PHILADELPHIA IS STILL A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.
This article or diatribe may inflame and cause a bit of friction amongst the people I know, or have met, or are friendly with. I'll just apologize now. Every week wh
en I do my radio show, which can be found on Youtube(Mob Talk Radio) I do a segment called "Q&A." People who listen to my show submit questions, and I gladly answer them. Usually I am inundated with over 400 questions a week, and I try to answer as many as I can, but usually I have to stick with forty to fifty otherwise it just cannot possibly be done. I also bypass many questions. Why?
For the most part, people ask general questions. Sometimes however, I get questions I will not even attempt to answer. There are a lot of reasons why, so let me address that first. For starters, I don't answer the same questions over and over again. Secondly, sometimes I get questions that I do know the answer to, but I choose not to answer them because the information is too sensitive. What does that mean? It simply means I'm not in the business of talking about other people's business. That separates me from everyone else who does what I do. I'm not into spilling my guts or gossiping about anyone, especially If I may or may not know the person they are asking about or the situation. I am protective of people I know, their situation, their families, kids, and relatives. Sometimes it's just better left unsaid to be honest. I clam up better then most. I'm bringing all this up, because I repeatedly get asked questions about Philadelphia. It often seems like people want to diminish them by saying "minor leagues of the mafia," or "spaghetti gangsters," and sometimes people will say "straight gangsters," or "treacherous."
People have a tendency to either overlook Philadelphia because of it's so called "bigger, brighter sibling," which often said is New York City, or they undercut them by not taking them seriously, or in some cases believe them to be ultimately the most vicious group around. So which is it? Is it fair to even compare or contrast? The real issue is, people don't know them, people judge that by the media, Hollywood, and crime tales. If you go back and watch episodes of The Sopranos, it can be said that Tony Soprano, while he respected New York, could really not totally like them. In The Sopranos Phil Leotardo often snubbed his nose at the smaller New Jersey faction. John Sacrimoni had almost the same sort of attitude, but put business first. The writer and producer David Chase, put a lot of emphasis of a big bully on the playground type of demeanor and it played well on the show.
The media, authors, and journalists never seem to give Philadelphia any credit. While I can understand that idea because New York has all the pomp and bravado, and also have the five families, I think the one thing they get wrong, and I mean very wrong, is that the Philadelphia mafia is like "the gang that couldn't shoot straight." It's not to compare and contrast Nicodemo Scarfo to Vito Genovese or to compare Joey Merlino to John Gotti. You cannot compare them. While we can take attributes from each of them and say they may have something in common, each of these men, is very very very different.
What George Anastasia, Dave(Rattwesier) Schratwieser get wrong, is underestimating who these guys are. Sure, any chance I get to slam those two bottom dwellers I will, but the point is, they consistently make statements and sort of tongue in cheek that these guys are somehow just not that bright. In just looking at a few interviews, Anastasia especially seems to enjoy poking fun at them, yet revels in saying nothing but positives about rats(Previte,Veasey). Granted, he owes his career to rats, but I just think he gives a very unfair assessment and while he may understand Philadelphians, he doesn't understand the Philadelphia mob, at least not from a visceral level.
Make no mistake, Philadelphia is not soft. Philadelphia is not a bunch of yahoo's who can't shoot straight. They are not a bunch of "rednecks, or spaghetti Italians," or any of the other sewage I hear spilled at times. One thing people don't understand, never will understand is a few things. Philadelphia may be called the City of Brotherly Love, but they should re-catchphrase it as "The city that will crack your fucking head wide open, if you get loose with your mouth or actions." The Philadelphia I know, doesn't stand for jerkoffs, miscreants, rats or any sideways looks or behavior.
Philadelphia in every way, is an old school paradigm. The guys I know, who shall remain nameless, are quiet, reserved, and know how to treat you like your family, as long as you keep it real. The second you step on toes, they will, without hesitation, crack you open like a tomato. There is no tolerance for tattle tales, cop callers, gossipers or bull-shitters. Philadelphia has always been be stand up, be trustworthy, and don't fuck around and we won't have any problems.
