Michael Lancelotti

No one finds it strange that he’s now skated on 4 big mob cases and the only other 2 cases he had one was for punching a guy in front of a cop(he got probation) the other was the Borgata Case and the charges were dropped?? Sounds kind of like John Difronzo....literally every single person has done time(even Lucibello did a couple years) except for him, strange indeed....

He's been quite lucky it seems. Maybe he would've been in the superseding indictment along with Licata and Fazzini if he went to the meeting that Stefanelli recorded.

Right but Mousie Massamino didn’t go to that meeting and he was indicted and convicted in that case, Dame Canalichio didn’t go to that meeting and he was indicted and convicted in that case,ditto for Marty Angelina and Gaston Luciblello, and he gets a pass in the Stanfa Case and the 2000 case with Merlino Borgesi(who also wasn’t at that meeting w Nicky Skins and got indicted)not to mention probation for a known mob figure that assaults a guy in front of a cop and his charges were dropped in the Borgata case but weren’t dropped against Nicodemo or Micali??
And at this current ceremony that was recorded every single person there is either currently under indictment or has been indicted numerous times in the past. What are the odds that he’s the one luck guy out of the 15 there?

Hey Louie you should go to the FBI Philly division and voice your displeasure with them directly. And after you ask if homework was turned in you can go fuck yourself.

Good points Louie. But not enough to say he is cooperating. You are leaving one important factor out which I did, when he skated the last big mob case years ago. Michael is well insulated. Ravens410, calm down.

He's no rat. This post ought to be deleted. What a horrible thing to insinuate. There's been plenty of stand up guys who did little to no time in prison.

Which guys are you referring to that did 0 prison time??

Why are you a fa***t?

I guess its being insinuated that Lance is working or snitching for feds ..... no fucken way .... if that was the case they would have Skinny right were they want him next to Nicky jr.


Pretty dam sure that there not letting Lance walk the street on the few cases they had that almost didn’t make it to court and the one that didn’t would have .

But if there is anytime a judge would go for someone playing both sides at that level now days it would be now with murders being down .

the way i see it . Lance doesnt go out to the bars and clubs like everyone else does.. Not a big socializer.. i take it Lance dont have 15 photos on facbook.. every wise guy since the 1990s on has been caught on tape talkin shit... caught on some recording device of some kind in person or on the phone, giving up some good info to incriminate them selves.. he uses side language and coded talk.. writes conversations on papar then he burns it.. Lance 007?

Agreed .... those fucken bars and the booze will get everything going ... then add the woman and you have big problems in that life .... good point.

WTF is wrong here !!! A wise guy does everything right, keeps a low profile, doesnt get caught talking to rats or on a phone and he is suspected of being a rat because he is smart ????
The guy is no snitch.

I have to agree with you on that one. Not that anyone can be above suspicion nowadays with all these fucking rats. from soldiers to bosses going bad.

But I'd like to think the guy is just doing it correctly. Playing it by the numbers and walking lock-step to avoid trouble.

A rarity that he should be complimented for, not called a rat.

Thats the worst possible label anybody in the life could be accused of.
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If it ever turns out he did go bad, then it is what it is. But until that day should ever come, its not a label that is nice to throw on someone.

Just because most of these knock-around guys today are rank idiots, doesn't mean everyone is. And it looks like this Lancelotti is a careful, intelligent guy.

But time will tell. It usually does!

No one really gave an explanation for why he hasn’t been indicted except to say he’s low key but yet he’s been mentioned by all of the rats as a shooter like Tommy Scafidi and Ralph Natalie both mentioned him not to mention Ron Previte and there’s tons of pictures online of Lancelotti at all the events with these guys... how did he get probation for assualting a guy IN FRONT OF A COP and get his case dropped by the state police in the borgata case? Not to mention Fazzini and Licata both talked about him on the wiretaps describing him as a “capo regime” and that he was at the Fazzini making ceremony not to mention your talking about “he’s low key and did it right” and he was just caught leading a making ceremony and introduced as the acting boss. That in itself is a crime , that’s called racketeering conspiracy! Same thing that happened to JR Patriarca.....

If he’s indicted in a superseding indictment in the current case then I’ll stand corrected otherwise I think it’s pretty obvious...

There’s pictures of him online w previte and he was just caught inducting Mob Rat Anthony Persiano into the mafia. That is a crime and is called Racketeering conspiracy...

They don’t have skinny because part of the deal Lancelotti made is he won’t surface and testify in court it’s what all these big time undercover snitches do....

http://www.gangsterbb.net/threads/u...p;Board=8&main=32115&type=thread

Here’s a thread from 2014 where Scott Burnstein finds it suspicious he hasn’t been indicted and this was in 2014...



Missed Manners
Mafia Rule No. 12: If you're going to punch someone, do not do it in front of a police officer, because you could end up taking anger-management classes like reputed Mafia captain Michael "Mikey Lance" Lancelotti.

Two weeks ago, Lancelotti was found guilty of simple assault and sentenced to counseling, fined $178 and placed on 12 months' probation.

The story begins with Lancelotti and two other men hanging out at Chickie's and Pete's in South Philly last February.

One of the trio begins to flirt with an attractive young woman at the bar. Attractive young woman's boyfriend takes offense. Someone hits attractive young woman's boyfriend in the head with a beer bottle. (Ouch!) The argument spills out into the parking lot. Police are summoned. Bloody-headed boyfriend is asked to identify the beer-bottle assailant. He can't, but does point out to police that Lancelotti is one of the three men who started the fight. Lancelotti takes exception to the boyfriend's pointing. (Well, it is rude to point.) Lancelotti punches the boyfriend � right in front of a cop. (Double ouch!) So, now Lance is learning to manage his anger. He also has plans to open a coffee shop in South Philly � here's hoping none of the customers point at the proprietor.

For the murders in the 1990s at least it makes sense why he wasn't indicted. Mike Virgilio was identified as a shooter just as explicitly by Natale and wasn't indicted either.

The making ceremony is only evidence that the criminal enterprise exists. If they don't have any crimes to connect to Lancellotti (like the gambling, loan sharking, etc., acts against Grande or Mazzone) then there's no point in charging him. They need to prove that crimes being committed are linked to the organisation, not just that the organisation is there. If that was the case then it wouldn't just be Lancellotti but everyone else at that ceremony would've been indicted too (Ligambi, the Borgesis, Accardo, Johnny Chang...)

