Joseph Merlino smart or just lucky?

When I read Mafia Prince where Leonetti said something "Joey is a punk,if he wasnt the chuckie son I would put a bullet in his head".
Before 1992 when was made by Stanfa as peace act Joseph Merlino was nobody except a party guy and a thug with all his friends.
But after scarfo fall and the rise of Stanfa that was choosen by ny but with no loyal men,he and the young turks menaged to do what another Joey,Gallo failed aka take the control of a mob family.

My questions are?

Was lucky that the family was such a mess that everyone with loyal men can take the power?
He made it on purpose to put Natale as front boss or just hidden him some family rackets?
He choose Joe Ligambi as street boss or ny choose him maybe as boss for replace Merlino?
Merlino tried o killed someone apart the attempt to Nicky jr?

Personally, he's talked the talk and walked the walked, he's done time, been in the crosshairs and 99% of the people thinking the hit on Scarfa Jr was Joey.

He's one tough, tenacious guy and has just hung on against all odds, pretty amazing if you ask me

How lucky was he? Really?...Joey's already served a wheel barrel of jail time. Granted since his release from federal prison some years ago he hasn't been charged with any major cases aside from the Bronx case with Patsy Parello which he bought out cheap for. But that's because he's largely stayed out of the limelight and lions den in Philly.

If he goes back there cause he's off parole then it's only a matter of time until he falls again. IMO

He survived a street war and beated many cases so risked life but made only 15 yearsand plus nobody of his inner circe never flipped.

He survived a street war and an attempt where his best friend michael ciancaglini died and beated many cases so risked life but made only 15 years and plus nobody of his inner circe never flipped.

He's a survivor of a mob war, his inner circle is very close to him (as you said, nobody flipped), he seems to be tight with the most important NY families (who backed him since he was a young hood) and he has good relations with many other criminal networks in Philly. He has been running the family for more than 20 years now.

Whether he's smart or lucky...one can safely say that he's good at the job of being a mobster.

I said it before I’ll say it again, this guys a real old school mobster. A little bit less cry, a little bit crazy, a lot of streets smarts with brass balls and loyal following. Anyone not giving this guy credit is making it personal and just doesn’t like him. He’s one of the few last Real deals around. You don’t see anyone ratting or making a move against him do you? Oh I can’t prove this and no one can dispute it, but suspect if the guy who killed Cali killed Joey instead, either he or his family would now be dead. Joey has some cold killers loyal to the core. Unlike Cali. Proof about Cali is the situation. Joey is lucky and real

Imo, outside of New York, Merlino is the last true mafia Don. I agree with everything that has been said about being war and jail tested. One other thing, he can trace his mob roots through his father back to Angelo Bruno and the originals of the Philly Family. That's true Cosa Nostra. I Salute Merlino, worthy of respect

He's been in for 19 years out of his 56 on this planet, more than 1/3'rd so you be the judge

This says it best,well said Dob - multiple reasons Joey should be respected.

As to the lucky or smart question, its always a little of both. IMO

He has not had that much luck, they entrapped him to come to New York and hit him with charges that were overblown. He was lucky to survive the 1980's, but they will hound him till the day he dies. He opened a restaurant in Florida, the feds and posters on sites like this got angry that he dared to pose in front of his own place. A person took his photo at a hockey game where he was sitting with a very young nephew, and people were angry, saying he was flaunting or some such crap. If he moved to a mountain in the far east to be a Buddist Monk, they'd say he was planning to commit crimes form there and set up a criminal empire.

The downside to being a "legacy" mobster is he'll always be hounded. As I stated, if you can trace to back to the "legends of the mob" (in his case, Angelo Bruno), it makes you "the real deal" and a bigger fish to catch. Throw on top that he's been elusive (considering they wanna give him Life I'm sure), makes the heat even hotter.

I try to stay away from the modern stuff for obvious reason, but I got alot of respect for Merlino. I hope the guy goes out like a true CN boss.

Hey you...he WAS lucky 2 survive the 80s ..I was "around " a couple of dudes who wanted 2 swat him right after he was a horse jockey back in '81..he was 2 yrs older than me , but I knew because of my pops, that back then he was a cheap thief.. what we called back then a chain snatcher...it is well said he skimmed off the envelopes delivered 2 Leonetti while Scarfo was in texas prison in "84..(LaTuna)...He might be the man now..but back then he was a purse grabbin' ..jewelery thievin' bookie cheatin' scumbag riding on his old man's coat tails..which wasn't 2 impressive come 5 or 6 yrs. later..when Chuckie was demoted 4 a number of things...which in turn was good 4 the lil' merlino because that was 1 of the calling cards 4 his ascension..PEACE..Hoodlum.

