Are the Fed’s about to come calling on the Philly Mafia

Are the Fed’s coming  ?   Well many high ranking members of the Philadelphia Mafia think its very possible and could happen sometime soon. Philly mobsters including the boss Joe Ligambi are expecting the Fed’s to hit the family with indictments sometime soon. There were alot of rumors floating around in December that “the Fed’s are coming” and they were taken very seriously by many mobsters as they went as far as putting their defense attorneys on alert and alot of guys were getting finances in order for possible bail. But the December  bullet was dodged and it was just a false alarm.

Many figured the December scare was simply another delay in the indictments that are coming from a case the Fed’s have been putting together for over six years now. The U.S. Attorneys office in Philly has had quite a few problems over those six years and almost blew the case on a couple occassions. But now that case seems to be near its end there is rumors now that the Fed’s plan to add in as many as 3-4 gangland murders. Charges already include loansharkings , bookmaking , extortion , and racketeering so adding multiple murder charges could really be a blow to those indicted. But the Fed’s are likely to be very careful moving ahead with the murder charges because of the mishap in 2001 when they indicted then Philly mafia boss Joseph Merlino and members of his crew , the Fed’s got Merlino and others on racketeering charges but lost every murder charge they had in the case.

The Philly mob has been a pretty low key operation since being taken over by Joe “Uncle Joe” Ligambi as he is an old school type of boss who believes in the motto of make money and not headlines. But since he took over as boss there are three gangland hits that the fits want to add to the indictment against Ligambi. The three murders of John Casasanto in Nov. 2003 , Ron Turchi in Oct. 1999, and Raymond Martorano in Feb. 2002. If these murder charges are indeed included as part of the indictment it could really up the steaks for Ligambi and any other Philly mob members linked to the hits.

The Fed’s claim to have two informants who can link the Martorano killing to Ligambi and are willing to testify and have already given the fed’s some details of the murder. Martorano had just recently been released from jail and was said to be trying to re-establish himself in the video poker trade that Ligambi and other members are in control of so he was taken out. While the Turchi hit was approved by Ligambi because of the ties that Turchi had to former Philly mob boss Ralph Natale who became a federal witness and rat.

So it just seems like a matter or sooner rather then later for the Fed’s to come calling once again on the Philadelphia Mafia. How hard of a hit the Philly family will take is still up in the air but it is very likely to cause another major shake up to the Philadelphia crime family that is said by many to still be in flux somewhat.