Unless Persiano caught Lancellotti at a later point on tape giving out loan shark money or accepting cash from extortions than I'm not expecting him to be charged in anything superseding. No-one in the indictment is just charged with being at the ceremony.

That’s not true..Just being a member of a criminal enterprise is enough to charge him w a Rico predicate..Inducting someone into the mafia is a crime and they have linked crimes to the organization over and over and over including in the current case to drugs,Loan sharking and extortion...and no one can explain how a known high ranking mobster assaulted a guy in front of a cop and got probation and anger management it’s like Greg Scarpa getting probation for selling stolen credit cards, it doesn’t make any sense. He’s literally the only one that hasn’t done time. Even Gaeton Lucibello beat Racketeering charges in the Stanfa case and did a couple years for the 2011 case for illegal Gambling. Even Angelo Lutz did time for Racketeering and he wasn’t even a gangster... not to mention they dropped the charges in the borgata case because AFTER he was indicted the state of New Jersey claimed he was misidentified on wiretaps even though nicodemo and grande were in his crew...ANYONE who has experience in the federal system would tell you how bullshit that is. That after he was indicted the charges were dropped because his voice was misidentified on wiretaps over and over...

Not to mention the Govt “knows” Grande was the other shooter in the Dipietro hit and that rumor came out at the Nicodemo trial which was a couple years before John Penisi flipped. How did the Govt “know” that. Who would be in the know like that to furnish that type of information. Where the Govt knew almost immediately that Grande was the other shooter?

Thats actually not entirely true Louie. Yes, the current Rico law is the "loosest" conspiracy law on the books, able to practically indict a ham sandwich as they say. But in and of itself they cannot just charge a guy with Rico, even though they may know he is a mafia member.

Prosecutors need what they call "overt acts" in furtherance of the "Rico conspiracy." Proof that each individual person they are charging committed "crimes" himself in furtherance of the group. He collected on loans. He booked sports. He ran a game, or extorted somebody. He sold drugs. Any single act can be construed as an "overt act"

Otherwise they could literally go out and round up (hundreds and hundreds) of so-called "mafia members" just because they know those men are inducted members of families.

Likewise, why stop there? The FBI and prosecutors could go out and arrest literally( thousands) of so-called "associates" of these same families for just being associated with this group. Right or wrong?

Do you see that happening? The answer is no!

There is a very good reason for that. And I just stated it in my sentences above.

Your comparing “hundreds of known associates” to a guy who was RECORDED ON TAPE being called “the acting boss” and inducting someone into the mafia..someone who was wearing a wire. Inducting someone into the mafia and being called the acting boss are Rico predicates. They show your in “control of a continuing criminal enterprise” and inducting someone is “furthering the goals and objectives of that continuing criminal enterprise”....


This is from the JR Patriarca indictment from the early 1990s

“ The essence of the RICO charge in this case is that the Defendant was the Boss of the Patriarca family of the LCN. That name derives from his late father, Raymond L.S. Patriarca, who was long understood to be the Boss of the New England organized crime family which came to bear his name”

“ The evidence, however, that the Defendant was the Boss of the Patriarca family is strong. It includes, among other things, the tape recording of the October 29, 1989, induction ceremony, which I have ruled will be admissible.[29]”


In the current case Persiano wore a wire and recorded the ceremony so he would be an extremely credible witness despite his background since it’s the defendants “in theyre own words”

“This would also be particularly unavailing, since even in the absence of any human witnesses, the tape-recorded evidence against the Defendant would remain strong on the most substantial of the charges against him.”

“ On October 29, 1989, a Mafia induction ceremony was held on Guild Street in Medford, Massachusetts, across the street from the home of an FBI agent.[57] The Defendant was present. He was introduced at the ceremony as the Boss of the family. He presided. From his participation in that ceremony, among other things, I infer that he, like the inductees, took an oath at some point in his career, and that oath included swearing his lifelong paramount loyalty to the Mafia”

That is true. But being a member of the mafia is NOT a chargeable crime in and of itself.

Although he is recorded at a ceremony. Unless they have Lancellotti on tape ACTUALLY discussing a crime. (And induction in itself is not a crime). Lancelotti should not be charged.

He could be! After all, a prosecutor could make that leap of faith as you have proposed that he IS guilty of a crime by even being at the ceremony. But I DO NOT think that many prosecutors would run with that type of weak evidence. They want, they need, "predicate criminal acts" to justify an indictment.

NOW, if his men went out to commit crimes, and they have him on tape ordering his men to do so, they he can be charged. Even though he himself didn't go out and do them. Its "conspiracy" - he's conspired.

Thats why even to this day, the Rico laws are often misunderstood by lawyers, prosecutors, and judges themselves on occasion. They are sooo complex that it gets confusing on how to properly apply Rico.

And thats also what makes Rico so scary for defendants (mafia or not). The complex "rules" of Rico muck up the waters and fuck up many a defense.(and prosecution alike). Although I admit the prosecution has a tremendous upper hand when using Rico.

I'll give you another example. Take the Hells Angels, or The Pagans MC clubs.

Those fellas even walk around with the "colors" daily. They blatantly wear their jackets and "rockers" showing their membership in those clubs.

You don't see them being rounded up for that do you? The answer is of course no!!

Because it is NOT a crime to belong to the club. even though prosecutors have designated those clubs as potential "criminal organizations"

If they cannot catch members selling guns, or dealing drugs. They are NOT charged. Why is that?

Because prosecutors need "criminal acts" - overt criminal acts, in order to form an indictment. Membership alone DOES NOT meet that criteria.

The Hells Angels and these other groups are incorporated and trademarked that’s how they’re able to deflect the criminal organization label and in this case I’m not just talking about membership, we’re talking about someone recorded by a cooperating witness who was called “the boss” and inducted someone into a criminal enterprise which is a crime. It’s called furthering the enterprise and at this meeting Lancelottis “Underboss” also discussed furthering the enterprise by extorting bookmakers and loan sharks in Atlantic City because “we’re gangsters”.. not to mention one of Lancelottis “capos” was caught directing one of Lancelottis “soldiers “ to deal drugs directly to an undercover agent and the “soldier” plead guilty to it....your not comparing apples to apples this isn’t the same thing as wearing colors and attending runs....

