Also KING6, minor detail, but Frank Martines was actually part of Riccobene's crew, which while it was not part of the Scarfo faction, doesn't necessarily mean he was a scrub. Everything I know about, which is not too much, indicates to me that he was pretty solid LCN as were all those Riccobene guys for the most part. They were just part of another crew/faction, but that's something for another conversation (SERP knows what I'm talking about).
I knew he was with Riccobene and part of their faction. I simply meant that he was one of the remnants left on the street from the Scarfo organization when Stanfa took over. He may have been solid LCN like you say, but other than what I've read about him (not much is published/written about him) he just doesn't seem like a guy who should have reached a position of power (acting underboss) like he did. Was he even fully Italian? The main reason for my curiousity is the "Martines" last name. And, we also know the questionable nature of some of the guys that Stanfa made - Veasey, Previte, etc. It also speaks volumes for what Stanfa was dealing with and the guys at his disposal like I mentioned in my first post. He may have been with Riccobene and involved in some gambling and poker machine routes, but it hardly seems like the Scarfo guys ever thought highly of him or would have used him, regardless if the Riccobene war ever happened. Had they remained in power down the line, Martines would have remained a "career associate" in my opinion. He was a daily construction worker during the middle of the war when they attempted to hit him and he was shot multiple times getting into his work truck in the morning.
Merlino & Johnny Chang weren't made in the same ceremony. I could be wrong but Johnny Chang got his button via Scarfo. When he got out and was on the street in '96, Ralph Natale made him the official consigliere. You're right that Merlino & Joey Jr. was, but Joey Jr is also Johnny Changs "little" brother. There's really not much out there supports Merlino & Johnny Chang having a close relationship prior to Ralph Natale. But I'm sure they knew each other.
I've also been curious as to when Johnny Chang was made. I don't believe that he was made during the Scarfo era, but I could also be wrong. There's an article from 1995, when he was released from prison, which labeled him as a "mob associate".
http://articles.philly.com/1995-01-06/news/25712825_1_john-stanfa-joseph-skinny-joey-merlino-mob I believe Johnny was made by either Joey or Ralph Natale once he came home from prison. Also, Joey Chang and Skinny Joey were not inducted at the same ceremony - Merlino was inducted in 1992 alongside their other brother, Michael "Mikey Chang" Ciancaglini. Joey Chang had to have been made sometime before this by Stanfa, because at that point in 1992 (when Merlino and Mikey Chang were inducted) Joey Chang was already serving as John Stanfa's underboss. Also, regarding Johnny Chang being named consigliere, I've also read/heard about that somewhere else - is that fact true? I'm not disputing it because I also read the same thing, but it just seems like the timeline doesn't add up to me. Wasn't Ronnie Turchi the first consigliere under Natale? And then, after Turchi was busted down by Natale, it was written in George Anastasia's book "The Last Gangster" that Natale then promoted Stevie Mazzone to consigliere. Finally, once Ralph was arrested and went away, Skinny Joey "officially" took over the family; Mazzone was promoted to underboss, and that's when George Borgesi became consigliere.
