As the New Year unfolds, there’s still some storm clouds hanging over the Philly Mob. 2022 might be another tough year for the local wise guys.
Trials, prison sentences, more indictments, even a reorganization at the top, could be in the wings for the Philly LCN.
Federal prosecutors have been cutting plea deals left and right with some of the lower-level defendants in the November 2020 racketeering indictment, but some of the top figures still look like they could be headed for trial in 2022.
As the year begins some of the top defendants, including Domenic Grande, former Underboss Steven Mazzone and Mob soldiers Sonny Mazzone and Joseph Servidio are staring down the prospect of two trials tentatively scheduled for the Spring and September.
Grande, Servidio and John Michael Payne are first up for trial if no plea arrangements are reached. Right now, the Mazzones and two other defendants are docketed for trial in the Fall.
Each of those trials will be highlighted with the playing of several years-worth of secretly recorded FBI tapes, including the recording of a Philly Mob induction ceremony. Mazzone, Grande and other unindicted Mobsters were caught on audio tapes at an October 2015 making ceremony. The tapes, according to legal experts, could be very damaging to the defendants and later on to more so far unindicted wiseguys.
Grande faces the added burden of defending himself against a handful of damaging tapes regarding drug dealing, including heroin, fentanyl, pills and cocaine. He is potentially looking at the most severe prison sentence if convicted. And while he does have one of the region’s top defense attorneys, Brian McMonagle, on his team, as my Mobtalksitdown colleague George Anastasia likes to say “you can’t cross examine a tape.”
Servidio faces a big burden as well. He is already serving a 15-year sentence for drug dealing in New Jersey and has also been caught on tapes. If convicted, he could face another long sentence with the possibility that a new sentence could run consecutive to the 62-yr old mobster’s current prison stint which isn’t set to end until 2030. Do the math here, that’s a problem.
One-time Mob Underboss Steven Mazzone also has two top-flight defense attorneys in John Meringolo and Lou Busico, but he too could be severely hurt by secret tapes from the infamous 2015 induction ceremony. He’s looking at a sentence ranging from six years on up. He also has a prior racketeering conspiracy conviction from his 2001 trial that could hurt him if he were to lose this case at trial in September.
His brother Salvatore “Sonny” Mazzone, a top soldier in the Philly organization, faces a much lesser sentence in the case.
That brings us to the current Philly Mob reorganization already underway. If Grande, Mazzone and his brother go down in this case. that would leave a vacuum at the top of the South Philly Mob under reputed acting Street Boss Michael “Lance” Lancelotti and the reputed Boss himself, Joey Merlino.
Grande and the Mazzones have been on house arrest for over a year already and their presence, mob insiders say, is already being missed on the streets and in the inner sanctum of the Philly Mob.
For example, none of those three top wiseguys were in attendance at two recent Mob Christmas parties. One held at the crew’s local clubhouse near 9th and Christian that sources say featured top Mobsters like Lancelotti, former longtime Mob Boss Joseph Ligambi, top ranking Mob Captain John Ciancaglini and lowkey Mob Captain George Borgesi, as well as several top soldiers in the organization.
Merlino was not in attendance at the clubhouse gathering, but sources say a couple of unnamed newcomers were, leaving some to believe Merlino could be ready to bring some new talent on board to deal with the short and possibly long-term absence of Grande and the Mazzones.
Merlino, sources say, did fly into Philadelphia from Boca Raton, Florida the following day to attend a “made guys only” bash that night. At least one unnamed newcomer made an appearance at that gathering.
Former Lucchese wiseguy and government cooperator John Pennisi wrote in one of his first columns of the year at Sitdown News that Merlino has, according to Pennisi’s mob sources, been meeting with a high ranking member of the Lucchese Crime Family.
He also quoted sources as saying Merlino and other Philly wiseguys attended the Lucchese Crime Family’s Christmas party in New Jersey. This raises some questions about a possible renewal of alliances with the Luccheses.
Merlino has been pals with acting Lucchese Caporegime Joe Perna for years. Pictures of Perna and Merlino have appeared on various internet posts for years until both Perna and Merlino went to prison briefly.
These developments, mob insiders say, have Merlino making some chess like moves of late. Those insiders also say, there’s no doubt who’s running the show in Philly headed into 2022.
Merlino, who just got off supervised release in a NYC Mob case, continues to deny any involvement in the local Mob and any criminal wrongdoing,
To date, no charges or even a mention of Merlino in the current case against the Philly Mob.
So far, none of the attorneys for the defendants still awaiting trial have commented on the case. All of the discovery in the case is under a protective order and can only be viewed by the defendants and their lawyers.
