1 00:00:07,465 --> 00:00:09,134 Am I to turn at all, or I'm good? 2 00:00:10,135 --> 00:00:14,055 I start as the Mob reporter at Fox 29 in 1994, 3 00:00:14,139 --> 00:00:16,433 and I spend a lot of time covering Joey Merlino. 4 00:00:16,516 --> 00:00:18,059 Merlino's parole may be over, 5 00:00:18,143 --> 00:00:20,562 but his days in the spotlight certainly aren't. 6 00:00:20,645 --> 00:00:24,441 A member of the Merlino Mob got his hands on a stolen Lamborghini. 7 00:00:24,524 --> 00:00:26,151 Merli… There's a truck. Hold it. 8 00:00:27,235 --> 00:00:30,905 Joey Merlino gets a lot of headlines 'cause he's a young swashbuckler. 9 00:00:32,615 --> 00:00:35,577 He dresses well. He carries himself well. 10 00:00:35,660 --> 00:00:36,745 He's cocky. 11 00:00:37,328 --> 00:00:39,414 Joe, how you feeling about parole being over? 12 00:00:39,497 --> 00:00:42,751 -Good. We're going to Disney World. -You're going to Disney World? 13 00:00:44,794 --> 00:00:47,338 When he walked in a room, he took the room. 14 00:00:50,341 --> 00:00:51,885 When he went to a nightclub, 15 00:00:51,968 --> 00:00:54,262 the lines parted, the velvet ropes opened, 16 00:00:54,345 --> 00:00:55,722 and in went Joey Merlino. 17 00:00:59,768 --> 00:01:02,395 Joey became something of a celebrity. 18 00:01:03,605 --> 00:01:07,400 Joey was not afraid of a camera, wasn't afraid of a reporter. 19 00:01:07,484 --> 00:01:11,112 In any give-and-take conversation, he could get the last word. 20 00:01:11,196 --> 00:01:14,574 One time, I said, "Joe, we're hearing that there's a hit on your head." 21 00:01:14,657 --> 00:01:17,160 The number we're hearing is half a million dollars. 22 00:01:17,243 --> 00:01:19,245 And he paused for a second, and he's like… 23 00:01:19,329 --> 00:01:21,247 Half a million dollars, I'd kill myself. 24 00:01:23,208 --> 00:01:24,584 I mean, it's classic. 25 00:01:25,168 --> 00:01:28,713 He knows how to manipulate the streets, the media, 26 00:01:28,797 --> 00:01:31,841 and he's just a bright guy when it comes to being a gangster. 27 00:01:31,925 --> 00:01:33,426 Ten years ago, if anybody had predicted 28 00:01:33,510 --> 00:01:35,720 you were going to stand on lot the day before Thanksgiving 29 00:01:35,804 --> 00:01:38,098 and give away 500 turkeys, would you have believed them? 30 00:01:38,181 --> 00:01:39,641 Yeah. 31 00:01:40,725 --> 00:01:45,271 The media, they love the idea of the don in the neighborhood 32 00:01:45,355 --> 00:01:47,816 who's taking care of the locals. 33 00:01:48,358 --> 00:01:51,277 It makes a great story that sells newspapers. 34 00:01:53,822 --> 00:01:57,867 But to the FBI, he was a mobster, not a philanthropist. 35 00:01:59,494 --> 00:02:00,662 And he had to be stopped. 36 00:02:02,288 --> 00:02:04,874 For homeless kids, you know, they have nothing. 37 00:02:06,126 --> 00:02:09,796 I always give to people. Don't make me a bad guy, does it? 38 00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:28,982 I started off as a uniformed police officer 39 00:02:29,607 --> 00:02:31,151 with a canine partner. 40 00:02:31,693 --> 00:02:32,902 It was fun, quite frankly, 41 00:02:32,986 --> 00:02:35,947 being out on the street, chasing down bad guys. 42 00:02:36,614 --> 00:02:40,034 But I joined the FBI because I wanted to investigate organized crime. 43 00:02:45,874 --> 00:02:47,458 After Stanfa went to jail, 44 00:02:47,959 --> 00:02:50,170 there was a tremendous amount of concern 45 00:02:50,253 --> 00:02:54,257 about Merlino and the young guns still being on the street. 