And that's an end all, be all? What Capeci says is MOB GOSPEL and 100% fact all the time? Did he not just put out an article that says Vic Amuso is still the boss of the Lucchese family? So, is Crea not the boss because Capeci says so? Is he out on the street with the guys in Philadelphia? Does he know who is calling the shots? Because I believe the FBI and Philly PD don't even know the hierarchy, let alone who the official boss is.

Let's wait for Joey to put out a press release announcing that he is still the godfather of the Philadelphia mob. I'll wait.

You think Joey would run to the news and the reporters to tell them he was still the boss? That's laughable. If he is still the boss, this is exactly how he would want it. In question, so nobody can prove anything.

I like how he said "How's that taste"...My answer would be "what do you call nuts on your chin?"..........

Im not saying anyone can prove anything.

Its all speculation.

But if the Gov't AND a respected mob reporter coupled with a little bit o logic and probability all point to one conclusion.

Well, which way would you speculate?



And the article was by Anastasia not Capeci.

Anastasia writes for Gangland now?

Here's another article by Anastasia where he also calls Joey the "former" mob boss. He always calls him that. However, one of the sources he used for that article, says otherwise:

“It was a stupid thing to do,” said another underworld source while discussing the meeting.

The source, who has repeatedly scoffed at Merlino’s claim to have left the mob, added, “These guys can’t help themselves. They are who they are and that’s all they know.”

http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/09/joey-merlino-heading-back-to.html

See what I mean? It can go both ways. There is nothing "to taste" until Joey does his press release to announce that he is or isn't the boss of Philly.

Oops.

he guest writes on it sometimes.

Of course I'm not insinuating that, Dom.

I'm flat out saying it .

Geez he said "hows that taste?" Can't we all just get along, or should I post an article where the feds allege he has been in power behind the scenes all this time. Maybe I'll put that excerpt in bold for emphasis and throw in a witty zinger! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!

Exactly. It can go either way. The only people who know for sure are Joey himself and the street guys in Philadelphia who are/aren't working for him. The rest is just speculation on everybody's part.

Well I guess we will find out tomorrow morning what, if anything, will happen to Joey.


Finally, Update on "Skinny Joey" Merlino's Fate


Merlino has a big date tomorrow.

Joey Merlino at 10 a.m. tomorrow will be standing before U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick.

The judge "will ultimately decide the short term future of the 52-year-old mobster. Merlino has to respond to a summons alleging he violated the terms of his supervised release by meeting with three convicted felons, including Philadelphia mob capo John Ciancaglini, in Florida on June 18," George Anastasia writes.

Merlino's attorneys said the meeting was nothing more "chance encounter" that was "much less nefarious that the government wants this court to believe."

Federal prosecutors said this argument was "laughable."

As reported in Parole Violation May Send Skinny Joey Back to Prison: Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino is coming back to Philadelphia -- and may even find himself in prison; the irony is that his court-ordered supervision was days away from expiring.



The "former Don" violated the terms of his release in June with a night on the town with John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini, a captain convicted with Merlino back in 2001. Also present were Brad Sirkin, a convicted fraudster and money launderer, and Frank Fiore, who has a record of his own and may have been the original target of the law enforcement operation. According to papers filed in a Philadelphia federal court last week, authorities in Broward County, Fla., conducted surveillance on a June 18 dinner at which Merlino joined the trio for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Boca Raton.

The foursome later departed for drinks at the Havana Nights Cigar Bar & Lounge, which Fiore owns. The terms of his probation prohibit Merlino from associating with convicted felons or Cosa Nostra members. Merlino was said to have sworn off the mob before moving to South Florida after his release from federal prison around three years ago.

As BigTrial further notes, Merlino has been cited for two alleged violations; the meeting was one and the other occurred in May, when Merlino refused to answer a prosecutor's question about any financial dealings he may have had with a suspected organized crime figure during a government deposition.

Merlino exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

"Merlino was the leader of the Philadelphia family of the La Cosa Nostra," prosecutors wrote. "His suggestion that his meetings with convicted felons and LCN members and associates were mere 'chance encounters' is laughable, and is belied by the evidence. Equally preposterous is his suggestion that he did not know that he could not associate with the persons with whom he is alleged to have met."

Evidence and photos are available for the government to prove their allegations.

Not quite sure why you're getting sarcastic.

