit area and does an excellent job reporting on the detroit mob, but recently started reporting on different cities (philly, chicago, montreal, etc) claiming to have inside sources. i feel he is making a move he shouldnt make. he doesnt have the inside info he claims, hoping people believe him. its a shame cause i really enjoyed his work about detroit.

He did help with the Leonetti book so I am sure he may have some access to people out on the streets in philly if they trust him and dont just think he is a rat like leonetti

i never said he is a rat. he reports stuff that is public knowledge. hes a reporter. he does great work about detroit.

The age has to be wrong because I'm pretty sure that's the guy there talking about he's and old timer in jersey

21 years ago today stanfa tried taking out joey merlino and killed michael cianglini on streets of s philly and began the end of his organization

Yeah john veasey and Phil colletti whacked ciancaglini and shot Merlino in his ass , stanfa surrounded himself with morons and they all ratted

And Dom, let's not forget Ron Previte! Also Colletti's old lady was f*ing nuts too and she was also involved in the planning.

Also didn't Colletti's wife want to put arsenic in Joey's drink by getting herself all dolled up and going to Joey's favorite hangout? Stone cold broad!

Bellocchi , adornetto , battaglia , they all ratted

Here is the new chart I have been working on. As I've said in my earlier posts, I follow Philly more closely than any other family, but I consider myself far from an expert. I'm sure there are other guys here who are more in the know about the goings on in Philly right now.

Some guys's (Narducci brothers) I weren't sure where they belonged, crew wise. Also the differing opinions on whether Borgesi is still a captain, before the 2011 indictment it was believed that Lucibello was captain of that crew. I'm also not sure if there is an acting captain (or replacement) for Staino, since he will be away until 2020. I also wasn't sure if Stevie Casasanto and Nicholas Cimino are made guys? Some have included them in their lists here, others say they are just associates.

Any and all info/feedback would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has something that needs to be changed, I can/will gladly edit the chart and re-post it.

Here is a link to the full-res chart I have uploaded:
Philly LCN 2014 Chart

Wot about joey pung ?? I heard he is running a crew with all the old scarfo guys ??

If that chart is correct they have small crews, can't see how they can really operate?

Nice chart. Looks alittle light to me as well. Can't help but think there are a few more made members that are unknown to law enforcement.

Having trouble downloading chart.

Anyone else, or is it just me?

Retired as soon as he got out apparently, him and his brother own a lot of real estate.

You can take Shotsie Sparacio off the incarcerated list he's dead.

I was told he has his own crew and is not listening to anyone , one of the scafidi's one of the milanos and some young guys , I think Phil narducci is in his crew but he is feuding with joe pung and Merlino

You even got joey merlinos bagman on the associates list, ray wagner, well done!

Awesome bro, just add Sal Scafidi, Joe Pungitore, Joe Grande, Charlie"White"Iannece Sr, Bobby from CT Gentile

Most seem to say that Narducci, not Joey Punge is running his own crew and not listening to anyone and that he bought Milano back into the fold after Ligambi shelved him.

Pretty much all the knowledgeable Philly guys on here say Joey Punge isn't involved.

Nice chart. I noticed you used a lot of the pictures that I have posted.. The chart does seem a little lite.. also I've heard many times that Phil Narducci and Sonny Mazzone were both captains.. and some guys are in the wrong crews. Besides that nice chart all in all.

Yeah, it's hard to tell who the captains are in the family apart from Scoops and Lance who are definitely skippers. Just a guess but I think Sonny Mazzone is acting for Staino while he's away. We'll have to wait until another indictment comes down or someone rats to find out the pecking order.

Yea I heard sonny was acting in charge of south Jersey. Steve Mazzone needs someone he can trust in Jersey since he's not over there, and who is better then his brother Sonny.. but nothing is set in stone til we hear it on wire or an indictment comes thru.. Borgesi can't meet with anyone so why have him in charge of a crew. Narducci definitely isn't taking orders from Georgie! And Dom Grande is in Mikey Lances crew.

Thanks for the input guys! It's greatly appreciated. When did Salvatore Sparacio die? When I checked the Federal Bureau of Prisons site they still have him alive (age 92) located at Elkton FCI with a release date of 5/4/2020. When inmates (or former inmates) pass away, they list them as deceased.

I also agree that Narducci most likely wouldn't take orders from Borgesi. But as of the last public information, either George or Lucibello was captain of that crew. So would you guys assume that maybe Narducci is acting capo of that crew now? Lucibello will be released early next year, possibly even very soon to a halfway house (he will also have parole restrictions).

Regarding Grande, I also originally had him in Mikey Lance's crew. Switched him over when I read that he was Nicodemo's right hand man for a long time, but I will switch him over to Lance's crew again.

Sonny Mazzone as acting captain in South Jersey?

And yes, Stevie, I did use some of your pictures. Thanks for posting them. Many I found through Google, some others were ones you posted. I appreciate your work!

Isn't Joe Servidio known as Joe Electric?

Narducci won't be acting for anyone, A lot of Philly guys on here said he has been a capo for a while, maybe he's a captain, maybe he's doing his own thing, who knows. One things for sure he's a stone gangster and is respected.

If he's a skipper he'll have all the old Scarfo guys under him, his brother Frank, Milano, Joe Grande, Scafidi, some say Tony Punge might be active, He has a couple of nephews that may be involved as well. His name carries weight in South Philly, he could assemble a crew of young bucks in no time.

Nice work on the chart K1NG6

Everything I've seen in terms of indictments and articles, yes.

I've updated the chart. The picture in my post above has the updated one with the changes you guys suggested. The link in that post is also still working to be able to see the full size version of it.

Thanks for everyone's help and kind words. It took me a long time to put everything together.

Also, I left Joey Pung as shelved/inactive. Some guys say he's back and with Narducci, however most of the Philly posters are saying he's out totally now. Until something changes, I'm going to leave him where he's at.

