There are different strains of marijuana, some strains depress the nervous system and when mixed with alcohol causes paranoia and depression. It is true that marijuana does make people with anger issues more relaxed but that is just temporary. And too much weed does make some people manic and unable to shut up

So may different strains these days with hybird Indica and Sativa strains. And Now with all the concentrates out there its crazy. Wax gets you so High that their are stories of guys passing out and actually dying.

And it is finally legal in Massachusetts!!!!!!!!! Law states a person with a medical marijuana card could grown 10 plants and harvest three at a time until the first dispensary opens which is supposed to be in the Spring of 2014. Once you get your card, the doctor gives a list of 8 certified growers/caretenders and you get patient rates. $125 per half an ounce, $200 per ounce. All indoor grown and they have so many different strands of THC and are now making "tincture drinks." The drink is a 4 ounce bottle and it feels like you've just hit a vaporizer, great buzz, legal:)

LOLLL!!! I agree Carmela... he needs to go ahead and bic his hair now so he looks more like a tough guy and less like a douche bag that drinks too much liquid g and gets himself sent to the looney bin ..

That's funny Joey does G. I'm guessing GBL not GHB that helps your muscles recover if you lift a lot. But to drink that shit and party your vision goes like some girl that's been drugged on CSI

It was the NBA playoffs in June and the sizzling Miami Heat was on its way to another win at AmericanAirlines Arena. But the real scorcher was the red-hot staredown that turncoat gangster and nightclub heart-throb Chris Paciello was having with Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino. The two tough guys exchanged looks-that-could-kill across their court-side seats.

The eyeball-attack began after Merlino spotted Paciello, who became a government cooperator in 2001, seated near him at the game, according to a reliable Gang Land Florida source. Skinny Joey, the source said, threw Paciello "dirty looks" and wouldn't stop even after "Chris stared right back at Joe."

Like Merlino, the Brooklyn-born Paciello was with a few friends when they locked eyes, said the source. Paciello, 41, whose run as a South Miami Beach impresario was interrupted by a seven year sentence for a 1993 Staten Island robbery-murder, has lived in Miami since his release in 2006. Merlino, 51, has lived in Boca Raton since his prison release in 2011.

After the stare down, with Skinny Joey shaking his head in disgust, continued for a few minutes, Paciello and his entourage walked over to Merlino and his buddies. "Chis put his face right in Joe's, they were almost nose-to-nose," said one source.

Joseph Merlino"That's right, I'm a rat, and I'm here, at the same game as you" said Paciello. "And if you got anything to say, I'll crack you in the fucking head and knock your teeth out," he added, according to Gang Land's source, who spoke only after being assured of anonymity.

Merlino was stunned into silence by Paciello's bravado, the source said, and the South Miami Beach club owner and his group returned to their seats following the brief exchange.

Paciello became a South Beach icon and frequent companion of high-powered women celebrities including Madonna and Ingrid Casares in the early 1990s when he fled New York and opened a nightclub in the wake of a botched home invasion robbery in which a housewife was killed. Casares, his business partner for a while, accompanied Paciello to Florida meetings with acting Colombo boss Alphonse (Allie) Persico, and one he had in Brooklyn with the family underboss Persico was convicted of killing, William (Wild Bill) Cutolo, according to FBI reports.

Madonna, Lourdes and Chris Paciello in John Roca PhotoGang Land was unable to reach Merlino. Skinny Joey, as Gang Land reported in July, is trying to open a business — a restaurant and cigar bar are his top choices and is very conscious of the strict post-prison restrictions that he will be under until next year. So much so, that his meetings with Daniel (Danny Pro) Provenzano regarding a possible movie deal are always attended by lawyers, Merlino told guest columnist George Anastasia.

Paciello did not respond to a message, but Keith Fink, his Los Angeles attorney did. Fink acknowledged that the two men ran into each other at a Miami Heat game "months ago." There was a brief exchange after Merlino initiated the conversation, the lawyer said, but his client never said he was "a rat."

"He's a businessman, not a gangster," said Fink. "He said, 'You're a tough guy?' and Chris said, 'Yeah, I'm a tough guy.' That was it," said Fink. "Chris doesn't know Merlino, or who his friends were, but he knows who he is."

Sofia Vergara in John Roca PhotoMerlino wasn't the only one throwing barbs at Paciello this year. In January, he was blasted as a "dangerous thug" by ex-flame Sofia Vergara after he had a widely reported dustup with the Modern Family bombshell and her fiancé during a wild New Year's Eve brawl at Story, a nightclub he owned at the time.

Sources say that Paciello, a former associate of the Bonanno and Colombo families, according to his own testimony, is friendly with several other former New York-based gangsters who became cooperating witnesses and are currently enjoying their own My Blue Heaven in sunny Florida.

One of them, sources say, is Fabio Bartolotta, the former leader of the violent Queens-based Giannini crew that operated out of the Giannini Caffe in Ridgewood in the 1980s. Bartolotta, who was released from prison in 2004 after spending about nine years behind bars for several murders, served some of his prison term in the same Witness Security Program facility with Paciello.

