Mafia Not Dead

By Ed Scarpo
A video report from WPRI regarding the health of the mafia as seen through the lens of what has happened to the New England family.

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If Uncle Joe Retires What Happens in Philadelphia?

By Ed Scarpo
Joseph (Uncle Joe) Ligambi, who recently got out of prison following two mistrials for what primarily amounted to gambling-related charges, says that he is done, finito, with Cosa Nostra. He wants to drop the harness and relax, to summer in Longport and winter in Florida. In 1980, violence on the streets of Philadelphia rose sharply following boss Angelo Bruno's murder. Does Ligambi mean it? If he’s being sincere, then who will step in and take over?  Too many wiseguys, if history is our guide. The volatility for which the Philadelphia crime family was once well-known can return as swiftly as the time it takes to pull a trigger. Two generations historically at odds with each other have been working together (the old Scarfo gang and the Merlino young turks). The ability to rivet these two enclaves together is among the skills "Uncle Joe" is credited for having. But with or without him, shifts in power are inevitable as the family's composition changes (...
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Bonanno Boss's Prison Letters Kick Off Second Dominick Cicale Forum

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"Mikey Nose" (Commenced 11am, Saturday, Jan. 10)... We can thank Michael "Mikey Nose" Mancuso for our starting point.... I don't think any other blog or news organization on the planet has ever gotten such direct insight from the man widely considered to be the official boss of the Bonanno family . The Nose is from the Bronx, where Vincent "Vinny Gorgeous" Basciano, either former acting boss or current official boss, hailed from.
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Decades of Mob Violence Behind Waterfront Case

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The week before Christmas 2014, three North New Jersey-based Genovese crime family mobsters pleaded guilty to waterfront racketeering in a case going on for years -- since January 2011's Mafia Takedown Day . The guy who owned the “Godfather’s Garden.” But the Genovese family's control of the New Jersey waterfront goes back decades and includes many storied mobsters of the past who killed and were killed for control of the lucrative waterfront rackets of the Garden State. The Genovese family even ran its own hit squad, which focused on murdering FBI informants, among others. The bloodless indictment by comparison likely will end with three men serving three-year prison sentences. The key count in the indictment is conspiracy to extort members of the International Longshoremen’s Association for Christmastime tribute payments, according to New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch . Genovese s...
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Kitchen Nightmares Gangster Back In Business (Mob Business, That Is)

By Ed Scarpo
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Kitchen Nightmares Wiseguy To Open New Restaurants In Manhattan, Ft. Lauderdale

By Ed Scarpo
Bonanno wiseguy Peter (Peter Pasta) Pellegrino, who appeared in one of the first episodes of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares , and whom we last wrote about in May, is leaping back into the restaurant business. Peter Pasta, who seems to have much to smile about these days. That is according to a source who recently alerted us to a Reddit post that says, "New Peter's Restaurant plans are in the works NYC& South Florida...Stay Tuned." Pellegrino is in the "early stages of the planning" for the restaurants, the source said, adding that the one in Florida will likely open on Los Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.  A high-profile celebrity partner is involved, and a formal announcement will be made after the new year. In May, we reported that Peter Pasta was among the Bonannos who benefitted from Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso 's reorganization of the Bonanno family last Christmas. Pellegrino was bumped from acting capo to official capo and is overseeing a Bo...
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