I heard joey is actually out of the life and its all rumour hes still involved because of something that happened while he was in prison he had to step away. probably a good move because hes marked for life by feds.

right on and being from south philly and growing up in that neighborhood, and it not being like New York, his inner circle are his ride or die friends that are not going to flip on him and he has obviously slipped up and spoken out in front of some others but his close knit group of 20-30 guys that he grew up with with some in the life and some "civilians" have his back and he has their back. The mummer brigade and the 12th and wolf guys are not turning on him

Bullshit!.....Tommy Horsehead turned on him , & he was an origanal 12th & Wolf dude..and his fu--ing brother Tory who I can't stand 2 this day 4 reasons some vet posters on here will understand...Joey jockey has be 2 worried alot about leftover cling-ons...If I wasn't so old..I would dime him out on certain shit that would drown him..that motherfucker tried 2 rob me when I was just a kid w/ a womans clothing stand @ 13th & McKean...in south phila....Fuck Him!........

I heard he made u suck his prick u old lying sack of dog shit

U again??...Karma is a bitch u bulleseye on ur back motherfucker.......GEOJEFF..lock this thread b4 it drags me below what i am as a gentleman.

yo hoodlum you sound drunk and mad.. ha ha.. and yes he was just a chain snatcher and his dad was a bad drunk. the bikers were gonna kick his ass for knocking a bunch of thier bikes over one time.. but i believe he ran while they chased him... i believe thay had to allpoigize and fix the bikes.. ha ha lol... i believe that happned some of you guys probably heard that one before.. and hey that trial is comming up also for mazzone and dom.. and yea sorry for that young woman who died. i guess it was her dad who owned that bar all the guys hung out at called malones

Skinny just had his 60th birthday party Usual suspects were there but also lots of knock around guys even from here in AC .

hoodlum you talk a lot of shit then call for the cops to come bust the guy talking shit back to you in the thread

go join nymafia site to hang with the other narc rats who run to the forum admins the minute someone posts something they dont like

but, even when I lived there, most of philly has always been big-talking bitches, this is why their boss reported to the Gambinos, they are a second tier city with second tier members

skinny joey is the real deal and you being butthurt he put you on the arm and you took it like a little kid here now 20+ years later is as laughable as having that actor as your avatar

NARC NARC NARC NARC NARC

thats all this board does is narc to the admins anytime anyone posts shit they dont like

quick call the cops!

Serp,
Hope you are doing well in 2022.
What did you hear about the 60th Bday party?
How many people? Where was it?
Thank you

Posting on Geoff's boards is a privilege, not a right. And no one has a right to post sick, obscene personal insults like the one you copied. That's why the original poster was banned.

Hoodlum got owned. Dude claimed to be friends with dudes that stood around and did nothing. lol.

Merlino has got the last laugh

His 60th B-day Party was Saturday at Vie. Wonderful time

What a coincidence, one guy gets banned, then another makes his first post to continue the nonsense.

what a coincidence Hoodlum narc'd to the board cops and admits that he would narc out skinny joey IRL "if he was younger" and hes best friends with two other proven rats on this board who also run to the board cops the moment anyone says stuff they dont like

If NyMafia/Hoodlum/MafiaStudent were a "family" they'd be a whole family of cops/rats/narcs. Every single one of them has proven examples of narcing. And then next post all three will complain about rats.

The internet is a great place for these phonies, they all live in make believe. You may also notice I never mention shit negative on this board unless one of those three is in the same thread talking big.

This guy SKINNY clearly has the respect of his guys and is perceived as a leader.

It seems that he is Liked, Respected and Feared.

As was pointed out Nobody made a move on him the whole time he was away.

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Look at his boy Nicedemo, they want Skinny, so bad they probably would have given him no jail time to flip and tell.

While he has a young wife and child at home.
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I dont care who you are in today's day and age

That "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" card has to be tempting...

One call and your the next day your on a plane to Arizona with your wife and child.

Other than the tried and true Gangster.BB, OG's

Most guys would at least think about it...