Personally I don't believe he's playing both sides, But I do think it's worth discussing it without attacking the questioner. Just my two cents

Right on.....These dudes all grew up together and super tight all family and friends know each other. There is the possibility that he has gone more of the legit world as in S Jersey and parts of philly the real estate market and rebuilding a flipping of homes has skyrocketed and its legal and probably make more money than shylocking. Not too many jobs for the mob in philly available now with several casinos in philly and PA and then AC that take sports bets via the phone; always guns and drugs available i suppose

I think we can agree to disagree on this issue. I do see some validity to what you say, but court history, and prior criminal cases bare out what I say. So I think you're argument may be more with how the prosecutors and feds are perceiving their application of the Rico laws, as opposed to us having a pissing contest here on the forum.

As I stated earlier, time will tell if he's on the "up and up" as they say, or if he's a rat. But without solid proof, I think its unfair to label anyone, mob guy or not, an informant just because he HASN'T been pinched.

There have been enough high-caliber mob rats who turned on their friends. Time will tell if he's another.

Heres an article on another guy who was "smart" and "lucky" who was an fbi snitch the entire time, pretty obvious when you think about it..Since everyone was indicted and convcited around him and he wasnt..Kinda like Lancelotti..this "smart guy" "low key wiseguy" whos been named in court testimony as a shooter and captured on tape being called a "capo regime" and been captured on tape being "the boss" and inducting someone into the mafia, not to mention probation for assualting a guy in front of a cop and having the charges dropped in a state police case because he was "misidentified" on wiretaps....I think its pretty obvious..Like Macazian told Tony 'Tone its pretty obvious if you take the blinders off"....

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/jane-ann-morrison/lefty-rosenthal-was-an-fbi-snitch/


everyone was suspicious of Greg Scarpa because he did 30 days in jail for crimes between the 1960s-1990s meanwhile Lancelotti hasnt done a day except to serve anger management classes in a career of non stop criminal activity between the 1990s-2020s and with law enforcement having so much more at theyre disposal in this day and age vs Scarpas prime days.....


This is the case were he was "misidentified" by the state police on wiretaps and the charges were dropped aka after the FBI went to them and asked them to drop the charges......

Alleged mob-run bet ring smashed inside Borgata

By KITTY CAPARELLA
Nov. 15, 2007
Philadelphia Daily News
caparek@phillynews.com 215-854-5880

Well, you can't say the mob doesn't have chutzpah.

In a daring comeback, the Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia allegedly made a move inside Atlantic City's hottest casino, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, by taking $22 million in illegal sports bets from young, hip gamblers in the casino's high-stakes poker room.

It could be the biggest mob infiltration of a casino since the Atlantic City gambling parlors opened in 1978, if defendants are convicted.

Yesterday, reputed mob capo Michael "Mikey Lance" Lancellotti, 45, and alleged soldier Anthony Nicodemo, 36, both of Philadelphia, were charged with conspiracy to promote gambling.

New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram identified the ringleader as Andrew Micali, 32, of Ventnor. He worked with a partner, a reputed major bookmaker, Jack M. Buscemi, 50, of Mullica Hill, N.J., who allegedly received a percentage of the gambling proceeds.

A total of 23 managers, bankers, casino employees and agents were charged in the ring.

"Micali frequently communicated with Lancellotti," according to a law-enforcement source familiar with the probe.

Micali allegedly worked with poker-room supervisor Joseph Wishnick, 42, of Brigantine. Both were charged with promoting gambling. Micali was also charged with money laundering and criminal usury.

Like a few others in the ring, Micali, Lancellotti and Nicodemo were longtime pals of jailed mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino. No mention was made of reputed current mob boss Joseph Ligambi yesterday.

Alleged mob associate Vincent Procopia, 41, of Brigatine, was charged with promoting gambling, while reputed associates Steven "Stevie Gongs" Casasanto, 37, and William DePena, 39, both of Philadelphia, were issued complaint summonses along with 16 others.

The 18 were charged with promoting gambling, money laundering or conspiracy.

Lancellotti was the highest-ranking alleged mobster arrested in a New Jersey gambling ring since 2004, when reputed underboss Joseph "Mousie" Massimino was jailed for 10 years for operating a large-scale sports-gambling ring in South Jersey and Philadelphia - a ring similar to the alleged current one.

You might say the mob operated under the nose of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission - except that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement; the state police-organized crime, gambling-bureaus and digital-technology units; and 10 other law-enforcement agencies worked on the 18-month probe.

Milgram said that investigators were tipped off in March 2006 by an informant as to what to look for in the overhead surveillance cameras in the poker room.

The Borgata security and surveillance departments helped investigators watch six casino employees, reputed mob associates and others in off-the-books exchanges of cash and casino chips during illegal betting in the poker room.

Gamblers learned of the illegal gaming - which authorities claimed siphoned $22 million from legitimate casino games - by word-of-mouth.

Losing gamblers were forced to borrow money at 50 percent annual interest to cover their debts.

Investigators followed the money to three Philadelphia "wire rooms," including one in a Micali-owned home, where each bettor's winnings and losses were calculated so that payouts or paybacks could be made.

During its "massive" money laundering, Milgram said, the ring used a method called "chip washing" - "taking cash, turning it into chips, 'washing' them by betting and then turning them in, and taking cash out."

During court-approved searches, Micali's bank account - with more than $200,000 - was frozen.

Also seized was $40,000 in chips and cash in Micali's safe deposit box at the Borgata, as well as gambling records, a laptop and a .357 caliber semi-automatic handgun inside his Ventnor home.

In Philadelphia, gambling records, computers, a handgun and $20,000 in cash were seized at three homes, including one owned by Micali.

This was Milgram's first big mob case, yet she was reluctant to mention the mob at an Atlantic City news conference, according to observers, even when reporters bombarded her with mob questions.

Usually in mob cases, defendants are charged with the more serious charge of racketeering conspiracy, but the AG's office charged the suspects with promoting gambling in a casino. It also issued the complaint summonses, which are like traffic tickets. The illegal operation did not affect the normal daily gaming on the casino floor, Milgram said.