They have a value system, which is old world and old school. If you listen to the media, or to the two dunces mentioned up above, you'd think every single member of the mafia in Philadelphia sends each other emails, talks business on a megaphone, and hangs out conducting meetings in the middle in the street off Passyunk. None of it is the case. You'd be hard pressed to find more than one alleged member hanging out discussing anything, let alone business.
In the old days, guys met in secret. They talked only when they absolutely had to. By design it helps insulate themselves, and keeps the government out of sight. That's how it should be, and that's the way Philadelphia handles itself. What average people don't realize, or what they fail to realize is, these are serious men. They don't fuck around, they don't ask twice, and they don't send thank you cards unless it's in the shape of a brick which they can and are willing to use. You cannot brake them, you cannot shake them, and you certainly cannot talk you way out of getting away with anything.
People ask me all the time, how come Philly, if it's so small in area, hasn't been fully dismantled. The reason why is because they have friendships and relationships that go back to diapers. These guys have known
each other since they were children. What you cannot compare New York to, is that. Sure, New York has more men, I get it, they have five families, okay. Agreed. The only time, realistically that someone within, created damage to the mob in Philadelphia, was when a lunatic was running things. Nicky Scarfo was whacking people like periods at the ends of sentences. His revolting nephew Philip Leonetti, who I saw on some awful 60 minutes interview, who also was wearing an epic Frank Vincent toupee, dismantled his own life, those around him, and his uncles because he couldn't do time. Who else would marry the girlfriend of a guy you whacked? Maybe Leonetti isn't the best example, but you get the point.
John Stanfa, who had no business running Philadelphia to begin with, tried his best to organize a front against Joey Merlino and how'd that work? Stanfa is in jail lamenting on what life could have been, because he wasn't able to do anything. In fact, one step further, what nobody has been able to do to the spine of the Philadelphia mafia. You cannot break something that's foundation is solid. You may have the Tommy Del's of the world, or the Nicky the Crow's of the world, but that's never gonna happen to others like it happened to Stanfa and Scarfo. Ron Previte tried hard, and failed on every level. There is something to be said about a rival group who refuses to buck, refuses to back down, takes it to two bosses asses and wins.
The construct of Philadelphia is such that there is a core group there, that is unbreakable. They grew up together, broke heads together, drank together, shared family celebrations together. Even the guys who have come out of prison, have bonded. They set aside the drama and bullshit of the past because the bottom line is mutual, it's business. People can underestimate Philadelphia all day, and maybe that's a good thing for them, but the reality is a much different story. They aren't soft on any level or any way. They aren't a bunch of dysfunctional circus acts gone astray. They are deadly serious men, who will, fucking kill you without a doubt, if you're stupid enough to fuck with the bottom line. In many ways they are more deadly then guys from the New York mafia. They aren't fighting over 100 rackets, they don't feel slighted over non essential bullshit. Sometimes less is more, and in their case, that's a fact. You can have 100 guys, 50 made, 50 associates. Of those 50 made 30 of them knew each other since they were kids. I would bet you, half the Gambino's couldn't riddle off thirty names. It's not to knock them, but rather proof that ties that bond, closeness, is stronger in every single way, then numbers. That's why you shouldn't ever take Philadelphia lightly. If you offend one in New York, you got a beef with one, maybe two. In Philadelphia if you offend one, disrespect one, you have a huge fucking problem, because your dealing with them all. It's a bond, that nobody has or gets.
