@dsbaloo - I actually brought this up recently and asked what the relationship was all about and where it originated from and to what extent they were involved with each other, etc in a recent thread and there were a couple good responses. Go to Page 1 of the 'Gigante Contract on Joey Merlino' thread and search for Perna (I posted the first question so go from there). But yeah, any other insight would be very interesting to me as well as there is definitely a relationship there. As I stated before, it's even more interesting given the Nicky Jr/Lucchese - Merlino/Philly Family dynamic...

Above : Some of this may be what Nicky sr is talking about in the letters he sent Jr. and telephone conversations .

The fact that Skinny was not hit years past may have something to do with the rules LCN and this situation.

Just may have to wait for a rat in the NJ Lukes to popup !

Is anyone able to post the picture of Chickie?

I'd love to update his picture on the Philly chart with a more recent one, instead of the one that I have from 30+ years ago. Same thing with Joey Pung - everything I could find was all from the 80's.

Does anyone know who is the black muslim guy that was escorting merlino to all of his court apearences is?

bigfella- is there any pictures of joey with the muslim guy?

hey everyone i just posted 7 new philly photos in the rare picture thread.... 4 of soldier Dame canalichio, one of mazzone, one of chang n wags, and one of Anthony Pungitore Sr... has anyone got that new picture of Chickie Chang? been waiting almost a week to see it!

haha check out this article i just found from 1997

Reputed Fashion Boss Another Clothes Call For Joey Merlino
by Theresa Conroy, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: March 06, 1997

This is the New Mob - la clothestree nostra.

The new look, which made a dashing appearance in the spectators' seats at the recent retrial of old mobsters Nicky Scarfo and friends, does not go in for the traditional white ties with black shirts. It doesn't favor the old family's look of overly pleated pants, flashy double-breasted suits or soft-sided Italian loafers.

And it wouldn't be caught dead in one of those nylon warm-up suits, the outfit known by mob-watching cops as ``the South Philly tuxedo.''

No, not under the watch of Joey Merlino, the reputed mob underboss with the undisputed sense of style.

When the occasion calls for a suit, Merlino often passes up the Las Vegas look for a sleek, three-button, single-breasted Versace. This would be appropriate attire, for, say, his daughter Nicole's recent christening party, or one of his own court appearances.

For a more casual look - to attend somebody else's trial, for instance - Merlino grabs that incredible black leather jacket, a zip-front mock turtleneck and a pair of $150 cream-colored jeans.

Indeed, the clothes made this man.

``Some of it has to do with what he buys, but a lot has to do with how he wears it,'' said Merlino's lawyer, Joseph Santaguida, who declined to allow a reporter to go shopping with Merlino.

One of the fashion plate's favorite stores is Allure, an exclusive boutique. When Merlino stops in at the store, at 1509 Walnut St., it's a ``contemporary sportswear look'' he's after, said store owner Robert Palidora.

``He's thin, he's got the nice build to wear this sort of merchandise,'' Palidora said, ``That's all part of why all this hoopla around this guy - he's a handsome person with absolute style.''

Merlino's style veers drastically from the old guard's - the shiny fabrics and flashy cuts favored by former reputed mob bosses, such as our own Nicky Scarfo and New York's John Gotti.

Palidora and Santaguida credit part of Merlino's flair to his age and natural good looks.

``He just looks good in clothes,'' said Santaguida, who admits to keeping a close watch on Merlino's outfits. ``He could wear a T-shirt and look well in it. Some people have it, and some people don't.''

Merlino has it, and alleged mob member George Borgesi - with his Phillies cap, jeans and Members Only-style jacket - does not. Neither does admitted-mobster-turned-informant Tommy DelGiorno, the king of the cheesy athletic warm-up.

Merlino ``has a feel for what is nice,'' Santaguida said.

He also takes direction from the clothing pros, Palidora said. When Merlino shops, Palidora said, he usually is drawn to the styles that look good on him, but also allows the sales staff to choose outfits for him.