Charlie White Iannece and Robert Gentile are both alive and are confirmed members, Gentile is in prison I think and was in the Luisi crew, Iannece is an elderly Scarfo guy

I dont get how Anthony Borgesi and Phil Ligambi are in south jersey? They both live in south philly don't they? Sonny Mazzone too? The south jersey faction must be almost non existent now.

As far as I'm concerned Anthony Borgesi isn't made, wouldn't surprise me if he was though but it wouldn't be on merit, all down to his brother. As for Sonny Mazzone he was close to Staino apparently, Staino went away and as acting boss Stevie Mazzone put his brother in over there, just my opinion.

Can someone post it in a different link, it won't open for me.

I agree TommyG, Anthony is not made. He's a putz. I loved what Joey said about him during the trial:

"But one reader who clearly wasn't happy with the Borgesi family rant was Joey Merlino. The erstwhile Philadelphia mob boss who was tried and convicted with Borgesi and five others back in 2001 is now living in Boca Raton, finishing his final year of federal supervised release (formerly known as parole) and continuing to vow that he will not be returning to South Philadelphia.

In the Daily News article published last Friday, Anthony Borgesi decried the fact that his brother has been denied bail in the pending case and pointed out that he has (like Merlino) finished his 14-year sentence for the 2001 conviction.


Joey
"Joey got out years ago," Anthony Borgesi told the Daily News. (In fact, Merlino was released in 2011). "People come up to me in the city and they can't understand why my brother's not out. He couldn't even get bail."

Merlino said in a telephone interview this week that he read the article and was surprised by Anthony Borgesi's comments.

"What's he saying, that I should still be in jail? " he asked. "Do they want me back in jail?"

"Merlino also said he thought Anthony Borgesi was off base in portraying his brother as a victim of discrimination. According to the Daily News piece, Anthony Borgesi argued that his brother's constitutional rights were being denied, that the government was "playing dirty." And he added that if his brother were Black, the country wouldn't stand for it"

Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2013/11/retrial-rehash-for-ligambi-borgesi.html#whSzL5ZQ5bVUOYIt.99

I guess Joey Electric is not going to be changed on the chart for Servidio?

My bad, i did see the change.

hi again guys. im not a south philly expert but i do live here and see and know some of these guys on your chart personally. the narduccis are out they dont wanna be bothered i said that last wk, the punges arent interested charlie white doesnt wanna be bothered. you mentioned frank baldino and dew them guys were a part of the borgata case thats why theyre considered associates then so am i cause i talk to a few of these guys all the time and im not on the chart

By putting the crews together, I went off the last chart that was made in 2010/2011. For example, Marty Angelina lives in South Philly but at the time he was listed as a captain in North Jersey. Sonny Mazzone is a Philly guy, but many stated that he was close to Staino and they believe he is now the acting captain of that crew. Obviously, I'm not out there and I can't say my chart is 100% accurate. I NEVER said that from the beginning and I will never, ever claim that it is. I'm sure there are a few flaws - only the actual guys involved in South Philly know the exact structure, and maybe the FBI/Philly PD. I made the chart because I like to follow the Philadelphia family and I thought it would be a nice visual to add to the discussion, instead of just having the lists.

Phillyguy - the last chart made in the time period I mentioned had probably 60+ associates listed. Because of complaints like yours I purposely only included a few associates. All the guys I included in my chart were named in indictments or other documents. What associates in particular that I included do you have a problem with? If there are some that should be removed, I would be glad to do that.

Hey Bean, thanks for pointing that one out. I missed that from the beginning, I saw him as "Jojo" on another chart and then after I had already posted it saw in another few where he was referred to as "Joey Electric". I have it fixed now.

Also, thanks for your compliment on the chart. I really appreciate it!

Wasnt criticizing you at all. I realized you got it from the prior chart and I remember thinking about the south jersey t hing when i saw it. Good job on the chart.

It seems like its been a long time since there has been a formalized south jersey chart. Could it be they are that low key or that there just isnt that much activity. It didn't seem like staino had a huge crew kicking up to him but that he was kinda doing his own thing kickin up to ligambi.

Sorry man, I didn't take it as criticism at all. Sorry that it came off that way! I appreciate all the input and feedback from everyone here. I'm sure there are some flaws (I think it would be damn near impossible for an outsider to make a perfect chart), but I enjoyed making it. Thanks for the compliment, it's much appreciated!

Also, to add to that, I remember reading somewhere that it was believed that Staino was one of the biggest earners in the family. If Uncle Joe does indeed "retire" like it's been suggested for sometime, I wonder who will take over that whole video poker racket. Staino (2020) and Massimino (2025) will both be away for a nice stretch of time. I know the media can blow things out of proportion sometimes, but if I recall correctly George Anastasia said that all those machines brought in 1-2 million a year alone in profits.

i dont know everything bout these guys no1 does i know u didnt technically make the chart i didnt mean my post towards u i meant it in general. i was just saying the scarfo guys are pretty much done with that life they all did serious time. the media has nothing to talk bout rite now cause nothin is goin on in the philly mob. i remember the delco nostra bullshit with lou m a few yrs ago and there was a chart that was so crazy they put the guys that played cards in the hangout as associates. just knowing some1 doesnt really make u an associate. south philly is small everybody knows at least 1 of them guys. if thats the case 70% of us would b on that chart. keep up the posts a lot of what ur saying has a lot of truth. thanks

I remember hearing that as well. But it always seemed like he had alot of his own stuff going on. Nobody was really ever identified as being a "soldier" in his "crew". Whenever you ask the only name you hear about thats around and out of jail in south jersey is fillipelli.

As reported by GA on bigtrial.net, Staino stated he would not be returning to OC in Philly upon his release according to court testimony. What's your guys take on this?