"They sought to escape detection by enlisting casino employees in their crimes," Milgram said.

The casino employees charged with promoting illegal gambling included: Borgata poker-room supervisor Paul Parks, 31; Borgata poker dealers Austin Johnson-Brown, 35, and Robert McEwen, 26; Borgata bartender Matthew Weyler, 26; and Tropicana poker-room supervisor Jeffrey Ebert, 45. Ebert was also charged with criminal usury.

"I'm pleased to say they greatly underestimated our vigilance and determination to keep organized crime out of Atlantic City casinos," added Milgram.

If convicted, casino employees could lose their licenses. *

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

where i certainly dont think lance is a rat at all, i can see with louie is coming from..up here in boston, mark rosetti for years kept going in and out of the can from mid 80s til he was outed, and mark was a stone cold killer who they let run amuck..diffeerence is mark was shooting heroin in his arms for decades, and early in his life was a bank robber, so more prone to hurting citizens, which actually made what the feds did that much work..regarding questioning lance being indicted in this last indctment. i understand what you are saying louie, BUT its rico conspiracy standing alone, nothing else from what WE HAVE HEARD. im sure the feds pushed for an indictment by rattling cages etc, but they dont want to waste time and money at trial for someone to take a stand and say he administred and oath, and have the attorneys rip it apart like its the elks lodge..NOW, i know the difference, and i know it COULD constitute as a charge, but if you think somoene is getting 2 decades for that, your nuts..my opinion, feds are being patient, and looking for more to bring a real conspiracy, not just whats on that tape. again, my opinion...over the course of decades, lance has been smart and lucky. thats my opinion...

He's just one of many such "dry" snitches who have permeated the underworld over the years. Lefty was a jerk off. Essentially a Jewish "frontman" who really didn't fit into the equation except for the casinos he managed for mafiosi. An "outsider" so to speak.

Nobody is questioning that there are plenty of rats, uncover rats, and blatant rats.

But what's that got to do with what I said in my previous statements? Nothing.

So your basically saying because Lancelotti is Italian he cant be an informant? What does lefty being jewish have to do w anything? I can assure you theres Italian wiseguys that are CWs that we wouldnt even believe....

Agree 100% with Biggie, Look Mikey Lance doesn’t talk much really, doesn’t dress flashy, and last time I saw him he was cruising around in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He doesn’t go to nightclubs and flashy restaurants, he used to drink a lot though low key at the Jesters Clubhouse (I don’t know about now since he’s a Cancer survivor) . I will tell you one thing the guy is well respected and ALWAYS out and about in South Philly during the daytime. I agree with Biggie that he’s just been a combination of lucky, smart, and it helps that he’s quiet/non flashy guy.

-Dante

Is that what you think I'm saying Louie? Hardly.

What I AM saying is that Lefty was an "outsider" and someone who was NOT a born, dyed-in-the-wool hoodlum from the get-go. He was a schemer and later affiliated with the mob. But was NOT a full blown hood, nor did he "commit" to that life, let alone take a Sicilian "blood oath" of loyalty. They therefore were supposed to "commit" to the life. Whereas a Rosenthal did not make such as commitment. He also did NOT have a wide-full knowledge of larger mafia operations either. He only knew what he was assigned to, which was handling a casino for them. Period!!

A guy like a Vinny Cafaro, Phil Leonetti, or an Al D'Arco, are "blood committed" mafiosi. They WERE/or WERE supposed to be, committed! NOT a loose affiliate who really didn't give two fucks for Cosa Nostra per se. They are lifetime hoods. Not guys just riding the Cosa Nostra wave for their own immediate benefit, who play both ends to the middle (FBI and mob) at the same time. Understand me now my friend?

Guys like Greg Scarpa have done the same, but years ago it was not prevalent like it is today.

Dante mentions an important detail: Mikey Lance was down for the count for quite a while with cancer, at pretty much exactly the time that the crimes alleged in these recent indictments were taking place. Also, there's something to be said for living in a modest row home and taking a low-key vacation or two down the shore in the summer, and otherwise staying the fuck out of the Saloon.

He was well enough to be the acting boss and be active( he wouldnt be the acting boss if he was sick he would have been demoted) he was sick around 2013 not by 2015 when Persiano was wearing a wire, and induct people into the mob and hes avoided indictments since 1994...I think everyone is avoiding the obvious

Can someone logically explain these questions and answer them in the context of them being taken in theyre totality(meaning when you add all of the questions and evidence together)
How did he avoid indictment for being a shooter when Ralph Natale and Tommy Scafidi said he plotted to murder Stanfa and was one of the shooters in the Joey Chang Hit?
How did he avoid indictment in the early 2000s case when everyone else in that crew was indicted except for Gaeton Lucbibello who was indicted in 1994 and 2011?
How did he interact with Ron Previte time and time again including dozens of pictures with him and avoid indictment in the 2000 case?
How did he have the charges dropped by the state police in the Borgata case in 2008 because he was "misidentified" on the wiretaps and that it was a "different michael" directing Dom Grande and Anthony Nicodemo and Andrew Micali?
How did he assualt a guy with a beer bottle and then punch a guy in the face in front of a cop and only get probation,anger management and a $187 fine?
How did he avoid indictment in 2011 when he was all over the wiretaps between Licata and Fazzini and descriped as a "caporegime" and present at multiple induction ceremonys in the early 2000s and 2008?
How did he avoid indictment in the current case when he was recorded by a cooperating witness inducting him into the mob and called "the acting boss" and they discussed extorting bookmakers and loan sharks and his capos and soldiers dealt drugs including a soldier who has plead guilty to it, to selling to an undercover agent, when taken into account that every single other person at the ceremony has been indicted multiple times??

I guess my issue with your theory is that if you can figure this out and present the evidence, surely Joey Merlino or George Borgesi would have your evidence but times ten about Lance. And let's not pretend Georgie Borgesi wouldn't put a bullet in the head of his best friend if he had the faintest inclination they were a snitch. So either they are morons (a possibility) or Mike Lance has been able to show to them there's "no there there."