I threw in a line directed at Vegas and Black12221 in response to their sarcastic bitchy lines.

So settle pettle.

Its going to be interesting to see how this all shakes out. More on Fiore and his connection to Bosch and the pill mill drug trade.


EXCLUSIVE — FBI Raids Boca Raton Cigar Bar, Arrests Figures in Alex Rodriguez Scandal!

By Jose Lambiet


BOCA RATON — Two major players in the recent Alex Rodriguez doping scandal and a third man were quietly nabbed by the FBI last week in and around Boca Raton on a litany of charges, Gossip Extra has learned.

The three were accused of peddling bootleg Cialis, Viagra and Xanax as well as steroids and growth hormones, an illegal business conducted out of a fancy cigar bar near Mizner Park.

And one of the suspects, the man who originally approached MLB with proof that New York Yankees slugger was doping, was also accused with trying to sell an AK-47 assault rifle to undercover agents from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s yet another Gossip Extra scoop that the local media didn’t know about: Federal indictments unsealed recently show that Palm Beach County resident Gary Lee Jones, who was paid $125,000 by MLB for documents from the Miami-based Biogenesis rejuvenation clinic showing that Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun and 12 other players were getting illegal hormone treatment, was arrested in the alleged conspiracy.

Jones allegedly worked with Boca cigar bar owner Frank Fiore and Boca tanning salon owner Anthony Carbone to distribute the counterfeit drugs.

The indictment shows the men used Fiore’s Mizner Park business, Havana Nights Cigar Bar & Lounge, to conduct their illegal business.

The three were nabbed on the same day last week as Biogenesis founder Tony Bosh and seven others, including one of Rodriguez’s cousins, in Miami — but the Boca Raton incident made much less noise.

Read more: http://gossipextra.com/2014/08/12/alex-rodriguez-scandal-biogenesis-arrests-3979/

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014

Joey's Back In Philadelphia, But For How Long?
By George Anastasia
For Bigtrial.net

Joey Merlino's back in town.

But the one-time South Philadelphia celebrity mob boss hopes he's just passing through.

Merlino has a date at 10 a.m. tomorrow before U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick who will ultimately decide the short term future of the 52-year-old mobster. Merlino has to respond to a summons alleging he violated the terms of his supervised release by meeting with three convicted felons, including Philadelphia mob capo John Ciancaglini, in Florida on June 18.

Merlino's attorneys have called the meeting a "chance encounter" that was "much less nefarious that the government wants this court to believe."

Federal prosecutors have termed the defense argument "laughable."

Surrick will ultimately decide who gets the last laugh.

The hearing tomorrow stems from a violation citation filed on Sept. 2, just five days before Merlino was to complete the three years of supervised release that were part of his sentence following his conviction for racketeering in 2001. Ciancaglini was a co-defendant in that case.

Merlino relocated to Florida after being released from prison in September 2011. He had served nearly 12 years of a 14-year sentence. With the permission of the probation department, he opted to settle in the Boca Raton area rather than return to South Philadelphia.

His presence in South Florida has not gone unnoticed by both the media and law enforcement. But his lawyers, Edwin Jaocbs Jr. and Michael Myers, argued in a motion filed earlier this week that Merlino had been "scrupulously" abiding by the conditions of his probation and reported any encounter he had with a convicted felon.

Under the terms of his probation, Merlino was prohibited from associating with know organized crime figures or convicted felons. If found in violation, he could be sent back to prison, placed on some form of house arrest or have his probation extended.

In their motion, Jacobs and Myers continually referred to Merlino as 'Joseph," as in, "Anxious to leave his past behind, Joseph began carving out a new life for himself in Boca Raton" and "For the last three years, Joseph has scrupulously abided by the conditions of his supervised release." There are at least a dozen references to Merlino in which only his first name is used.

The lawyers also argued that the government's citation was based on faulty allegations. They contended that the summons had not been issued in a timely fashion and that Merlino's actual probation period had expired before he was formally cited.

In a counter-motion filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Troyer, the prosecution said any delay was at the request of Jacobs and that both he and Merlino were properly notified on Sept. 2, five days before Merlino was scheduled to complete his three-year stint of supervised release.

The citation cites two alleged violations.

In May, Merlino refused during a government deposition to reply to a prosecutor's question about any financial dealings he may have had with a suspected organized crime figure. Merlino instead exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer. The deposition was part of a civil action brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia to determine Merlino's finances.