He wouldn't be the first to say that and later turn out not to be true

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140810_Not_all_Mummers_on_board_with_route_change.html

Take the Mummers Parade out of South Philadelphia? Albert Lancellotti is having none of it.

"You don't know what it is like to be a full-blooded South Philly Italian with this in your blood," said the 55-year-old lifelong neighborhood resident and president of the Jesters New Year's Brigade. "For them to move the parade is no big deal, because their families ain't from here. To us, it is all about our family."

Brigade member Matt Ciotto, 31, concurred: "Leaving out the neighborhood where it started from? Why don't we just move the Liberty Bell to South Jersey?"

That attitude was shared last week at the Jesters clubhouse at Juniper and Shunk Streets, when a small band of Mummers - mostly comics - gathered around card tables to grapple with the news that the city and Mummers leadership were considering a new parade route, one that would skip the very neighborhoods that sired and nourished the event for generations.

MORE COVERAGE
Map: Proposed Mummers Parade Route Changes
The new route would start at City Hall and run south on Broad Street to Washington Avenue, where it would end. Past parades have moved north on South Broad from Oregon Avenue in deep South Philadelphia.

The new route is a recognition that crowds below Washington have grown anemic. That is in part because of demographic changes in South Philadelphia, which has seen its historic Irish and Italian neighborhoods increasingly filled with Asian and Hispanic immigrants.

Also, the nature of the parade, which has roots dating back more than three centuries, has changed in recent years. With a premium placed on keeping the event moving, string bands are limited in where they can play along the route. That has turned the parade into a long, often silent, slog up Broad.

The new route is meant to alleviate that, said Tom Loomis, president of the 17-member Philadelphia String Band Association and among the leaders advocating for the change. It would get judging out of the way first and allow the various comics clubs, string bands, and fancy brigades to perform at will as they head toward Washington. It would also reduce costs by requiring less police presence.

The change is endorsed by the leaders of all five Mummers divisions - the comics, the wenches, the string bands, the fancies, and the fancy brigades. While none was happy with leaving South Philadelphia out, they see the changes as necessary to breathe new life into an event that has been struggling to keep its audience after more than 100 years of city sponsorship.

"Taking the parade out of South Philadelphia was a gut-wrenching decision," said Jim Julia, president of the Fancy Brigade Division. "We knew we were going to catch holy hell for this. But we are trying to make it a better parade."

Loomis agreed.

"We are not trying to take this from anybody," he said. "We are just trying to maintain this tradition that has been entrusted upon us. This parade is dying. If we don't make changes, we are going to be history."

There was a grudging acceptance at the Jesters clubhouse Thursday that change was needed - but not at South Philadelphia's expense.

"I'm not against the route," said Lancellotti, an electrician. "Just let us march past Washington."

Added Eric Royer: "Nobody is saying they are not right about the empty streets. But look up there now and it's changed. It's a different crowd."

What hasn't diminished, they said, is the parade's impact off Broad, in the blocks bracketed by 13th Street and Shunk, Porter, Ritner, etc.

"On New Year's, every street down here is blocked off," Lancellotti said. "It is one big party. If there is no parade and nothing is blocked off, it will be just another day."

It is hard to believe that could ever be the case for Lancellotti, who says he spends all 12 months of the year focused on preparation and suffers from a recurring nightmare that he has overslept and missed the parade.

"After Thanksgiving, you know what I do with my wife?" he asked. "I say: 'Here's the money. You go Christmas shopping, because you won't see me.' "

Nick Laino Sr., 49, chimed in: "He puts his picture on the milk carton so his wife will remember him."

The guys in the room laughed. Hard.

"This is an all-year thing for us, too," said Anthony Gentile, 19, who works construction and is a member of the South Philly Vikings Fancy Brigade. "My group starts practice three weeks after New Year's, four times a week, from 7 to 10 or 11 at night."

The conversation turned to one of the more novel explanations for the new route: that the stress of waiting to perform for the judges left some bands too jittery to be very entertaining leading up to City Hall. Starting with the judging would solve that, the theory goes.

"Stress," bellowed Chip Foglia, 51, a manager at Home Depot. "We are grown men. We've been doing this for 100 years. That's part of marching."

Royer, a manager at Chickie's & Pete's, chuckled. "What we going to do?" he asked. "Give the guys Zoloft now instead of blackberry brandy?"

(Dan Harrell, 70, who marches with the Finnegan Comic Brigade, hit the same note in a separate interview last week: "Let's be honest. The guys are hitting the booze. They're having a good time," he said of the marchers. "The way it is now, they know they have to be at least halfway organized until they get to City Hall.")

Though details are still being worked out, the city expects to finalize the route sometime next month.

Lancellotti and his crew know they have an uphill battle, but they are determined to make themselves heard. They have posted an online petition that by Friday had 1,300 signatures.

"Just let the people have a voice," Laino said. "Put it to a vote."

Lancellotti nodded.

"You take South Philly out of this and I'm telling you," he said, "I give it three to five years and the parade is done. Finished. Finished."



chepp@phillynews.com


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/201408...ewYYmf2Sqkwi.99

http://www.jestersnyb.com/about.html

Al Lance is 55? wtf he looks 40..

there is 2 al lances..

The Lucchese family catching all the shit for targeting loved ones. What about that midget bastard Merlino threatening/attempting to kill Previte and Stanfa's loved ones respectively?

Why is it that so many Stanfa guys and so little Merlino guys ratted?

And what about that George Borgesi? Another bully with a Napoleon complex using poor Angelo Lutz as batting practice.

Wouldnt argue with much posted here, with the exception of the "Bucks County" thing. I'm sure they have some presence there, but it's more Delaware County (directly west of the city) that their hooks are in. Bucks County is Russian/Albanian territory as far as I know.