What "evidence" could he possibly show them to disprove it, I would think its more of a matter of hes theyre friend and been around forever and they dont want to believe it........
not to mention hes probably involved in murders and theyre theory is "if hes a rat" we would be in Jail for life but thats not neccesarily true with secret undercover informants......Carmine Lombardozzi, Greg Scarpa,all the top guys we dont know about who were informing against John Gotti and the later administrations,the "Top echelon member of the Chicago Outift" who as of 2009 had been informing for over 25 years etc etc and besides any of that I dont think anyone is going to refer to the philly guys as geniuses....

If not mistaken it was twice or two illnesses.

Without naming names because this fella is active as we speak. There is a guy, a top guy, who rose to become a goodfella, and then a capo. One of the top guys around. Very respected. He's been active for many years. In nearly every conceivable racket you could imagine. And he's been very successful.

In his entire lifetime, he's only taken a few bullshit pinches. I don't think he's ever even gotten a felony pinch in his life. Let alone a conviction.

He's never served 1 day in the can, with the exception of when he got pinched and was waiting to get out on bail. He has never served a prison term. Yet, he's been rubbing elbows, been shoulder to shoulder, with most of the top guys in NY for years.

And to the very best of my personal knowledge, he's NO rat. Just a very savvy, careful, measured fella, who picks his shots. Add in brains, smarts, luck, scheming, using buffers, and a very good game plan. And this man has come out a winner on the other end of the LE vs. MOB contest. The stars just aligned for him in his career.

What I am saying is all true. Every last word. And although this fella is a rarity for sure. He is not the only one around who has fallen into this category. Although admittedly, he's done it better than most.

So they ARE out there. You just gotta know where to look for them!

Right but this guy isn’t constantly mentioned at trial after trial and wiretap after wiretap and has he been recorded being called the acting boss and inducting members into the mafia? Has he been publicly named as a shooter by multiple cooperating witnesses and been arrested twice once for assualting someone in front of a cop and the other as part of a bookmaking operation and mysteriously had the charges basically dropped both times??? Your not comparing apples to apples. A Frank Camiso Gambino Capo would be a better comparison to the guy your talking about and Frank will be indicted soon any day now since his home and business were raided a year ago.... and you not knowing they’re a rat means nothing. They’re not going to tell you if they’re ratting...but most of the smart guys are rats because that’s the game. You can’t beat the govt, the smart move is to hedge your bets and play both sides...not to mention any true believer has to be completely disillusioned with the current garbage pails they make and the current state of some of the families ...

And can anyone give me any sort of logical answer to any of the questions I laid out???

Seriously I've been watching from the sidelines but did Lance bang your wife or girlfriend or something? You talk like you have proof that he isnt loyal to his friends but you have nothing at all and your persitant with it! Not everybody is a weasel like you!

To answer Louie’s questions:

First, how was Lancellotti not charged with murders or attempted murders when he had been identified as a participant by Gaetano Scafidi and Ralph Natale?

Natale identified Lancellotti, Lucibello and Virgilio in connection to murders and attempted murders but none of them were charged. Natale also identified Angelina as a participant in the Billy Veasey murder and he was never charged with that crime. Lancellotti wasn’t the lone survivor of the murder indictments. The defence even used this fact at trial to argue that the government didn’t even consider Natale to be too reliable of a witness. The same argument was made by the defence about Scafidi’s testimony about the Joey Chang attempted murder. Lancellotti, Virgilio and Joe Curro were then identified in 2001 in an FBI memo sent to Philly PD describing a plot to kill Natale’s kids. None of the three were ever charged with conspiracy. So that’s Lucibello, Virgilio and Curro all identified as participants in murders, attempted murders and murder conspiracies but not one of them were ever charged. Lancellotti isn’t a special exception in this case. If anything Natale would have been a better witness in a case against Virgilio because he personally congratulated him after the Anthony Turra murder.

How did he avoid indictment in the early 2000s when everyone else in that case was indicted except for Lucibello who was indicted in 1994 and 2011?

Again, Lancellotti isn’t the only one. Michael Virgilio and Joe Curro were never charged with anything. Looking at people who haven’t died, there’s quite a few members and key associates who haven’t been in any serious trouble over the past 20 years. Martin Curro, Philip Ligambi, Albert Lancellotti, the Wagners, the Salvos, Anthony Borgesi, etc. Everything out there about Lancellotti personally surrounds how he’s a very quiet guy who doesn’t say much and doesn’t talk to many people. That goes a long way, and if you look at top guys in other families who have been on the street for quite a while untouched that’s the same way they operate.

How did he interact with Ron Previte time and time again including dozens of pictures with him and avoid indictment in the 2000 case?

I haven’t been able to find anything to indicate that Lancellotti was engaged in any criminal activity with Previte. He wasn’t identified in connection with Previte in any articles in the 1990s and he wasn’t mentioned in The Last Gangster at all until Anastasia talked about how Lancellotti, Virgilio and Lucibello avoided being caught up in the murder cases. It’s not like Previte had criminal interactions with every active member and associate. I’m not disputing that he had social interactions with Lancellotti, that’s well documented, but it doesn’t mean they were involved in any illegal business together. Ligambi, Massimino, Lancellotti, Lucibello, Virgilio, Curro, Filipelli, etc., were all active in the late 1990s yet none of them were touched by Previte. Any legal trouble they got into later on was unrelated to him.

How did he have the charges against him in the Borgata case dropped?

Like you yourself pointed out, there were questions in the case over whether the wiretap evidence investigators obtained actually recorded Lancellotti or another Michael. And, yet again, Lancellotti was not the only figure to have charges dropped for this reason. Stephen Casasanto’s lawyer got the charges against him dropped a few months after the indictment for the same reason, arguing that prosecutors hadn’t done their due diligence in making sure the “Stephen” caught on tape was actually him. A couple of other figures in the case who were first arrested with Lancellotti also had charges dropped.

How did he assault a guy with a beer bottle and then punch a guy in the face in front of a cop and only get probation, anger management and a $178 fine?

First, Lancellotti was not identified as the individual who assaulted the man with the bottle. He was only pointed out as one of the three men who started the fight, at which point Lancellotti punched the guy. The victim could not identify who had hit him with the bottle. Lancellotti was charged with simple assault, which under Pennsylvania law is a misdemeanour and does not carry a minimum jail sentence. Probation, counselling and a small fine seems understandable considering (as far as I’m aware) he had no record prior to the incident, the victim wasn’t a minor and he wasn’t charged with using the bottle as a weapon.

