DESPITE REPORTS, MERLINO NOT DISCUSSING A PLEA DEAL PART 2

The reason why this is titled part 2, is because I thought we had fully digested this a week back.  Then this morning Jerry Capeci "dean of mob writers," put out an article filled with assertions and generalizations not based or grounded in facts, but what others "told him."  Once again his "sources," are the same sources that have fed him his entire career.  They are called the FBI.

This is not an article to knock Jerry Capeci, however in reading two of his articles, it's amazing how those jury numbers keep changing.  To begin with, we have to step back for a second.  The first thing is I saw Jerry Capeci at the trial two days.  The first day he stayed for ten minutes, gossiped with other reporters and left.  The second day he was humiliated by the judge for not standing up as the jury left the court room.   Jerry has been around mob trials his entire life, and the fact that he didn't stand showed utter disrespect towards the jury and Judge Sullivan tongue-lashed him for it.

I honestly don't know how Jerry kept writing articles about this trial considering he wasn't there for any of it.  So where does he get his information from?  Sources.  Ah em, the FBI.  As the Merlino trial was moving towards a mistrial he reported after the fact that the jury numbers for conviction were closer than he reported this morning.  Which one is it?  He once again cited his "sources".

Philadelphia whack-a-doodle Dave Schratwieser got most of the trial wrong too.  He also came out a week and a half ago stating that Joey Merlino was essentially looking to make a deal.  I will be honest,  I reached out to Joey, and his direct response to me asking him if any of that garbage was true was to say the following.  "HE'S NUTS!"  

So what do you believe?  Surely most of the gossip really began with Schratwieser who couldn't tell a mobster from Mickey Mouse with the blind guy leading him.  The second thing is, they need filler.  So they guess and lean an article one way to lead you down a path of bullshit.  Anastasia does it, Schratwieser does it, Capeci does it.  The difference is if I don't know I will say so.   What also compiles all of this nonsense is that Eugene "Rooster" O'Nofrio has recently plead guilty to charges stemming from the East Coast Racketeering case.  The deal that O'Nofrio got this time around pales in comparison to the last one.  He will do likely two years, when given the option prior was around four plus.  A smart move for an aging alleged mobster.

That fact probably started the circus which Schratwieser started over a week ago.  No facts, just gossip, and Jerry Capeci pretty much piggybacked off Schratwieser, but added the O'Nofrio stuff as some sort of proof that Merlino was in discussions with the government.  As of this writing, Joey Merlino is NOT talking about any DEALS.  In fact, Judge Sullivan was going to render a decision last Monday, but both sides asked for more time to consider trial dates and more.  Judge Sullivan has pushed off the date to April 9th, and one of two things will happen.  Either the government will let this go, or they will elect to retry Joey Merlino.

The naysayers will say this to me and I'm prepared for this, so let's play devils advocate for a second.  What if Joey took a plea?  What if that happens?  Well, it won't happen, and if by some weird crap happens, ultimately he will do what he has to do for himself.  As I have stated many times, I have no dog in this fight, I just support a friend.  That simple.  I believe he's innocent, I went to the trial about everyday so I know what the government has and didn't have.  You should take my word for it because unlike all those others I mentioned, I was there.  Anastasia, Schratwieser, Capeci never really came.  So what do they know other than what they hear?  But for arguments sake, look Joey is 55.  A full conviction for these set of crimes is some monster time.  Who the hell wants to sit in the clink for twenty years?

My point is, of 49 defendants, all but two took plea deals.  Joey is the last one standing.  He fought the government and won.  Whether or not they decide to double down is on them.  Whether Merlino decides to just accept a deal is on him.  I don't think Joey would have ever come this far if he was just going to sign paperwork.  So you had better believe in this case, he's not going to accept anything other than see ya, thanks as he walks out the door and goes home.  If the opposite happens, then who could blame him?  I couldn't.

Put away the bravado shit for one second.  Me personally, I don't care whether a plea was reached or tossed out.  Joey is a man's man, an honest man.   He can take an Alford plea if he wanted to.  An Alford plea essentially denies guilt of any wrong doing,  but admits the government has substantial evidence that likely would sway a jury or judge to convict.  To me, there is nothing wrong with accepting any sort of plea, but in Joey's case I get it.  He did nothing wrong.  They couldn't convict him.  He's out of the life.  You gotta make the government prove it, and they couldn't.

The bottom line is, regardless of what happens, Joey won.  I don't care what anyone says.  They used bottom feeding loser junkie rats to try and put Joey in crimes he NOT only DIDN'T take part in, but accused him of actions of others.  You show me one shred of evidence that proves otherwise.  I was there.  They had NOTHING!  Just JR Rubeo lying non stop.  Wayne Kriesberg looking like he ate too many whoppers before testifying.

We shall see what becomes of this entire saga, but for now, and until further notice, stop listening to the three stooges.(Capeci, Schratweiser, Anastasia).  NO DEAL, NO PLEA.