Moe, didn't George Borgese get his ass kicked and then sent Bent Finger Lou to beat the guy to a pulp with a baseball bat for him? Did that happen before he beat up Lutz or after? If it was after then I guess Borgesi wanted to prove how tough he was after getting his ass kicked. What a punk Borgessi is. His brother Anthony is even a bigger punk!

Narducci bros dont have a crew they r not into this shit anymore. If they were they wouldnt have nicky whip in his crew he ratted back in the late 90's narducci bros would nvr involve them selves with a fuckin rat. You guys should all know better than that

any idea on who Antonio nino sciglitano was and his place in the philly mob? they don't have any ancient dinoosaurs like all the other familys no 70+ guys who are active or atleast that the internets are aware of.

Nicky Milano didnt rat. His brother Gino Milano is the one who ratted.

Stevie Mazzone

Dom Grande, hes going gray already. Must be the Nicodemo trial!

Steve Mazzone, Sonny Mazzone, Dom Grande, few other randoms

Dom Grande with Steve Mazzone

Steve Martorano with Johnny Chang

Michael Ciancaglini with Joey Merlino

steve, to your knowledge does Dominic have any relation with his father? And what is the status of Wayne these days?. Doe he live in the open in Philly?

To my knowledge the whole family disowns Doms father. But who knows these days. Doubt hes in Philly but you never know.

Thanks Steve. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Paperwork all over the place about the whip

Dom seems to be living it up, if these are recent, while the murder stufff still out there

Great Photos HS.
Always appreciated.

Q: Is Steve Martorano made?

I am from South Philly and know most of the guys you are talking about personally. On occasions I am actually in their company. When I read some of the things that people write it can not be further from the truth. I'm talking about the chart for instance. First of all people are mentioned that have passed away many years ago. Antonio (Nino) Scigliatano is deceased and he is on the chart. Not to mention others. The Narducci name seems to be mentioned a lot lately and they are completely out of this life. There was mention that Nicky (Whip) Milano is with the Narducci faction. The Narducci's totally despise this little rat piece of shit. His testimony is all over the streets of south Philly. He made statements linking both the Narducci's and Joseph Ligambi in a murder many years ago. This is common knowledge downtown. Seems like some of the guys in Philly have no problems hanging around with rats. But the Narducci's are definitely not any of them. I hear on the street that they don't even speak to some of their own family members because they got them locked up?

hey philly guy, are you related to the Narduccis? because ervy post you write says something about the narducci's not being involved in the life anymore. like your pressed on it. is phil there with you telling you what to write? lol

Anybody ever read this article about the trial when Tommy horsehead scafidi testified??

For those who follow in my part of townOctober 29 2003 at 11:40 AM Rebecca (Login VelvetMeow)
Every morning at the mob trial, about an hour before the judge takes the bench, "Fat Angelo" Lutz lumbers down the hall, lugging three coffeepots and a bottle of dishwashing soap. "Gotta make the coffee," he says.

The 400-pound defendant cruises past a long line of mob-watchers. "All us girls love Joey," says Susan Schary, the courtroom artist, who's first in line. Jean DiCiacco, retiree, is another fan: "Can you turn on TV and get a better soap opera?" she asks.

The mob lawyers file in. The cops at the federal courthouse at 6th and Market say they've never seen a more confident crew. The big guy in the overcoat and wide-brimmed hat is Bruce Cutler, the New York lawyer who gave John Gotti his Teflon coating. This is Cutler's first time in Philly. "Hey, Bruce," a defense lawyer yells as Cutler strolls into the men's room. "We saved you a seat."

Out in the hall, Eddie Jacobs, the lawyer for reputed mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, has his arm around fellow defense lawyer Jack McMahon. "Maybe we can grab five minutes together," Jacobs says. McMahon can't believe all the spectators: "You here to see the Beatles or something?"

The elevator doors open on the ninth floor, and here come the defendants' friends, family and associates. Men with slicked-back black hair, black leather jackets and gold earrings. Stylish mob wives with gold crosses around their necks and highlights in their hair. There's Joey's wife, who looks like a model, and Joey's two sisters. That's Joey's mom, passing out pretzels.

Even the new boss of the Philly mob is here, the guy the feds say took over for Skinny Joey. "Uncle Joe" Ligambi moves behind some large associates like a halfback trailing blockers. All the ladies (and many of the men) have a kiss for the alleged new godfather. The mob crowd is shamelessly bucking the line, but nobody objects; this is what they came to see. The electronic gate outside the courtroom is blinking and buzzing: "Please empty your pockets." Marshals comb wiseguys with metal detectors, tug belt buckles and lift pant legs.

Inside, the courtroom is packed. And here come the fellas. "Handsome" Stevie Mazzone, alleged mob underboss, enters blowing kisses, followed by Skinny Joey, who waves, smiles, and pumps a fist in the air. It's casual day. Joey and Stevie wear sweaters, as does alleged mob soldier Marty "Noodles" Angelina. Georgie "Freckles" Borgesi, alleged mob consigliere, and John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini, alleged soldier, dress like bankers, in pin-striped suits and glasses. Johnny Chang beams across the courtroom at his wife, Kathy, who's blowing kisses. "I love you, Johnny," she calls out. Georgie waves to his mom and younger brother Anthony, who are here every day. Anthony and Georgie Borgesi are Joe Ligambi's nephews.

The last defendant, Frank Gambino, 69, looks out of place among the so-called "yuppie mobsters," like somebody's uncle who got caught in a parade. The fellas take their places around the crowded defense table. After a year in jail, they look pale. Skinny Joey is sallow, and Handsome Stevie has red-rimmed eyes. But everybody's upbeat; they can beat this thing.



"All rise for the court and jury." U.S. District Judge Herbert J. Hutton takes the bench. The jury is a real balancing act: six men, six women. Half the jurors are black. Six are from the city, six from the suburbs. Ten saw The Godfather.