In final, people can choose to aptly agree to disagree. You have the right to your opinion, but if I was a betting man, or if I was put in a position to take a side, my side is clear. If I was forced to help, or to put myself in harms way for anyone, you know where I stand. I value friendship, I value honor, I value respect, and family, and Philadelphia exudes every single bit of that and then some. In a world where old school is a throwback, these guys don't lack an ounce of it. Not that New York doesn't have those, they do, very much so, but I think it gets lost in sheer volume sometimes. Philly will always be Philly, but mark my word, your never gonna crack them and you should never ever, under any circumstances count them out, and don't ever underestimate them, no matter what anyone says.
en I do my radio show, which can be found on Youtube(Mob Talk Radio) I do a segment called "Q&A." People who listen to my show submit questions, and I gladly answer them. Usually I am inundated with over 400 questions a week, and I try to answer as many as I can, but usually I have to stick with forty to fifty otherwise it just cannot possibly be done. I also bypass many questions. Why?For the most part, people ask general questions. Sometimes however, I get questions I will not even attempt to answer. There are a lot of reasons why, so let me address that first. For starters, I don't answer the same questions over and over again. Secondly, sometimes I get questions that I do know the answer to, but I choose not to answer them because the information is too sensitive. What does that mean? It simply means I'm not in the business of talking about other people's business. That separates me from everyone else who does what I do. I'm not into spilling my guts or gossiping about anyone, especially If I may or may not know the person they are asking about or the situation. I am protective of people I know, their situation, their families, kids, and relatives. Sometimes it's just better left unsaid to be honest. I clam up better then most. I'm bringing all this up, because I repeatedly get asked questions about Philadelphia. It often seems like people want to diminish them by saying "minor leagues of the mafia," or "spaghetti gangsters," and sometimes people will say "straight gangsters," or "treacherous."
People have a tendency to either overlook Philadelphia because of it's so called "bigger, brighter sibling," which often said is New York City, or they undercut them by not taking them seriously, or in some cases believe them to be ultimately the most vicious group around. So which is it? Is it fair to even compare or contrast? The real issue is, people don't know them, people judge that by the media, Hollywood, and crime tales. If you go back and watch episodes of The Sopranos, it can be said that Tony Soprano, while he respected New York, could really not totally like them. In The Sopranos Phil Leotardo often snubbed his nose at the smaller New Jersey faction. John Sacrimoni had almost the same sort of attitude, but put business first. The writer and producer David Chase, put a lot of emphasis of a big bully on the playground type of demeanor and it played well on the show. The media, authors, and journalists never seem to give Philadelphia any credit. While I can understand that idea because New York has all the pomp and bravado, and also have the five families, I think the one thing they get wrong, and I mean very wrong, is that the Philadelphia mafia is like "the gang that couldn't shoot straight." It's not to compare and contrast Nicodemo Scarfo to Vito Genovese or to compare Joey Merlino to John Gotti. You cannot compare them. While we can take attributes from each of them and say they may have something in common, each of these men, is very very very different.
What George Anastasia, Dave(Rattwesier) Schratwieser get wrong, is underestimating who these guys are. Sure, any chance I get to slam those two bottom dwellers I will, but the point is, they consistently make statements and sort of tongue in cheek that these guys are somehow just not that bright. In just looking at a few interviews, Anastasia especially seems to enjoy poking fun at them, yet revels in saying nothing but positives about rats(Previte,Veasey). Granted, he owes his career to rats, but I just think he gives a very unfair assessment and while he may understand Philadelphians, he doesn't understand the Philadelphia mob, at least not from a visceral level. Make no mistake, Philadelphia is not soft. Philadelphia is not a bunch of yahoo's who can't shoot straight. They are not a bunch of "rednecks, or spaghetti Italians," or any of the other sewage I hear spilled at times. One thing people don't understand, never will understand is a few things. Philadelphia may be called the City of Brotherly Love, but they should re-catchphrase it as "The city that will crack your fucking head wide open, if you get loose with your mouth or actions." The Philadelphia I know, doesn't stand for jerkoffs, miscreants, rats or any sideways looks or behavior.
