Joey Merlino calls Sonny Franzese a rat

Joey just said on his podcast that Sonny is as bad as his sons because he associated with them after they cooperated

pretty rich coming from mr. podcast.

i wonder if joey expressed this to sonny when i dont know...he was alive. that tuff ole sob would have throttled him from his wheelchair.

He had Ric Flair on with him. You could tell Flair felt real uncomfortable around him. Joey reeks of bad energy lol

Just trying to steal some of Mikey’s fans and get clicks and views

I kind of like that he's going after Mikey. He's such an insufferable man. Mikey would sit down with a pedophile if he thought it was a good business decision

Well, I don't agree with him about Sonny, but I see his point. The Franzese brothers are rats.

Joey is the only former/active Mob guy out there who was not a rat and is on the offensive against them.
There are so many cooperators online now that nobody thinks twice about them, but Joey uses his platforms to blast them and remind everyone how they put people in jail to save their own asses.
I respect him for that, he doesn’t hold back at all.

I can’t believe he’s a boss of a major mob family still and is putting out social media videos so my guess is he’s in (semi)retirement.

Saying Sonny is a rat is pretty crazy. What is even crazier is that Joey is saying this on a fucking podcast!!!! I used to like Joey but the whole podcast thing has ruined his legacy and makes him look fucking ridiculous. The feds could easily use his rants against him because what is clear from the tapes (I mean Joeys podcast) is that Joey hates rats more than a child molestation victim hates pedophiles and that he doesn't mind it if they die. Okay fine but why say that for the public to hear? For law enforcement to hear!!!?? Does he like prison that much? This is stupidity at its finest. I would honestly laugh my fucking ass off if they indicted Joey for the Gino DiPietro hit or something and used his podcast rants against him. If those rants don't establish a motive then I don't know what does

Yeah at this point for Joey Merlino to save his legacy without dying in prison is to drop dead of a heart attack so we can all brag about how the feds never got him. Seriously though, he's taunting the government with his show and I really hope nothing bad happens to him. I also don't believe he's still active or the boss anymore. Someone needed to push back against all the rats, the thing is that if it was someone who's never been in trouble or never had a part in the life then everyone would be telling him to shut up that he's a wannabe and a fake tough guy blah blah blah. Well they can't say that about Joey and it has to be driving the feds nuts and even making them jealous in a way because people will never praise them the way they do an outlaw figure like Joey.

He shouldn't be calling Sonny a rat though because it's only going to turn people against him. There was probably a better way to approach that subject.

You make good points. Someone definitely needed to push back against the rats, but there are better ways to do it still. I think it would be much more beneficial for members of that life if the lawyers had a podcast or somebody like Stevie Crea's son. It might take more time to build an audience, but at least it's not Joey taunting the government like a crazy person. This can't end well

Calling Sonny a rat is just stupid. I don't know what was going through his mind when he wanted to have a relationship with Michael again. Maybe he missed his grandkids. I think any man would always have a soft spot for his kids, but I guess diablo Joey is cut from a different cloth

To be fair Joey never said Sonny was a rat, he said he condoned it by still mixing with Michael.

If, in fact, that is what Merlino actually said regarding Sonny, thats how he phrased his comment...then guess what? He’s absolutely correct in his assessment.

I've listened to it. He didn't just say he condoned it, he said SONNY FRANZESE WAS JUST AS BAD AS THE RATS. You agree?

If you condone ratting, you're a rat. It's in your nature

This has gotten really complicated. I will never agree that Sonny was a rat, but I can see your points.

I don't know if I'd go as far to call out Sonny, but Joey brought up some good points. I honestly don't believe he's involved in the life really at all anymore. I do think it's awesome he called out Michael like that. As an aside, people need to stop bringing Ric Flair on to their shows. Dude is ALWAYS drunk as cooter brown, slurring his words, making no sense, and recycling the same stories over and over. I cannot stand listening to him lol.

I agree with you BT.

BTW, who is this Ric Flair people are referring to?

You don't know who Ric Flair is? He's a captain in the Lucchese family. Famous for being Henry Hill's driver

Ric Flair was a famous professional wrestler that has somehow stayed relevant over the course of the last 20-30 years. He has almost been dead like 5 times from drinking, but somehow hasn't died yet. The below clip is his most famous bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qtvuV4mx4s

Ralphie, you're clearly a jerk-off. You've proven that fact over and over again to us.

Thank you BT, for your intelligent response and info. It's always nice interacting with you.

Can't you take a joke? You're so tightly wound it's frightening

So all he said was he was as bad as rats by associating with them, that is very different than calling Sonny a rat. I can see Sonny associating with his sons, to a point. One son was not made and just a drug addict. He ratted on Sonny. I think Merlino is so hard core he would cut off anyone who ratted.

That we can agree on, but this is nothing but Joey going after views and clicks and it’s working

Likewise my friend. If I don't speak to you before, have a very Merry Christmas!

I love Ric Flair's style of dressing though, he's not called Ric Flair for nothing.

He's right about Michael Franzese but to say that about Sonny is ridiculous...

The guy did 70% of his life in jail and never gave anyone up...

The guy was 100 years old, at the end, and his family was all he had, and sadly they all let him down, to basically die alone !!

Agreed. It’s a tough argument to make that Sonny betrayed his oath.

I think Joey saying Sonny talking to his sons is just as bad as being a rat is ridiculous. I do like Merlino and just think he has an inordinate disdain for rats. Rip Flair seemed slow in a way. It's amazing how Merlino knows so many stars.
I think his sidekick makes a perfect partner for him and is very good at what he does. Seems like a very nice kid.