Fat Angelo is spilling out of his chair as he types his "mob newsletter" on a portable computer. The newsletter is faxed or e-mailed daily to wives and family members who can't make it to court. But the newsletter is just part of Fat Angelo's duties. As the only one of seven defendants who's free on bail, Angelo functions as Mafia press secretary. He does TV interviews on Market Street, calls in updates to Angelo Cataldi on the wip morning show, and distributes printouts of the latest Inquirer and Daily News mob stories to other defendants. The fellas like to keep up with their press, and they're not shy about sharing their opinions.

"Finally got a good ****ing story out of you," Skinny Joey tells fox TV's Dave Schratwieser several weeks into the trial. The reporter laughs. "What amazes me," he says, "is these guys watch ****ing TV."

La Cosa Nostra exists to "instill fear, exert power and make money," says Assistant U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger on Day One. It's a mantra he chants 20 times in an hour-long opening statement. The prosecutor compares the local branch of La Cosa Nostra to a corporation, saying that the defendants share the guilt for three murders and two attempted murders, plus gambling, extortion, drug trafficking and receiving stolen property.

The government has a lot riding on this case, which started in March and is expected to run into this month. The feds have spent a decade spying on the Merlino gang — tapping phones, staking out hangouts, even shooting surveillance photos of all the heavy hitters on Skinny Joey's softball team. They've amassed some 5,000 tapes; they also have a team of prosecutors prepping an all-star lineup of mob canaries. It's a massive effort that will probably cost taxpayers millions of dollars, although exactly how many millions the feds refuse to say. The government's goal: to turn Skinny Joey into another trophy head on the wall, next to former godfathers Nicky Scarfo and John Stanfa, bagged in two previous racketeering cases.

Edwin J. Jacobs Jr., the lead defense lawyer, takes a swipe at the sleazy witnesses the government has gotten in bed with in its lust to nail Skinny Joey, the flashy gangster who thumbed his nose at cops for years. "The people who will testify against us are violent career criminals, unbridled liars who acted without a conscience and broke all of society's rules," Jacobs says. The mob lawyers admit some of their clients have gambling problems and may have been involved in some hustles, but the lawyers draw the line at murder. "I want you to look at my client," attorney Stephen Patrizzio says of Handsome Stevie Mazzone, "to see if he has the eyes of a killer."

The boys at the table say they've been looking forward to this day. They're sick of living under a cloud, tired of being tailed all over town. It's time for the government to put up or shut up. Bruce Cutler, representing Georgie Borgesi, repeats the prosecutor's mantra: "Instill fear, exert power, make money." He pauses for effect: "Sounds like the government to me."

"Call your first witness," the judge says.



You might wonder what it means when a career criminal like Ralph Natale "goes bad." In the upside-down world of the mob, it means Ralph has become a government witness. Actually, the government's star witness — the first sitting mob boss, the feds say, to testify against his former associates. It's a great story line — one mob boss (Natale) vs. another (Skinny Joey). The government would like the jury to forget that Ralph was facing a parole violation and a drug indictment when he flipped (he was about to become a three-time loser), and that his only other option was to die in jail. The way Ralphie explains it, he walked into a Camden courtroom and had a conversion experience.

"I looked at my wife and my three children," he says, and it hit him — all "the anxiety and the hurt." Ralph says he decided right then, "No more for La Cosa Nostra. If I have anything left in my life, I would give it to my real family."

"The Camden epiphany," the defense lawyers call it. Okay, so Ralph's got some baggage. "You don't have to like him," says one fed, testily. "You just have to believe him."

The fact is, Natale has admitted to more killings than Merlino and his boys have been accused of — including two committed with his own hands, back in the 1970s, when he was living on "the dark side." The 66-year-old turncoat is a compact guy with a shaved head, dark eyebrows and a white goatee. "I shot him twice, maybe three times in the face," Ralph says about rival gangster George Feeney. Ralph recalls how he lured another underworld competitor, Joey McGreal, out of the house on Christmas Day, supposedly for a holiday drink. McGreal was godfather to Natale's daughter. "I shot him three times in the back of the head," Ralph says casually. In his three decades as a criminal, Ralph acknowledges, he was involved in eight other gangland murders and in burning down a furniture store to collect the insurance. He did nearly 16 years in prison for arson and dealing cocaine and meth. Wanna know why he did all those things? "I didn't know the difference between right and wrong," Ralph explains.

Ralph tells the story of how he and Skinny Joey met in jail in 1990, how they hit it off in a father-and-son kind of way, and how Ralph asked for Joey to become his cellmate. "That's where we started our conspiracy to take over Philadelphia," Ralph says. They plotted to kill incumbent mob boss John Stanfa, a Sicilian native derided by Ralph as a "greaseball." The way Ralph tells it, Joey needed Ralph's connections with the New York mob to get underworld approval to rub out Stanfa. Ralph and Joey got out of jail, and their young guns went to work. "At that time, Joey and I had a bond," Ralph says.

When they weren't out stalking members of the Stanfa gang, they were extorting local bookmakers and poker-machine vendors, guys with nicknames like "Peg-Leg" and "Pipes and Slippers." Things got really busy around the holidays, Ralph explains, when the boys would do "the Christmas shakes."

"The mob operates on one thing and one thing only — sheer terrorism," Professor Ralph lectures. It's like the irs gone wrong: "We extort anyone who's doing anything illegal."

Ralph is positively cocky as he swivels his chair and talks right to the jury. When the prosecutor asks him to count something, he uses it as an opportunity to give the defendants' table the finger. Then Ralph gets into a stare-down with Joey.

Back to his story. The extortion money was rolling in, Ralph says. All the "fine young men" got new cars. They moved out of their mothers' houses and got their own places. Everything was beautiful. Then, in 1998, Ralph got busted for a parole violation.