46 00:02:55,550 --> 00:02:58,803 Illegal bookmaking, illegal loan-sharking, 47 00:02:58,887 --> 00:03:00,930 drug dealing, murders. 48 00:03:01,598 --> 00:03:03,933 And it was down to me and my team 49 00:03:04,017 --> 00:03:06,394 to make arrests and get them off the streets. 50 00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:13,776 We had assets that were following Joey continuously. 51 00:03:19,699 --> 00:03:23,620 Trying to get information about where Joey was going, 52 00:03:23,703 --> 00:03:26,581 who he was hanging out with, and if they could, 53 00:03:26,664 --> 00:03:27,790 what he was doing. 54 00:03:31,419 --> 00:03:35,882 The issue was that Joey Merlino doesn't wanna go back to jail. 55 00:03:35,965 --> 00:03:37,508 Nobody does. 56 00:03:37,592 --> 00:03:39,385 So he's very difficult to surveil. 57 00:03:40,803 --> 00:03:41,888 9-5-7. 58 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,183 They live with the mirrors. 59 00:03:45,266 --> 00:03:46,935 Always in a back mirror, 60 00:03:47,018 --> 00:03:48,394 always in a side mirror. 61 00:03:51,522 --> 00:03:54,275 He's driving his car, making a radical turn. 62 00:03:55,526 --> 00:03:58,529 And if you make that turn, he knows that you're on him. 63 00:04:02,283 --> 00:04:06,079 Joey became very hard to catch, hard to outsmart. 64 00:04:06,162 --> 00:04:08,706 Joey's always ten steps ahead of all these guys. 65 00:04:10,333 --> 00:04:13,211 A lot of it's intelligence, a lot of it's luck. 66 00:04:13,294 --> 00:04:15,755 But a mixture of both makes you very dangerous. 67 00:04:19,634 --> 00:04:22,345 My team, we are putting together a RICO case. 68 00:04:23,054 --> 00:04:25,348 We believe Merlino is involved 69 00:04:25,431 --> 00:04:28,935 in a racketeering-influenced corrupt organization. 70 00:04:30,353 --> 00:04:33,022 First, we have to show there's an organization. 71 00:04:34,315 --> 00:04:37,068 We then prove it's corrupt because of criminal activity. 72 00:04:42,073 --> 00:04:46,077 There wasn't much headway in terms of getting inside information. 73 00:04:47,412 --> 00:04:50,707 The decision was made to capture on video 74 00:04:51,207 --> 00:04:53,710 who was coming and going from Avenue Café. 75 00:04:57,463 --> 00:05:00,383 The Avenue Café was Joey's place, his little hangout, 76 00:05:00,466 --> 00:05:02,760 where he sold cigars and stuff like that. 77 00:05:04,053 --> 00:05:06,764 We used to play cards or dice in the back room. 78 00:05:07,432 --> 00:05:10,977 It's a place where guys break balls, tease each other. 79 00:05:11,060 --> 00:05:12,437 That's what it's about. 80 00:05:13,313 --> 00:05:16,983 Just because it's a hangout doesn't mean there's nefarious activity going on there. 81 00:05:18,651 --> 00:05:21,821 Joey and his associates were in and out of there every day. 82 00:05:21,904 --> 00:05:24,699 Angelo Lutz, Danny D'Ambrosia, 83 00:05:24,782 --> 00:05:26,909 Stevie Mazzone, George Borgesi. 84 00:05:26,993 --> 00:05:28,411 The list goes on and on. 85 00:05:30,246 --> 00:05:35,376 The camera at the Avenue Café helped us understand 86 00:05:35,460 --> 00:05:38,796 who Joey was associating with and how frequently. 87 00:05:40,173 --> 00:05:42,091 For a RICO prosecution, 88 00:05:42,175 --> 00:05:44,427 we have to establish there's an organization. 89 00:05:44,510 --> 00:05:46,346 And showing that he's the boss 90 00:05:46,429 --> 00:05:49,140 and enough people recognize and respect that 91 00:05:49,223 --> 00:05:52,810 was the singular most important piece of evidence. 92 00:05:55,897 --> 00:05:58,024 But we weren't getting evidence of crimes. 