In addition to his prison sentence, Merlino was fined $25,000 and ordered to pay $337,943.89 in restitution following his 2001 racketeering conviction. Merlino's sources of income have been a topic of debate in law enforcement and underworld circles since his release three years ago.

He has maintained residences in upscale condos and townhouses in the Boca Raton area, frequents high end restaurants and night spots and is a regular at a popular gym. There are those who believe that despite his denials and his insistence that he has left South Philadelphia and the mob life behind, Merlino continues to have a "piece of the action," and that associates routinely send him or bring him cash.

A second violation, the government alleges, occurred on June 18 when Merlino was spotted in the presence of Ciancaglini and two local men Brad Sirkin and Frank Fiore. All three are convicted felons.

According to the citation filed in federal court, Broward County Sheriff's Department detectives had Merlino under surveillance on the night of June 18 and spotted him meeting with those three individuals in the parking lot of La Villetta, a popular Italian restaurant. The detectives then followed the group of Havana Nights, a cigar bar owned by Fiore.

Two detectives who entered the cigar bar said Merlino was in the VIP section with Ciancaglini and the others, according to court papers.

Merlino's lawyers have argued that the association that night was a "chance encounter." They contend there is no evidence supporting any allegation that Merlino was interacting with the others. Rather, they say, he happened to be at the same place at the same time.

They argued repeatedly that "Joseph" was committed to starting a new life; that he had a job with a marketing and advertising company and that he was doing volunteer work with a drug rehab center and a foundation that provides training and education for those with autism.

They also said that "Joseph" had recently arranged for his wife Deborah Wells-Merlino and their youngest daughter Sophia to relocate from Ocean Township, NJ, to Boca Raton. The couple's older daughter, Sophia, is now attending college.

The move, the lawyers said, was further proof that "Joseph" was attempting to start a new life in Florida. Why else, they argued, would he ask his wife and daughter to uproot themselves and why would he "knowingly risk jeopardizing everything he had spent years working to achieve."

Prosecutors, in their motion, seemed less than convinced that Merlino -- they NEVER referred to him as "Joseph" -- had left the mob life behind.

"Merlino was the leader of the Philadelphia family of the La Cosa Nostra," Troyer wrote in his motion. "His suggestion that his meetings with convicted felons and LCN members and associates were mere 'chance encounters' is laughable, and is belied by the evidence. Equally preposterous is his suggestion that he did not know that he could not associate with the persons with whom he is alleged to have met."

Troyer went on to note that in the 1990s, while on probation in a different case, Merlino was guilty of the same offenses.

"He fully understands the seriousness of such violations," the prosecutor argued. "John Ciancaglini was a co-defendant of Merlino’s in the instant case. Frank Fiore is a convicted fraudster. Bradley Sirkin, who is related to a capo in the Lucchese crime family, is also a convicted felon. In fact, by Merlino’s own admission in his memorandum of law, Merlino met Sirkin in a federal halfway house. Any suggestion that Merlino did not know that these were prohibited persons is patently unreasonable."

The prosecutor also said the government was prepared to back up its allegations with evidence and photos. He wrote that while in a halfway house in Florida prior to the start of his probation, "Merlino had off-site meetings with convicted felons and known LCN members and associates. Photographs of these meetings have been provided to defense counsel in discovery."

George Anastasia can be reached at George@bigtrial.net

POSTED BY GEORGE ANASTASIA AT 4:53 PM
TRIAL: SKINNY JOEY MERLINO

Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/10/joeys-back-in-philadelphia-but-for-how.html#ycAzTT6zhihxMZ05.99

Anyone know who the capo is? Also his specific family relation with Sirkin?

Cheers.


Edit: Guessing its not former NJ Luchesse Capo Nicky Jnr

Joey's been a good boy and was even doing volunteer work at a drug rehab. I'm thinking he gets an extension on the supervised release if anything. This sounds to me like sour grapes over Joey beating the murder charges, the feds wanting to make sure they get their restitution money and the feds taking a burn to Joey living the good life down here. By the feds own admission Joey is no longer the Boss. One minute they claim Joey is not the boss then the next imply Joey is still getting envelopes. Say what you will about the Philly Mob but Skinny Joey and Uncle Joe have beat the feds time and time again.

Sounds like your a fan of his, he's a scumbag. Hasn't he been selling coke down there?

haha@How's that taste. That is so lame. Is the kid in high school or something?