Joey and the fellas promised to send $3,500 a month to Ralph's wife and $1,000 a month to his 30-year-old girlfriend while he was away. But after a couple of payments, the cash stopped. "Naturally, I was disappointed and hurt," Ralph says. Any idea what motivated his friends to be so disloyal? Ralph looks pissed:

"I imagine it must be their greed."



It's lunchtime, and everybody at the mob trial walks a block east to Pagano's Market, in the basement of the Mellon Independence Center. Prosecutors gather at one table, defense lawyers at another. Mob wives dine on pasta salads; associates wolf down chicken cutlets and hoagies. And over at the reporters' table, Fat Angelo holds court.

"He's a legend in his own mind," Fat Angelo says of Ralph. You have to stop by Toys 'R' Us and pick up a Mafia decoder ring so you can understand his testimony, he cracks. Fat Angelo's lawyer, Christopher Warren, doesn't seem too worried about Ralph: "The biggest problem these guys have is trying to explain — why are you hanging around with a numbnuts like him?"

U.S. Attorney Barry Gross stands in the sandwich line, looking uptight. Is he worried about how his boy Ralph is going over with the jury, or the way the judge is handling the case? Barry says he can't comment. Bruce Cutler, however, looks much more relaxed. "I'll have my usual, Matt," Cutler says to mob trial caterer Matt Pagano. That's white albacore tuna on rye, with Swiss and romaine. The mob trial has been a real boost for Matt's business. "Why watch The Sopranos on TV," he asks, "when you can see it live at Pagano's?"

Back at the courthouse, Uncle Joe Ligambi isn't too impressed with Ralph's performance. "I knew this jerkoff from years ago," he tells defense lawyer Jack McMahon. "It's all bull****. He's nothing."

Ligambi's nephew, Georgie Borgesi, is angry about Ralph passing himself off as a macho guy with big coglioni. Georgie hints he knows otherwise, broadcasting some loud and profane comments from the defendant's table: "He was a man's man when he was shaving his body and sticking a dildo up his ass," Georgie rants. Pipe down, the marshal says.



Defense lawyer Eddie Jacobs stares at Ralph "Gandhi" Natale: "Is there anybody you hang around with who doesn't have a nickname?"

"I'll have to think about that," Ralph says.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Gross tries to limit Jacobs with frequent objections, but Judge Hutton hammers him. "Mr. Gross, please do not continue to interrupt in this fashion," the judge says. "Overruled, overruled, overruled." Gross sits down, discouraged. So Ralph takes matters into his own hands. "Look, counselor, I've had killers look at me and try to intimidate me," he snaps at Jacobs. "You can't."

Jacobs plays some government tapes the prosecutors don't want the jury to hear. On the tapes, Ralph refers to Skinny Joey as "that little punk" and "that little mother-****er." He calls Georgie Borgesi "a girl" and "a homosexual," and his Uncle Joe "a freak." Stevie Mazzone is "on something;" Marty Angelina is "the penguin, the idiot." Uh-oh. Ralph sounds vindictive, like he's using the prosecutors as hit men. "I was venting," he explains. "They don't care if my wife slept in a car. They showed their true colors as men." Over at the defense table, Skinny Joey glares; Handsome Stevie smiles; Georgie Borgesi smirks.

Ralph admits to having had a mistress. "We all had girlfriends and wives," he says. What's the big deal? "Except Johnny Chang," Ralph offers, magnanimously. "He was loyal to his wife."

Ralph is looking for sympathy from the jury. He says his own wife and children have gone into hiding because of death threats. "They're afraid to go outside," he says. "They're afraid to do anything."

It's too much for Joey's mom. Rita Merlino taps a reporter on the shoulder and says she's got "a little tip" about Ralph's wife, Lucy: "She's at the racetrack every day."



"Objection, your honor," the prosecutor shouts. "Overruled," Judge Hutton says, and he tells Barry Gross to stop rolling his eyes and sighing when the judge rules against him. The prosecutor sits down and takes to gnawing on pencils. Meanwhile Jack McMahon, the defense lawyer for Marty Angelina, moves in, looking for a score. He's just asked Ralph about three guys he fingered in gangland murders. And surprise, surprise, two of the alleged hit men are sitting in the back row of the courtroom, in the section the press dubs "Murderer's Row."


The judge allows the two alleged killers (who say it ain't so) to stand up in front of the jury. First, Michael "Mikey Lance" Lancelotti takes a bow. Then it's Michael "Mikey Penknife" Virgilio's turn — only Penknife is coughing and twitching uncontrollably. He has Tourette's syndrome; the judge has to ask him to sit down. It's a great moment. The jury has to wonder why these guys aren't in jail and whether a mobster with that kind of a disability could kill anybody. Ralph tries to patch up the wound. He tells the jury that when he knew Mikey Penknife, "he was taking his medication." Backstage, Jacobs congratulates Penknife, who's been coming to the trial for days: "You finally got your walk-on."

Defense lawyer Steve Patrizzio asks Ralph why he often took his wife out with the other mob wives on Friday night, then went out with the same wives on Saturday with his girlfriend. Ralph looks angry: "Sir, everything you are saying is untrue."

"Liar," the wives say, loud enough for the reporters in front to hear.

Christopher Warren is ready for a fight when he stands up to cross-examine Ralph. But like he did with Johnny Chang, Ralph throws a bouquet, this time for Warren's client, Fat Angelo. He was just a caterer, Ralph says: "He would bring the food in and leave. He was not privy to any of the conversation." Was Fat Angelo an associate, as the government has charged? "I didn't consider him one," Ralph says. "I didn't consider him a criminal."

Fat Angelo is beaming, but is wily Ralph up to something? Is he trying to stir dissension among the ranks by nailing some defendants and giving others a pass? Warren looks dazed when he returns to the defense table. "You could have knocked me over with a feather," he tells his client.

