I've mentioned before on here that I worked a few times in Merlinos, and that Joey used to come in to other places where I worked. It seemed like he couldn't finish his dinner because between fork fulls people were coming up and wanting a picture with him or his autograph.
How many here know that the old Merlinos is now a place called "Frankie and Dinos" and that its owned by Carlo Vacarezza (Gottis former driver and good friend).
There is a small section in the Boca Raton/DelRay Beach area that has a "presence" especially right now during the season. But its nothing like it was in the 1970s-80s when the whole Gold Coast, all of Miami Beach, Halendale, Hollywood, Ft.Laud etc. was crawling with wiseguys. Back then there where dozens of clubs that were run by LCN. Guys shaking down valet parking stands, loans sharks all over the dog and horse tracks. It was like a mini New York down here in the winter months. But it was always a little tricky to tell the "real" from the wannabe phonies with the pinky rings and the "gimme a Buca ova here honey wit da tree beans, gotta have da tree beans...."