Philadelphia in every way, is an old school paradigm. The guys I know, who shall remain nameless, are quiet, reserved, and know how to treat you like your family, as long as you keep it real. The second you step on toes, they will, without hesitation, crack you open like a tomato. There is no tolerance for tattle tales, cop callers, gossipers or bull-shitters. Philadelphia has always been be stand up, be trustworthy, and don't fuck around and we won't have any problems.
In the old days, guys met in secret. They talked only when they absolutely had to. By design it helps insulate themselves, and keeps the government out of sight. That's how it should be, and that's the way Philadelphia handles itself. What average people don't realize, or what they fail to realize is, these are serious men. They don't fuck around, they don't ask twice, and they don't send thank you cards unless it's in the shape of a brick which they can and are willing to use. You cannot brake them, you cannot shake them, and you certainly cannot talk you way out of getting away with anything.
People ask me all the time, how come Philly, if it's so small in area, hasn't been fully dismantled. The reason why is because they have friendships and relationships that go back to diapers. These guys have known
each other since they were children. What you cannot compare New York to, is that. Sure, New York has more men, I get it, they have five families, okay. Agreed. The only time, realistically that someone within, created damage to the mob in Philadelphia, was when a lunatic was running things. Nicky Scarfo was whacking people like periods at the ends of sentences. His revolting nephew Philip Leonetti, who I saw on some awful 60 minutes interview, who also was wearing an epic Frank Vincent toupee, dismantled his own life, those around him, and his uncles because he couldn't do time. Who else would marry the girlfriend of a guy you whacked? Maybe Leonetti isn't the best example, but you get the point. John Stanfa, who had no business running Philadelphia to begin with, tried his best to organize a front against Joey Merlino and how'd that work? Stanfa is in jail lamenting on what life could have been, because he wasn't able to do anything. In fact, one step further, what nobody has been able to do to the spine of the Philadelphia mafia. You cannot break something that's foundation is solid. You may have the Tommy Del's of the world, or the Nicky the Crow's of the world, but that's never gonna happen to others like it happened to Stanfa and Scarfo. Ron Previte tried hard, and failed on every level. There is something to be said about a rival group who refuses to buck, refuses to back down, takes it to two bosses asses and wins.
The construct of Philadelphia is such that there is a core group there, that is unbreakable. They grew up together, broke heads together, drank together, shared family celebrations together. Even the guys who have come out of prison, have bonded. They set aside the drama and bullshit of the past because the bottom line is mutual, it's business. People can underestimate Philadelphia all day, and maybe that's a good thing for them, but the reality is a much different story. They aren't soft on any level or any way. They aren't a bunch of dysfunctional circus acts gone astray. They are deadly serious men, who will, fucking kill you without a doubt, if you're stupid enough to fuck with the bottom line. In many ways they are more deadly then guys from the New York mafia. They aren't fighting over 100 rackets, they don't feel slighted over non essential bullshit. Sometimes less is more, and in their case, that's a fact. You can have 100 guys, 50 made, 50 associates. Of those 50 made 30 of them knew each other since they were kids. I would bet you, half the Gambino's couldn't riddle off thirty names. It's not to knock them, but rather proof that ties that bond, closeness, is stronger in every single way, then numbers. That's why you shouldn't ever take Philadelphia lightly. If you offend one in New York, you got a beef with one, maybe two. In Philadelphia if you offend one, disrespect one, you have a huge fucking problem, because your dealing with them all. It's a bond, that nobody has or gets.In final, people can choose to aptly agree to disagree. You have the right to your opinion, but if I was a betting man, or if I was put in a position to take a side, my side is clear. If I was forced to help, or to put myself in harms way for anyone, you know where I stand. I value friendship, I value honor, I value respect, and family, and Philadelphia exudes every single bit of that and then some. In a world where old school is a throwback, these guys don't lack an ounce of it. Not that New York doesn't have those, they do, very much so, but I think it gets lost in sheer volume sometimes. Philly will always be Philly, but mark my word, your never gonna crack them and you should never ever, under any circumstances count them out, and don't ever underestimate them, no matter what anyone says.
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