Honestly when you put it in perspective it's almost better to cut TommyGambino a break, there is no sense in trying to argue with him. He is just "one of those guys"

Living in the land of tea and crumpets he HAS to go off articles and wording. He also chooses to only go by wording and articles that support what he has said in the past, even if there are articles and/or information that directly contradict it, he "picks and chooses" his sources to support his POV. Like I said "one of those guys"

People didn't believe Joey was the boss when he was in prison either. They never knew Ligambi was only acting for Joey until the Skins tapes came out.

What an earth are you talking about? It was Sonny arguing that Merlino is not boss you spastic, I haven't been involved in this debate, do you have trouble reading?

Tea and crumpets? typical American, you do realize nobody eats crumpets over here, right?

You say I HAVE to go off articles, where exactly are you from? What 'sources' do you have? EXACTLY the same as mine. I see you asking 'Have you got an article to back up that info' to people all the time.

Your one of these guys that pretends to have inside knowledge, which is sad.

It's not Coke, Joey's Marketing job is for Pepsi products.

Well played, sir.

The feds are notorious for waiting until supervised release is almost completed to put you under a microscope and violate you at the end.. It always happens and they enjoy it.

Joey walked into philly fed court 15 minutes ago..
Schrat posting pics on his Twitter account. Will be interesting outcome.

No offense to you at all, but so what? They have a job to do. Just like anyone else. Yeah, it's fucked up the way they do it sometimes but the first priority any criminal should have is to learn how to BEAT the good guys.

He's a fucking dummy and should be locked up for it. Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through to avoid working a real job. He's on par with the typical welfare scammer.

Here's a recent pic, as in from today...

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20141011_Merlino_in_court_for_probation_hearing.html

Thanks Dante,

Well I'm wondering were Joey's lawyer will argue that the hearing should be held since the hearing today is only to decide the venue, Fort Lauderdale or Philly, to argue the alleged violations.

Can't understand people that root for guys like Merlino over the feds.

You do realise he would probably piss in your open sores if he could squeeze some money out of you?

And people who don't like the feds because they act like jerks and sore losers?!

Really. They're competitive. Would you rather the people protecting you be less competitive, motivated, tough and persistent and be more like Rick Moranis?

Those kind of qualities are the first thing I'd look for if I was in charge of selecting new recruits.

Guys like Merlino belong in jail.

Fuck the Feds. Sorry that's just how I feel, for me it's personal because they have touched my life. As far as rooting for Merlino, I'm not personally rooting for anyone. Obviously this guy is a scumbag, that being said fuck the FBI they are a bigger gang than the mob

Former Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino arrived at federal court in Center City this morning for a hearing on whether he violated his probation.

Merlino insists he has kept out of trouble since he got out of prison and moved to Florida three years ago.

But federal authorities call that story laughable.

They allege the 52-year-old ex-don began violating the terms of his probation within weeks of his 2011 release - meeting with members of La Cosa Nostra even as he was living in a federal halfway house meant to ease the transition back to postprison life.

What's more, they said, they have the photos to prove it.

U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick is slated to hear the case.

For Merlino, who some law enforcement officials still believe is leading the Philadelphia family, the hearing will be his first appearance in a courtroom here since he was sentenced to 14 years in prison on racketeering conspiracy charges in 2001.

On the question if his probation, prosecutors have alleged that he enjoyed a night on the town in June with one of his former captains, a relative of a Lucchese crime family capo, and another ex-con at a swank Boca Raton cigar bar.

Merlino's lawyers have said their client either did not know those men were at the bar that night or was not aware of their criminal histories. They have criticized federal officials for seeking to revoke their client's probation just days before it was set to end.

In a filing Wednesday, prosecutors stood by their case.

"Merlino was the leader of the Philadelphia family of La Cosa Nostra," Assistant U.S. Attorney David Troyer wrote in Wednesday's filing. "His suggestion that his meetings with convicted felons and LCN members and associates were mere 'chance encounters' is laughable."

For Merlino, who some law enforcement officials still believe is leading the Philadelphia family, it will be his first appearance in a courtroom here since he was sentenced to 14 years in prison on racketeering conspiracy charges in 2001.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/201410...fL7qb5kgavsq.99


In the last paragraph it says the word IS. I am not a jerk off like the people who asked me how it tasted when it says was, so I will just say maybe don't jump to conclusions.