Bruce Cutler rises to confront Ralph. It's a battle of the bald guys, featuring the heavyweight lawyer and the lightweight mobster, or, as Eddie Jacobs describes them, Dr. Evil and Mini-Me. Cutler asks Ralph about other mobsters who keep their vow of silence. "They'll die in jail," Cutler says in a booming voice. "They're men, they're men, they're men."

Cutler's style is plenty of speeches and dramatic poses. When somebody interrupts, he holds out a hand: "Barry, Barry, I've got to get through this," Cutler tells prosecutor Gross. "Oh, Mr. Natale, you're making this so difficult."

"Carry on, Mr. Cutler," Ralph says. "What a show. Oh, what a show you're putting on." He leans forward, takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. When Cutler runs out of questions, Natale steps down, unruffled after 14 days on the stand. He looks as cocky as ever. Eddie Jacobs tells reporters he knows where the federal marshals are taking Ralph:

"Back to the dark side."



Over at Pagano's, the mob wives talk about kids, eyeliner, and turncoat mobsters with potty mouths. Some of the women don't want their names mentioned. It's not exactly good press, getting branded a mob wife. Employers get nervous about that sort of thing. But Kathy Ciancaglini wants people to know her husband Johnny Chang is no criminal.

"It just hurts," she says of the accusations the feds have directed at her spouse. Extortion? "It's not in his nature," she says. "He would give you money first." She tells a story about how her mom hit a number and won $1,000, then lost the money after she hid it in a trash can. Johnny opened his wallet the next day and gave Kathy's mom the $1,000. "He's a giver, not a taker," Kathy says.

Murder? "He's not capable of murder," she says flatly. "It's not in his character." She talks about the husband who cried when he saw Saving Private Ryan, the guy who spends more time with her mom than she does. "He's so adorable," she says.



Nobody at the defense table seems concerned about the next witness, Gaetano "Tommy Horsehead" Scafidi. As one wiseguy in the family row puts it, "I remember this guy growing up. He was the village idiot."

"Well, the village idiot is trying to bury you," another wiseguy cracks.

Horsehead went to Catholic grade school and high school with some of the defendants. He got his nickname in third grade because of his big head and long face. The mob guys say that Horsehead was last in his class at St. John Neumann, out of more than 350 graduates.

But to the prosecutors, having Horsehead in their stable of turncoats is a smart move. The feds used Natale to give the jury a ceo's view of the mob, from the top down. Now they're counting on Horsehead for the view from the trenches.

Horsehead says he started his mob career at 14, running errands for wiseguys, washing cars, picking up dry cleaning. He graduated to numbers-runner, carrying paper bags stuffed with $100,000 to former mob boss Nicky Scarfo. "I was a wannabe gangster," he says — like his older brother, who's doing 40 years; like his uncles, his grandfather and his great-grandfather. Horsehead rose to shakedown artist. His specialty: beating guys with aluminum baseball bats. Why aluminum bats? Because they don't break, Horsehead says.

They can't clean this guy up. "I said to Joey, why the **** didn't you tell me what was going on?" Horsehead yells from the witness stand. He curses some more, then apologizes to the jury: "I'm sorry. That's just the way we talk."

He tells how he was forced in 1993 to put on a ski mask and a black sweatsuit and join a hit squad that shot Joey Chang, Johnny's younger brother. Johnny Chang looks down as the feds play a blurry black-and-white surveillance video. On several court TVs, a car pulls up in front of a diner shortly before 6 a.m. There's a burst of light in the doorway, gunshots, and the sound of a woman screaming.

It was Mikey Chang, Johnny's other younger brother, Horsehead testifies, who threatened to kill him if he didn't join the hit squad. Joey and Mikey Chang ended up on opposite sides in the mob wars of the '90s. Joey Chang is deaf and blind in one eye after he was shot in the face several times. Mikey Chang, Skinny Joey's closest pal, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. Horsehead fingers Skinny Joey and Georgie Borgesi as accomplices in the Joey Chang hit. He says Stevie Mazzone was one of the shooters, and that Marty Angelina drove the getaway car.

Over at the defense table, Joey has a hard candy rolling around in his mouth; he almost looks worried. During a break, he tells friends in the back of the courtroom that Horsehead is making history: "He's the first person to testify with Down's syndrome."

Skinny Joey may not be impressed, but Horsehead is definitely hurting his boyhood pals. He is also succeeding in de-glamorizing the mob. It's pretty sad, really, when you consider what has happened to the organization once headed by Angelo Bruno. The local branch of La Cosa Nostra has been decimated by decades of electronic surveillance, treacherous mob bosses, flap-jawed rats and successful rico prosecutions. If you believe the testimony in this case, the mob has been whittled down to a neighborhood gang of 10 or 11 guys who use baseball bats to shake down local bookies, loan sharks and poker-machine vendors.

Maybe Bruce Cutler is right: The government is obsessed with the mob, or what's left of it, and the gullible press and public play along. The prosecutors put Ralph Natale on the witness stand, and they want you to believe he's Don Corleone instead of Fredo. Did the fbi and the cops really need to tail Skinny Joey and his pals up to 15 hours a day, five days a week, plus occasional weekends, for the past 10 years? Why not legalize gambling and let the irs extort the bookies?

Horsehead tells the jury that Joey was chiseling him out of his share of shakedown money. "Joey screwed everybody," Horsehead says. "Joey was for Joey." Horsehead says he went into hiding when he got the word that Joey was plotting to kill him, joining forces with Joey's rival, John Stanfa. It was Stanfa, Horsehead says, who "straightened me out" — mob slang for becoming a made man.

Horsehead recalls his oath of omerta: "I should burn like this part of my hand," he says, and tells how he held his hand over an open flame. "Everything I believed in, I threw out the window sitting here talking to you," Horsehead says. "The oath that I took, that's what I violated." He looks stricken; the back of his neck is red, and so are his cheeks. "He's gonna cry," a wiseguy in the family row says with mock empathy. "Awww."