Fabio BartolottaBartolotta, 40, owns and operates a pizzeria restaurant business in South Florida, and is partners in a second eatery with a brother-in-law, Giuseppe (Joe) Sciulara, a former Bartolotta co-defendant who also cooperated with the feds and is living in the Sunshine State.

Paciello, who also owns pizzeria restaurants in Los Angeles, recently sold his South Beach nightclub Story for a reported $600,000. Sources say he also has a financial interest in a Miami Beach hotel. "He's a businessman and he has several business ventures," said attorney Fink, who declined to elaborate.

Yeah Paciello's tough. Thats why he ratted.

And Joey's still on Probation, getting into a fight sends his arse back inside so he cant slap Paciello. And Paciello knows this.

So Paciello's a REAL tough guy.

Pathetic.

Chris better watch it, Merlino's buddy Bonfiglio is a "charasmatic hitman" as reported by CAPPONY earlier in this thread....I still give Chris the upper hand.

Apparently Chris had scantily clad women with him too, did anyone see what they were wearing?? and I'm not gonna lie... I'm scared of Bonfiglio, those are a MEAN set of ojos.. even a fuck off glance in my direction would send me running home to my mom!! I'd VOLUNTEER to give them my purse even before they had a chance to rob me!

i think the fact that merlino is having meetings with that jerk off danny provenzano about making a movie together should show people that merlino is done with LCN.

The Rat Pack...LITERALLY

Funny how Paciello's lawyers name is Fink

Why dont snakes bite lawyers?

Professional courtesy.

Ah thank you.

lolllllllll

Fink?? wtf?? ha ha ha ha ha

selfies!!! lolll

Do you take any selfies??

I Think we all should. Pete and the families are surfing this site as a ghost waiting for us to post them so they can retaliate!

yeah yeah I'm shaking in my sandals

RE: Joey M. I read that he "made" Ralph N at soldier level and then promoted him to boss. Is that legitimate? Who made joey M? Stanfa?

If so, was Stanfa recognized by the NYC 5? I know little Nicky was, and I thought that Stanfa was told to go back to Sicily after jail bit, as a penalty for being present at Bruno shooting? And I thought that NYC recognizing you makes you legitimate LCN.

Point is; aside from his dad and uncle being made, is Joey M for real, made LCN? Or is he part of a gang? Would anyone outside of Philly introduce him as a "friend of theirs" ?

It was rather unorthodox but yes.



Yes.



Yes. And he had the backing of the Gambinos to assume the boss position in Philadelphia.



Merlino is a legit made (LCN) guy.



If by "friend of their's," you mean they'd say "He's a friend of ours," yes. Because, as said above, he is a made guy.

Do anyone know how Joey was made boss after the war,any did Ny ok it?

Thanks IvyLeague. It's not totally clear (from books/internet reading at least) whether Stanfa had the Gambinos backing because G. Anastasias "Last Gansgster" book says when Ralph Natale says he reached out to Gotti when they were both in prison about Stanfa, Gotti said something to the effect of "Who's knows him?". But, other internet sources say Gambinos had his back.

Internet and books say that RN has embellished a bit regarding his stature in LCN. No doubt the guy is a stone killer; but was he well-respected in LCN? Doesn't appear so. Looks more like a a good "potential" puppet for Genovese's bidding in the Philly territories?

Scarfo SR. wanted to whack out Joey M. And Nicky SR definitely was aligned with Genoveses; Bobby Manna in particular. When Nicky SR was jailed, the Gambinos backed Stanfa in an effort to get some control in the Philly territory. Once Stanfa was jailed, did the Genovese's back Natale? If so, who from Genovese exactly backed RN? The Chin? Bobby Manna?

If this is the case, Did the Genovese's also back Joey M, directly or indirectly, either during the stanfa/merlino war, while Natale was in jail? OR after Natale went away for the final time, because of Natale's connections to them? If so, this leads to an interesting twist with Scarfo Sr. Scarfo would not be happy if his Genovese friends backed a guy who he wanted dead; especially Joey Merlino. But, it's always about the money.

Or...Did Joey M NOT have any backing from anyone in NYC? Did they decide Joey M and Philly had nothing going on? Or did they simply move around and beyond Joey M to get what they wanted down in the philly territories? Thus, Joey M was the leader of a Philly version of the LCN which appeared to struggle getting anything started; only some gambling, drugs, and internal strife?

If bookmaking/loan sharking /illegal gambling is the hub of LCN money, it seems that the reports of Joey M and his friends betting bigtime into LCN-controlled books in Philly may have contributed to the current state of Philly. Under Joey, did Philly LCN have any other rackets going? Do/did they control any unions?

Local news reports claim that Joe Ligambi has focused primarily on gambling in an effort to rebuild and that Joey M is still a gambler. They could clash if/when Joey M comes back to town and starts dicking the Bookies again Is Ligambi recognized by any family in NYC? If so, he's gotta know that Joey M's gambling philosophies are not gonna jive well and NYC LCN is gonna want it taken care of.