In Merlino's last video, the one before this one, he showed how an informer who agreed to testify against him was getting protitutes sent to him by the people holding him in custody, and how the guy got his son out of an arrest after his son went down to Maryland and killed bouncer in a bar fight. No one spoke of it here, or of the tapes he played on another video regarding John Rubeo and his committing 9 crimes while informing. Yet he makes one statement like this, and it's a major topic.

Somewhere in an alternate universe-
SONNY: "Not for nothing, that was outta line Carmine."
THE SNAKE: "Sonny, he's a boss."
SONNY: "Philly? C'mon!"

Sorry for the bad Sopranos reference, I couldn't resist. I knew this was gonna be a burning subject.
Joey should've kept it on Michael if that's what he thinks. Sonny, was as stand-up as they came. A true legend of the life. Joey himself is a legend of the life. For now. He's on a slippery slope. I think too much exposure might be an issue. Retired or not. I'll leave you with a GOTTI reference.
"A cosa Nostra Boss don't belong on the cover of time magazine!"

Then you have this broke scumbag lying clown making up the most rediculous science fiction fantasy tales known to man in a pathetic attempt at attention to help supplement his food stamps and disability checks while living in his sons basement in fear:

https://youtu.be/Jtqv1n1nuHU?si=IRk_06EI1_afeFPj

-Dante

Joey may not be a rat but he is a snake. Not defending Michael but attacking his father is a low blow and saying Sonny was a rat for still talking to his sons is ridiculous

That's Joey being reckless as always. I can say this isn't just about money for him, he has a genuine vendetta. Ridiculous, but genuine.

He just hates rats. Thats not unlike the overwhelming majority of devoted, stand-up streets guys. Especially guys who have ever experienced rats getting up on the witness stand and testifying against them personally. They know first hand the damage these lying weasels can do.

Merlino did a lot of time in the can, and I'm sure the feds had a long line of rats who spilled theirs guts to put him there.

So what's he supposed to say and do, talk nice about them and coddle them? Of course not! It's not hard to understand his distain for them, is it?

Yeah they fucking suck. The feds would rather give people deals than do any real detective work.

If someone told me 12 or 13 years ago that we are going to watch internet battles between former mobsters in the future, I was probably going to laugh like crazy and possibly label that same individual as mental patient....

Bingo! You're 100% correct, TD. In fact, make that 1,000,000% correct!

You, me, and everybody else would have laughed in their faces and called them nuts!

But today, unbelievably, it's actually, quite laughably, become a thing. LOL. It's become a fucking comedy between assholes. And make no mistake about it either, every single one of these guys is an asshole. Stool pigeons and assholes (and the even bigger assholes are all the subscribers, the suckers, who swallow their bullshit lock, stock and barrel.) Lol

It has already been established that he never called Sonny a rat, he said he should not have associated with his son after he became a rat. Merlino said Sonny should have cut off his son. He may be wrong about that. It is tough for parent to do. However he never said Sonny was a rat.

That guest was awful. He acted arrogant, had no good stories to tell, and you can see him look at his watch at one point. he doesn't glance at his watch, he stares at it as if to show it's time to leave. I loved every other video he did, this was the first bad one. Also: I the only one who does not want to watch him an his guests eat? A minute or more was them just sitting there eating. Watching 3 men eat rice and beans is not my idea of entertainment.

Rough interview w Rick Flair... believe me I like this pod and want it to continue...

The audio was horrific,
Flair was not relaxed, did not elaborate with his answers... I also noticed him checking his watch immediately... WTF
Skinny and Lil Snuff did struggle with keeping the conversation going with poor questions...

The first segment before Flair was terrific content.
I love the old neighborhood stories from Neumann... the apple!
Cutty and Water baby!!!!
great detail

He absolutely did call Sonny a rat! He said Sonny was just as bad as a rat and that condoning it was the same thing. Then, in the latest episode, he said, 'Your father is a fucking rat just like you.' It couldn't get any clearer!

Very stupid thing to say. He must not read much, because if he did he'd know that Sonny Franzese is praised by many for being a legendary stand-up guy and would watch his mouth accordingly. I still like him more than Michael Franzese though.

In the first he didn't. in the response to Michael Franzese he said it due to the father still keeping the son around after he ratted. I don't think Sonny was a rat at all, but I see Merlino's point. I don't agree with it, but I understand what he meant.

Merlino must not "Read much?" I don't think he needs to read message boards like this to learn about the mafia.

I can't say I'm a fan of any of these guys, but calling Sonny Franzese a rat is absolutely outrageous lol

Joey is such a beautifully miserable human though. I get a kick out of him

I can't imagine Joey is in good standing with the Long Island faction of the Colombos. Sonny was revered by those guys. The Michael Catapanos and the Uvinos

Statements like that ought to put an end to all debate whether he's active or not - he's not!

Why would he be active? I don't get the impression he needs money, he has enough lol..

I know Sonny did some awful things, but it's hard to not have some serious respect and reverence for the guy. Dude was more honest and true to his oath/codes than most politicians and people up there who's supposed to be "good."

He has no money. His cars, his house. None of it is his

Hollander, I don't believe he's active, but I don't think it has anything to do with money. Me and you both know better than that, of all the rich crime bosses/figures we post about who refuse to quit. There's just no way he's going about his business in the criminal underworld with that stupid show on air. I say stupid although I enjoy it. This isn't even just about the mob, nobody active in the underworld period would want any criminal dealings with him, and I think he feels the same way. He's done. That's what I believe at least. For all I know he could be arrested for running the biggest racketeering scheme in the last decade tomorrow then I'll look stupid. Until then, I say he's done with crime.

Giacalone, I don't believe he has no money. I know some would argue otherwise saying that if he wasn't broke, he wouldn't be doing this show. They forget that some people, especially Joey Merlino, just loves attention. If he was that desperate for cash, he could make more money on the streets than with this ridiculous show, regardless of how dried up people say the rackets are.