How did he avoid indictment in 2011 when he was all over the wiretaps between Licata and Fazzini, described as a caporegime and present at multiple ceremonies?

The bit about multiple ceremonies is incorrect, they only mentioned him by name in relation to the one ceremony where Fazzini and Eric Esposito were made. Steven Mazzone was also all over those tapes where he was identified as the consigliere and they talked about how he wanted to get his brother Sonny made. He was never charged in that case and if you look at the comment section for Big Trial articles from around that time there’s some baseless speculation that Mazzone “has to be” an informant to not be indicted. Maybe if Lancellotti attended the meeting with Licata and the Gambinos himself and got caught on tape there talking about criminal activity he would have been indicted. There were recordings and witness evidence against everyone else who got indicted in that case connecting them to different crimes, the investigators just didn’t have that against Lancellotti.

How did he avoid indictment in this case when everyone else at the ceremony has been indicted multiple times?

No-one in the case is charged just with attending the ceremony. Mazzone financed a loan of $10,000 to Persiano and personally collected interest from him. Grande was involved in the loan between Mazzone and Persiano, approved Persiano to collect extortion money, approved Persiano to work with Servidio, hooked up another cooperating witness with a bookmaking operation, and on multiple occasions accepted money from Persiano that had been collected the same day from the other cooperating witness. No-one in the case is charged just with what they did or said at the ceremony. So far, there’s nothing to suggest that Persiano, or any of the other cooperating witnesses, had such dealings with Lancellotti. If prosecutors thought participating in the ceremony was enough to build a case then Ligambi, Ciancaglini, Accardo, Sam Piccolo, the Borgesis and the two other (publicly) unidentified individuals at the ceremony would also be charged in this case. Ligambi, Ciancaglini and Borgesi specifically were all there in leadership roles. And again, Lancellotti is not the only one out of them who hasn’t been caught up in legal trouble before. Anthony Borgesi hasn’t been involved in any serious trouble. We also don’t know who the two unidentified attendees are so we can’t say for those either.

…

The way I see it, Lancellotti has been able to survive on the street for so long due to a combination of the way he conducts himself, questions over witness reliability (Natale particularly), prosecutorial ineptitude (the Borgata case), and a fair bit of luck (not being taken by Ligambi to the 2010 meeting with the Gambinos, etc.) Louie might argue that’s too much, but that’s the way life plays out sometimes. Some people get lucky, and Lancellotti increases his odds of staying lucky by keeping himself low key and not talking to many people. I’m not saying he’s not an informant and I’m not saying he is an informant (though unless someone puts a document in front of me with his name on it I’ll veer on the side of him not being an informant). All I’m pointing out is there are other explanations for all of these scenarios. This isn’t a situation where the only plausible answer is that he’s an informant. You can explain how he’s survived on the street for so long without that theory. He's never been the odd one out. In every case there's always been at least a couple of guys who have skated for similar reasons. First there was Lucibello and Virgilio in the 1990s, then Casasanto in the Borgata case, then Mazzone in the 2011 case, then Ligambi, Borgesi, Ciancaglini, et al. in this current case.

very well stated Chin. My compliments.

One more possibility. Maybe it's just my opinion, but is it not possible that the government could try to make a guy seem like a rat? To pressure him into actually becoming one, or intimidate others into ratting or making a plea deal? Maybe that's what's going on with him.

Chin well done and stated; throwing all that in combined with 2 cancer scares alters your view on life and family and being smart so that he is not in prison with cancer and dying in a cell like others before him

Goddamn right! While most men in that life don't have his track record, there are still many in that life who've been able to dodge indictments almost their entire careers. The Genoveses have a ton of guys like that. Lance just doesn't talk much. He's hardly ever caught on wiretaps and he doesn't meet with everybody like his friends do. If anyone should run that family, it's him.

Chin nails it. Move on from this one Louie.

The only other guys who’s “skated” with him in other cases were low level flunkies so it wouldn’t be so obvious and all of those low level flunkies have been caught and arrested and imprisoned in other cases. You need to really think about non stop criminal activity by a capo and later boss and Philadelphia that has somehow avoided indictment for 30 years. You can’t name me one other person at his level. He’s literally the only one. Any lawyer w a brain in theyre head would tell they’re client to stay away from him and listen if he’s indicted in the current case in a superseding indictment I’ll stand corrected but remember he was also introduced at the Genovese Christmas party as the acting boss as well the “low key” guy who meets no one has literally been at every event across the country being introduced as the boss...
he’s been caught time and time again and is so low key that he’s the boss and caught conducting ceremony’s. Never in the history of American law enforcement has anyone been caught conducting a making ceremony and not been charged with racketeering. Please name me one other mobster in the history of American law enforcement who was caught conducting a making ceremony and wasn’t charged with racketeering. If someone can name me one other case I’ll move on??

Here's the key distinction: Patriarca and Piccolo weren't charged with crimes related solely to their presence at induction ceremonies. Piccolo was charged in relation to illegal gambling operations in New Jersey. Here's the counts against Patriarca:

Count 1 involving a RICO conspiracy; Count 2, the substantive RICO charge; Count 30, the Travel Act conspiracy; Count 31, the Travel Act violation occurring in August, 1985 involving Robert Carrozza; Count 36, the Travel Act violation occurring in August, 1989 involving Matthew Gugliemetti's travel to Connecticut; Count 38, the Travel Act violation relating to travel preceding the October, 1989 induction ceremony involving this defendant and Joseph Russo; and Count 39, the Travel Act violation in connection with the induction ceremony on October 29, 1989.

If investigators don't have anything against Lancellotti like they do with Mazzone and Grande (i.e., collecting extortion, gambling and loan sharking money from cooperating witnesses and directing them to engage in activities) they are unlikely to charge him. If all they have is the tape from the ceremony then he doesn't need to be a CI to skate on it. Same goes for Ligambi and the other ranking members on tape.

You posted this:

Count 38, the Travel Act violation relating to travel preceding the October, 1989 induction ceremony involving this defendant and Joseph Russo; and Count 39, the Travel Act violation in connection with the induction ceremony on October 29, 1989.

