This all falls back to Bruno getting killed ,there was not many to teach the young and the ones that would have " they tried to kill .
They are 55-65 and they are practically clueless in organized crime and big money rackets , why do something that you can go away for life" if you are just a street gang .
Now some of them are learning but they are so far back !
They all break Nicky Jr balls but he made them look like amateur street thug's when it came to real rackets and if not for him being easy going and letting a couple fools play godfather he may been a millionaire and on the street right now.
Serp, do you know when and why Nicky Jr stopped being friends with Joey Merlino and that crew? I've read it was when Scarfo Sr demoted the Merlinos but an old article I read from 1988 says (direct quote), "They hugged and cried and showered each other with love, even those whom the government informants claim were plotting at one time to kill each other." I'm not certain but I'm presuming this is referring to the Scarfos and the Merlinos.
That entire group (Joey, Nicky Jr, the Changs, etc) all grew up together, right? I know people like to say that Joey is an idiot and doesn't know how to be a real mobster but how true is that? I mean Joey is Chuckie Merlino's son. He grew up with people who knew how to make money like Salvie Testa and Tore Scafidi so I would think he would have learned a little bit about rackets and making money during the 80s. Like you said, Nicky Jr knows how so why can't Joey when they both came up together in the mob?
My babbling wasn't only directed towards you Serp. I'd like to hear everyone else's opinions too. Anybody?
It was not just them who were Jr so called friends Georgie was around often and many more . He was getting older and the guys from Philly were also and coming down more often and to have a bosses son around the same age was perfect for them to move up or be seen, and the fact that Chuckie and Nick were friends then , but you still had Phil pushing them back and telling Jr to stay away from them but you know teens they do the opposite until Nick herd what a mess Skinny was and what he was doing to females and regular folks.
It was about kissing up to the bosses son friends had nothing to do with it and yes when Nick started blasting Chuckie Skinny was pushing back and Lawrence was verbally all right with it from what I could tell. Now as soon as Nick got real pissed and anyone close to Chuckie was in his sights!!!!!
During this time Yogi was drinking and partying heavy and so was Chuckie but I did not see Chuckie like I did Yogi and Yogi was getting verbal with just acquaintances and was getting scary by this time Nick put them down and it got worse from people close to them .
The last night I seen Yogi he was wild and loud about it and someone called Phil and he came and told Tommy to get him out of there and they left.
So it was out in the open and yes Merlino's and there friends were not liking the bosses decision .
As far as putting Skinny in with Salvi , Sal was leaps and bounds ahead of Skinny and those guys were all around each other but were quiet down here cos Nick had more ears here .
Jr had no real friends out of them , in fact when he was in the hospital after being shot there were five guys on the list to see him and they were all AC kids now men on that list other then whom his father had guys watching him and I was not in the life so I did not know the details and the north jersey guys .
I don't know how sharp Skinny has become with rackets but Chuckie was what Nick made him !! he did not have much before Nick from what I been told . And remember I was not in the family I found out stuff when it was exploding and the people in the know were slipping with there mouth .