If NYC doesnt recognize Philly, where does that leave Philly in terms of how to classify the current organization? LCN or something less savy, like a gang from south philly who have similar initiation rigths as LCN, but plays by different rules?

thanks to any/all who can answer

I think we are both wondering the same things; what is/was the state of Philly LCN, in terms of backing by NYC and legitimacy, between the end of Scarfo (1989) and current day.

But to answer your question, Ralph Natale was made boss immediately upon release from prison in like 1994. It was right after the Stanfa/merlino war. It was in name only though. Joey M and his people kept natale in the dark about a lot of things. But, exactly who from the NYC LCN backed Natale, I don't know..

thx

Stanfa was backed by the Gambino's. He was very close to the sicilian faction of the Gambino's. Leonetti said it was Gotti that pulled the plug on Scarfo being the boss and as a favor to the sicilian faction of his family backed Stanfa.

Stanfa was extremely close to the Cherry Hill Gambino's. They're the ones who protected him after the Bruno hit. He was hiding in Maryland and working at one of their pizza shops until the cops finally caught up to him. The Gambino's were also the ones that got Stanfa a pass for any possible involvement in the Bruno murder.

According to Leonetti ..Stanfa was almost hit in NY the same day Caponigro and Simone were. Stanfa was waiting for them to return to the bar he was at in NYC. When Chins guys went to get him they didn't know who he was, one of them thought he was Scarfo so they told Chin it was Nicky but Chin knew it wasn't because he knew where nicky was so when the guys went back to get Stanfa he was already gone. I think Frank Sindone was with Stanfa in NY too.

After Stanfa completed his sentence Gotti asked Scarfo if it was ok for Stanfa to come back to philly and Scarfo said yes as long as he doesn't cause problems.

After Scarfo got locked up i'm pretty sure Gotti got the ok from the commission to have Stanfa replace Scarfo and that was that...Stanfa was the new boss in philly.

Most of this is in Leonetti's book.

You have to remember it was Carlo Gambino himself who asked Angelo Bruno to make Stanfa. He did it as a favor to Stanfa's family back in sicily. Stanfa has been close to the Gambino's from day 1.

thanks. I did read all of that in Leonetti's book and internet. EXCEPT for the part about Bruno making Stanfa as a favor to Gambino. That part, I did not know. And knowing that, now makes me understand how Stanfa came to run Philly.

Ligambi has been made since 1986; being convicted/overturned for the Flowers hit. Does he have any pull/support in NYC? even more so, Does Philly need the approval of NYC at this point? Based on the charges, Philly is playing safe, gambling/sharking ops. With the exception of a few who are involved in drugs.

I am really curious as to how Joey Merlino is viewed by NYC? He's proven that he can do time; at least on racketeering. 12 years in Fed is no stroll. But, when all is said and done, are they gonna want him back in Philly? Do they have a say in it?

I think NY has enough issues that they could care less about Philly, any of the 5 families probably can do virtually anything they want in and around Philly without much fallout with the family in such disarray.

nickywhip- if your asking what ligambis relationship with new york is, are you aware of the Stafenelli tapes? where there was the meeting between john gambino, nicky stafenelli, ligambi, licata, and i forget who else, where they were basically just bullshiting about mob history and stuff. that was just about the extent of ligambis relationship with new york. im pretty sure the meeting was arranged through licata who probably has the most contact with new york guys just because of the location of his crew, and i think he might be partnered with the perna crew with bookmaking.

There was sort of a "cold war" between the Gambinos and Genovese, with the former backing the Stanfa faction and the latter backing the Merlino faction. There was something a littler similar previously where the Genovese supported Scarfo, while Bruno had been closer to the Gambinos. It seems each of the two larger NY families wanted their guy running the show there. I don't think the Genovese had any love for Merlino or Natale necessarily but it was more a case of keeping the Gambinos from gaining more influence. Of course, alliances constantly shift in that world, and sometime later you had members of the Gambino and Genovese families plotting with Philadelphia family members to kill Ligambi, Mazzone, and Borgesi. Later on it seems Ligambi was recognized by New York. I would assume Merlino is now too.

The Philadelphia family had influence with the Roofers Union years ago. And with the HEREU Local 54 in Atlantic City up to the early 1990's. But they've basically been a street operation for the last 20 years. They're similar to the few other remaining small families outside New York. There's still some semblance of a hierarchy, but it's breaking down, and they're just making a living on mostly the bread and butter rackets.

Thanks. These responses confirm what I was thinking. I did read the small parts of the Stefanelli tapes which Anastasio and the web had posted, but I couldn't find the whole transcripts. I am not sure if they are available.

I agree with the Genovese/Gambino alliances changing in Philly with blowing winds. But, if anyone from those families are involved with Philly, they better watch out when/if Joe M comes back. Because, if Joey M hasn't curbed his guzzling habits, I wonder how the guys are gonna feel if he starts his antics again. Anastasia's book said he would bet 10 reverses a day; that's nutty.