I’ll add from the same case. It’s clearly a crime it’s a travel act violation...not to mention at the ceremony they discussed extortion and loan sharking and he was called the boss of it all and furthered the racketeering enterprise by inducting new members. Each of those things are a crime in itself..AS IT CLEARLY STATES BELOW...



To put the Travel Act violations in context again, the defendant has pled guilty to all the charges against him. These charges include: Count 1 involving a RICO conspiracy; Count 2, the substantive RICO charge; Count 30, the Travel Act conspiracy; Count 31

All of the predicate acts and substantive offenses the defendant is personally charged with in the Superseding Indictment involve the Travel Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1952.


in 18 U.S.C. § 1952. "Unlawful activity," as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1952(b), means: (1) any business enterprise involving gambling or narcotics; and (2) extortion. Travel to carry on a RICO enterprise in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1961, et seq.,

Arguments have been made for both sides of this issue, some real good points without the name calling and put down of someone’s opinion that may not agree with your own. The way a debate should be. I am not convinced he’s an informant but only time will tell. And to be honest if any one of you told me in 1990 The Grim Reaper was playing both sides I would have said you were nuts so anything is possible.

Correct. Anything is possible with any of these guys. That fact has been proven out time and time again, from associates to bosses who flip.

But lets give the fellas the benefit of the doubt. Time will tell as you say

100% great back and forth ,chin w some great points as well. We need more of this on the board to keep it alive. There’s no reason this board shouldn’t be like a new real deal forum....

I agree 1000%

Couple other mentions of Lance


What follows is a partial transcript from that meeting, with Licata reminiscing about the 2007 "making" ceremony at which Fazzini and others were formally inducted into the Philadelphia crime family, refered to in the document as "LCN" (La Cosa Nostra).
Licata notes that Fazzini and Eric Esposito, a co-defendant in the racketeering case, were made at the same ceremony conducted by Ligambi. He states that Anthony Staino, another codefendant, also was present, along with Michael Lancelotti. Staino and Lancelotti, referred to as "Lance," have been described as capos or captains in the Ligambi orgnaization.


Licata: No. They brought him in. Lance [Michael Lancelotti] brought him in.
Fazzini: Yeah. Yeah.
Licata: He came late. He came late with him.
Fazzini: Yeah. And then, uh –
Licata: Lance. Caporegime.


Turncoat Philly mob associate and drug dealer Mike Orlando told jurors at a 2012 trial that the younger Lancellotti smashed the windshield of his car with a baseball bat when he fell behind on loan payments (Lancellotti wasn’t involved in the trial proceedings). Orlando testified that Lancellotti requested that he help in a conspiracy to falsely raise his uncle’s credit score, too.

Eric Esposito, who is still awaiting trail on gambling charges, ran the club, according to evidence. Martin Angelina, a mobster indicted in the current case and who pleaded guilty several months ago, was one of the club's owners.

Tapes played for the jury Thursday included discussions about a patron named Ralphie who was causing problems and picking fights in the club. In one conversation Canalichio described Ralphie as a "fuckin' junkie" and told Esposito that he wanted to "crack his head." In other conversations he asked both Angelina and mobster Michael Lancelotti to help with the problem.


The last piece of evidence shown to the jury Wednesday before the prosecution rested was a video surveillance tape made by the Philadelphia Police Department's Organized Crime Unit. The tape showed Ligambi and others entering the Saloon, a South Philadelphia restaurant, for what authorities said was a mob Christmas party on Dec. 17, 2009.

Police Officer Cynthia Felicetti, who worked the surveillance detail, identified the individuals she saw going into and coming out of the restaurant that night. She said she and her partner were tailing Ligambi and Staino. Staino drove to the Saloon and, over the course of the next three hours, she said, they watched and video-taped mobsters entering and leaving the restaurant. The tape shown to the jury included shots of Ligambi, Staino, Fazzini and Licata.

Others seen that night, she said, included Angelina, Massimino, Gaeton Lucibello (who also pleaded guilty pre-trial), Steven Mazzone, Michael Lancelotti, Frank Narducci Jr. and the late Frank Gambino.

Now it’s come out Carmine Persico gave info at one time. And people think Mike Lancelotti isn’t a rat hahahahah. It’s obvious..you don’t get so lucky that you just avoid every indictment..not in this day and age.not when he’s such a heavyweight player in the family now going on 20 something years

Lance is no rat you fucking idiot. You think Skinny Joey would be free if he was? This thread ought to be deleted. You keep smearing good people

I’d bet my life he’s been an informant.::
He just got recorded conducting a making ceremony and wasn’t arrested
He wasn’t arrest during Stanfa, he wasn’t arrested during Natale and Merlino and he wasn’t arrested during Ligambi..he’s literally the only one that can say they did that...wonder how that is?

If he was a rat they would have Skinny or Joe L no way with the unsolved murders is Lance allowed to operate under feds or LE there no way …. It’s not like in the beginning they needed to find out who was who and what was what …. It’s all out there .

He’s a CI he will never testify in court that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been a rat in the background all these years. There is no logical answer for why he has avoided all these indictments..you can keep saying he’s closed mouth and careful but he’s been mentioned by rat after rat as involved in killings and in testimony and on wiretapes inducting people into the mob as the boss and 11 years ago involved in making ceremonies as a Capo Regime

I gotta say I don't disagree with Louie on this one. He makes a good argument, Time will tell.

He makes no argument. Lance is super careful. You almost never hear him on any tapes and the rats don't know him. Lance can smell a rat from a mile away.

Louis needs to apologize to Michael

I don't get Louie's fixation with calling everybody a rat or informant? What useful purpose does it serve to try and besmirch someone without 1 solid ounce of proof?

If this wasn't a mob forum for bantering BS around, guys who dare make those types of statements open themselves up to civil lawsuits and worse.

Ya know, my own father used to say that before you look to denigrate a guy speaking badly about him, and especially to throw out a such a volatile accusation that he's a rat, you'd better have REAL solid 100% proof that you're right.

Because it's the easiest thing in the world to ruin a person's reputation, and once done, its one of the hardest things to rectify and 'get your reputation' back regardless of whether you are innocent of the charge or not.

Be VERY careful when you speak ill of people. Especially in "The Life" because more than one guy has wound up in a car trunk for talking out of turn and talking shit.

And many a guy got hurt from people suspecting he WAS a rat, when in fact he WAS NOT.