``He listens to what people tell him and he's open to trying different things,'' Palidora said. ``If you shop in a store like ours, that's what we're here to do, help the person achieve that look, instead of just sell them things.

I Understand why people would call Wags joey's bag man/body guard and what not. But I think if you ask the guys from around the city you would see he is more than a bag man and is more respected than most would think.

The muslim shows up at the 120 and 130 mark in rhe video

Thats a bad link, i have the picture but having problems posting it

Chick and Joe Pung in rare photos now...

Chickie was around with Blavett's father . Jerry loves being around these guys . He is not a gangster like his old man ,but at least Chickie is giving him the respect for doing Business with his old man and letting him hang around .

Here are the pictures. I have no idea who he is.

Dont him and his brother allegedly have a good book running down there?

Allegedly yes. The Wagners are trusted by Joey,low key, and their names don't end in a vowel. This makes them perfect choices to "visit" with skinny, without feds being all the way up their ass, just half way.

Yeah Eddie Wagner has a big book and Ray is involved too. Wagner is also related directly to Lucibello on Mom's side. He is more than a bag man but yeah I understand why people say that. More importantly more than the Muslim guy is the other white guy (not RayWags) that's with Joey in that pic outside of the courthouse. He's connected but I haven't been able to quite put a finger on what his role/position is? Anyone know? I think he's someone you should keep an eye out for....

Detective Medavoy in the 2nd pic with Merlino

dsbaloo : You don't have much to say today !

I mean, his primary and most important role is as Joey's bag man though

And trust me, the feds know about Ray Wags and have known about him for years. The feds aint looking any less because of a lack of vowels when it comes to his last name when it involves Merlino

Think they are finally growing up . Keeping things to a low roar. Well this is as low as Skinny can go ,but not bad .

I think it was Pmac said been 15 years since someone rolled and it was horse Head and they were smart there he did not know much.

Look how good Lance is doing ,unheard of ! in Philly .

Lance is a stand out among the rest. It almost seems impossible to do what he is doing.

Don't give skinny too much credit for being low key yet...he is going back to Philly more and more since the restrictions are up

It seems like if it wasnt for Mazzone skinny might be in trouble.

Random thought. Scoops is the smartest guy in the philly mob, even though he is a jersey guy

You know this all got me thinking.Philly never had a NY style family till Bruno.
My father told me each town had there own boss,and those bosses came from NY guys or family for the most part ,like all of us down here.

I would not doubt that there may be a chance that there is NOT a structure like under Bruno and Scarfo ,Christ they did not really kick up till Nicky Scarfo started a New York style family.

Is it possible that with all the different guys that they have gone back to this ?

My father and uncles told me all this stuff over the years and I never gave it a second thought till now with all the" chiefs "

It may be a thought if we have any real researchers here that know the set up from back in the day.
They all just checked back with blood back in New York...

Philly had a boss and north and west had a boss and in Jersey the little towns had a boss of course AC did Johnson and others.
I just don't see how all the different factions are working together with bad blood . This may have something to do with it .
We all know that these guys don't care about the rules and wouldn't be funny if all the charts are totally wrong !

Is the muslim connected to the black mafia(if they still exist)

Are you referring to JBM that Skinny and Mikey had dealings with in late 80's? I am not sure who that guy is but I guess could possibly be an old friend. I thought most of JBM guys from then were dead or locked away, but its possible. No one else has any idea who he was may just be a hired body guard paid by Stein with no Philly connections.

I don't buy that, why have a connected mob guy by your side when your trying to prove you left the mob, if thats the case he could have hired 2 bodyguards

Thats funny , If he wants us to believe he is out of the life . He can stay at his business 16hrs a day like it takes to run a business and stop spending 300,000.00 a year running around.

Most know that the business he is in you dont make money for a couple years.Him and his family are jetting all over the country and not staying with his aunt Millie ,he is staying at the best hotels and eating at the best restaurants and not at his own.....

You can see a very young Joey Merlino milling around news cameras briefly at the 10:46-10:52 mark. Just thought it was interesting to see him during Scarfo's reign and knowing what his life would go on to be like. Maybe most of you have seen this.