Horsehead can't control himself. He sobs, wipes his eyes, sips some water. It's the trial's most dramatic moment yet. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fritchey asks Horsehead if he needs some time to compose himself. Over at the defense table, the fellas snicker and laugh — as if the class dummy just peed in his pants.

He faked it, the wiseguys say later. But other courtroom observers say it was no act; even his nose was running. "How can you tell someone's really crying?" asks courtroom artist Susan Schary. "You feel like crying yourself."

Horsehead talks about another mobster named Shotsie. How do you spell that, the prosecutor wants to know. "I don't know," Horsehead says. "I'm not a good speller." The prosecutor asks Horsehead to read his cooperating agreement with the government, and Horsehead stumbles over the word "recognition." More snickers.

Horsehead says the fbi came to him years ago and tried to talk him into being a government witness, but "I wouldn't rat on anybody. ... I was trying to protect the organization. People that I knew and loved all my life." He glares at the defense table. "Their boss went bad, and they wanted to kill me," he says. He claims that Georgie Borgesi tried to lure him into a trap by saying that Joey wasn't really mad at him. Horsehead says he was lucky to survive two assassination attempts: "I kept my mouth shut all those years, and it didn't mean nothing." He reads a sympathetic letter Georgie sent him in prison. Jurors glare at Georgie, wondering if he was trying to set up the class dummy. In the letter, George expresses sympathy for Horsehead, and rips that "lying bald-headed rat drug-dealing fa***t" Ralph Natale.

"Let's hope all the members of the jury are practicing heterosexuals," sighs Eddie Jacobs.

So Horsehead became a government witness, but it's not easy. "Believe me when I tell you ladies and gentlemen, I cried like a baby," he says. "I know they got families and all," he says of his boyhood pals. But, "They were gonna kill me for no good reason. They didn't give a **** about me."

David Fritchey, the prosecutor who prepped Horsehead for trial, is beaming during a courtroom break. "He is what he is," Fritchey says. "The genuine article."

"He's killing us," one defense lawyer concedes. "We're on the way to Auschwitz, and he's driving the train."



Still, Eddie Jacobs is confident about his upcoming cross-examination. "How would you like to match wits with Horsehead?" he asks a reporter. Jacobs's client, Skinny Joey, looks tired. His cellmate, Johnny Chang, has been keeping him up all night with his snoring. "How do you sleep with him?" Skinny Joey yells across the courtroom to Kathy Ciancaglini.

"I haven't in a year," she says.

Horsehead takes the stand, and Jacobs goes after him, but the turncoat plays rope-a-dope. "I'm not as intelligent as you, Mr. Jacobs," Horsehead says. "Don't sell yourself short," Jacobs replies.

Jacobs gets Horsehead to admit that almost 20 years ago, he watched another turncoat mobster, Nicky Crow, cry crocodile tears in a South Philly restaurant after helping to murder a mobster named Pat the Cat. Jacobs suggests that's where Horsehead learned to blubber. "Tears can be part of a hoax?" Jacobs asks. Horsehead seems to be a man without guile. "Absolutely," he says.

Jacobs uses Horsehead to contradict Ralph Natale, noting that Ralph's written confession implicates Horsehead in four gangland murders. Horsehead has only copped to two. Clearly, one of the two men is lying. But which one? It'd be nice if all the government snitches were on the same page. How can the jury convict on contradictory hearsay evidence?

Bruce Cutler gets his chance to cross-examine Horsehead, but it's slow going. "I don't understand the word 'propitious,'" Horsehead tells Cutler. The lawyer gets angry because Horsehead talks straight to the jury: "Look at me, Mr. Witness!" Cutler screams, thumping his chest. "I'm asking the questions!"

"Please, Mr. Cutler, be civil," the judge says. Cutler also doesn't like the way Horsehead slouches on the witness stand. "Sit up, sir!" he screams at the witness. "Will you please sit up, sir!" The judge calls a recess. Cutler apologizes, but then bogs down with more theatrics and pregnant pauses. "A drama queen without substance," one courtroom observer says. Fat Angelo shuts down the mob newsletter for the day and plays cards on his portable computer.

During a break, Cutler expresses frustration; apparently it's not easy always being the last of seven defense lawyers to cross-examine each witness. "I never had to labor so hard," Cutler tells Jacobs and a reporter regarding his role as anchor on the dream team. If he'd known how difficult it was going to be, "I never would have come down" to Philly, Cutler says. "It's a waste."

Uh-oh — back in the courtroom, Horsehead looks confused again. "I don't understand the word 'averment,'" he tells Cutler. Horsehead explains he's a little slow. Cutler seems exasperated. "No, you're not slow, Mr. Scafidi," Cutler says. He's thinking about Horsehead's boyhood pals. "We're facing life, and you're gonna be out on a beach somewhere." b



Ralph Cipriano is a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. E-mail: mail@phillymag.com

FUNNY AS HELL

I just know fact from fiction. A lot of people on this site talk about things they don't know

is funny how weird merlino and the baby chang try to kill the middle bro and then the oldest sits at the table and shere a cell mafia 1st. anyone no the 2 murders horsehead coped to?

i find that brother thing between the changs just absolutely crazy... 2 brothers basically dead on different sides of a mob war in s philly is nuts

Did Mikey Chang participate in the shooting of his brother Joey Chang at the Diner?

Bobby Riccobene should be on the flipped list

He is believed to be

Mike lancelotti was supposed to have been one of the shooters

Supposetley they all met over Mikey Chang's house early in the morning.horse Scafidi thought they were going to go visit Joey's father in prison.When told of the hit,Horsehead was skeptical but Mikey Chang gave him a gun and said you either go along or I will kill you right here.I don't think Mikey Chang went with them.

That's cold!

Does anyone have a better idea of what the current hierarchy is ?

why did they want to kill horsehead to begin with?