Case in point, Lucchese soldier Bruno Facciolo, who was clipped for guys thinking he went bad. When he hadn't. It was a 'bum wire' that got the guy killed.

So if you are like to consider yourself a decent person and not a creep, be careful what you say and who you say it too. It is the same courtesy that you yourself would want if in their situation.

It's because of his hatred for the life. Louie is just another Moe. He truly believes that anyone who has gotten far in that life is a reprehensible human being. He can believe that all he wants, but his hatred has obviously corrupted him. If he applied logic and reason to his thoughts, he wouldn't be saying what he's saying. Carmine Persico may have been a hoodlum, but he was also a father, a husband and a friend to thousands of people. He did a lot of good for many people. The government would never admit this. Journalists won't write about it because it's not sexy to talk about a person's good deeds. To them, only sensationalism gets clicks. What they fail to realize is that people are on to their pathetic game. The people want the truth!

For anybody to have such hatred as you stated, IMO he must have been personally assaulted or abused in some manner to hold such a blinding grudge. For instance, I may not like a guy, or a given subject, or a 'thing,' but I'm not crazed about it like he is about Italian organized crime.

It seems 'extremely' personal to him. Thats why I say he must have been adversely affected by them in some way that he sees red every time he even thinks of wiseguys or the mob.

Am I right here or what? Does what I'm saying make sense to you?

The unreasonable level of uneven thinking he has (and Moe for that matter as well), makes me think they hold personal 'grudges' against all things mafia. For Gods sake, even cops and feebees don't feel as passionate about the subject as he does.

It's very possible. I would not be surprised if he or someone close to him was abused or hurt by a member of that life. It could also be his upbringing. Psychologically, he is a complete mess. It's so blatantly obvious that it stopped being funny a long time ago.

“Im not crazed about it”..says the guy with a website with thousands of pictures and articles dedicated to Wiseguys not to mention a YouTube channel...and i never said everyone in that life is a reprehensible human being. Just that to make it to the top should have to at one point or another do reprehensible things...People like Vinny Basciano for instance had a good side to him and was a gentleman...

A good side to him lol. Every human has a good side to them. Even Hitler had good sides to him. Would you consider Vinny Basciano to be a good man? Would you like to be his friend? If the answer is no then go fuck yourself

All the time !

Dam right …. And the feds …. They destroyed so many innocent families and friends just to get to a someone they want or wanted …. So please go and hunt some feds or LE that do this . I personally have had this happen. I know that if feds know you know something they need , they will have you pulled over and a oz or more of coke and a gun will be found in your car .Then they squeeze you to rat or do the time . This and things like it happens all the time .

You're agreeing with someone who's saying Hitler had good points.

He's literally making death threats now. Are the moderators going to tolerate this?

Hard to fathom he’s not a dry snitch. My only issue is why show up to the making ceremony knowing someone else is wired?

---
Moe, you are such a nutty "little man", or rather such a "nutty little nothing".......nobody threatened anybody with anything. But you will try and twist every single conversation and bend it to fit your narrative.

I suggest you got back to grade school and learn how to read what is written so you don't get confused all the time.

It must really suck to be you. Living in a constant world-wind of confusion and fantasyland trauma.

Ya know, you don't have to agree with everything everybody says. I certainly don't. But you also don't have to try and besmirch everyone who doesn't agree with you by writing lies and attempting to twist their words and the meaning of what they say.

The logical people of this forum see right through you like glass.

It's just next level nutty! That's you! A nut!

Look at Nicky Rizzo from the Colombo family up until a few years ago he never was pinched the guy is a real old timer.
Even the pinch he had was B.S. gambling charge.

And he was pretty active
Had his hands in alot of different rackets

He had guys on Wall street kicking up money to him.
Loan sharking
Gambling

Thats what I know of personally.

It's not illegal to preside over an induction ceremony. You have to tie them to crimes. If you want to nail them on a RICO you must find them guilty on 2 predicate Acts. Lance is just a shrewd guy. Look at when Joey took him to the Genovese restaurant owner by Patsy Patella in the Bronx. Some of the guys were getting offended by Lance standoffish behavior . Skinny Joey just said that's the way he's always been and he doesn't mean no disrespect. Lance assumed every place he is in is wired and it's an instinct that has served him well. If he was wired or reporting info back the Feds he would be a lot more Social.

I've lived two blocks from Lance for close to the last quarter century, and I don't think I've heard him speak 25 combined words. He's a super low profile guy who only associates with a few people from my observations. There were a lot of guys on this from thought Anthony Nicademo was going to rat too.

I generally don’t comment on active guys but this allegation is totally off in my opinion. I don’t know him, never met him. But I know and knew guys who are discussed here and never once have I heard a bad word about Lance. People read these forums and it’s not cool to start rumors that could escalate outside of this website.

You need to have a special kind of rot residing within you to want to call someone a rat without any proof

I’ve seen Mikey Lance before doing a walk and talk around the Novacare center on Hartfrant.

The guy does talk and you will see him out and about in South Philly all the time.

I’ve seen him at all the hang spots (clubhouses).

He’s just smart with what he says and I’m one to believe that there is no way he’s an informant.

There’s just some guys that are smart and careful with what they say and do. He’s also had a lot of luck involved as don’t forget he was both Anthony Nicodemo and Dom Grande’s Capo at certain points over the past twenty years. He’s really only had that complete fraud, crumb Ralph Natale flip on him to implement him in murders which isn’t saying much as Ralph had less credibility than Cuomo saying he didn’t touch all them broads….

-Dante

^ What I mean by he’s also had a lot of luck is that if people like Nicodemo and Grande didn’t stand up , we would most likely be having a different conversation, I’m sure they would have Lance on some serious charges then.

That Borgata gambling ring bust in AC was also his crew at that point, he lucked out there (was originally charged in it but case was beyond weak against him had charges dropped) no one flipped on him there. He’s having a lucky run, there’s no doubt about it……

-Dante

Which makes him a smart guy. He's smart that he doesn't talk much but he is also lucky nobody close to him has flipped. And in the future if a guy does flip Lance never hurt or badmouthed nobody so they will probably shield him the best they can. The Feds will just want Joey Georgie and Stevie anyways and will focus on them. Lance is very intelligent