93 00:05:58,691 --> 00:06:00,318 It was very challenging. 94 00:06:02,153 --> 00:06:04,280 You got a bunch of guys that grew up together, 95 00:06:04,364 --> 00:06:05,281 got punished together, 96 00:06:05,365 --> 00:06:07,450 went to school together, went to dances together. 97 00:06:07,533 --> 00:06:10,745 Their families had deaths in the families, and they went through all that together. 98 00:06:10,828 --> 00:06:13,539 That bond was like this. The government could never break that. 99 00:06:15,666 --> 00:06:17,960 Joey Merlino and his crew… 100 00:06:19,962 --> 00:06:24,342 they knew what had led to other members and family members before them 101 00:06:24,425 --> 00:06:25,635 going to jail. 102 00:06:25,718 --> 00:06:28,096 And they learned from that. 103 00:06:28,888 --> 00:06:32,392 They were very safe in how they discussed their business 104 00:06:32,475 --> 00:06:33,976 and who they would talk to. 105 00:06:34,060 --> 00:06:38,106 The FBI became enamored with the idea of a cooperating witness, 106 00:06:38,189 --> 00:06:39,941 a mobster they were able to flip. 107 00:06:41,484 --> 00:06:43,277 And I think at that point, 108 00:06:44,028 --> 00:06:46,697 the FBI tries to approach Ron Previte. 109 00:06:49,117 --> 00:06:51,994 Previte had worked at the casinos in Atlantic City 110 00:06:52,078 --> 00:06:53,746 as a security officer. 111 00:06:53,830 --> 00:06:57,375 Eventually, he got fired for stealing. 112 00:06:59,168 --> 00:07:02,463 He ultimately was arrested for shaking someone down 113 00:07:02,547 --> 00:07:04,465 by the New Jersey State Police. 114 00:07:04,966 --> 00:07:08,594 You've described yourself as a general practitioner of crime. 115 00:07:08,678 --> 00:07:10,304 Uh, what did you mean by that? 116 00:07:10,930 --> 00:07:15,726 Well, I never specialize in anything, but there wasn't much that I haven't done. 117 00:07:17,812 --> 00:07:21,065 We decided to try and make him a cooperating witness. 118 00:07:23,234 --> 00:07:29,574 Working for the US Attorney's Office, I had no illusions about Ron Previte. 119 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:32,326 He was a flat-out criminal. 120 00:07:33,703 --> 00:07:38,916 But we could use him to help get evidence against Joey Merlino. 121 00:07:44,213 --> 00:07:49,385 I went to meet with Previte just outside Hammonton in South Jersey. 122 00:07:50,261 --> 00:07:51,596 And I just remember thinking, 123 00:07:51,679 --> 00:07:54,265 when he walked in, that he was a very large man. 124 00:07:56,142 --> 00:07:58,769 Previte was rough around the edges. 125 00:07:58,853 --> 00:08:00,897 He was a little tough. He was a street guy. 126 00:08:01,397 --> 00:08:03,191 He was what a wise guy should be. 127 00:08:05,568 --> 00:08:09,489 We decided to offer him a contract that we thought was fair, 128 00:08:09,572 --> 00:08:13,576 $2,000 every week in exchange for him wearing a wire, 129 00:08:13,659 --> 00:08:15,870 gathering evidence at our direction 130 00:08:15,953 --> 00:08:18,998 of the different activities of the Philadelphia Mob. 131 00:08:21,709 --> 00:08:23,294 His life would be in danger. 132 00:08:24,045 --> 00:08:26,255 He knew that. We knew that. 133 00:08:31,636 --> 00:08:33,513 But ultimately, he agreed to do it. 134 00:08:34,972 --> 00:08:35,806 Why? 135 00:08:36,516 --> 00:08:40,144 Because he didn't wanna go to jail, and he was all about the cash. 136 00:08:43,773 --> 00:08:47,944 But the problem was that Previte and Merlino, 137 00:08:48,027 --> 00:08:49,779 they just weren't that close. 138 00:08:51,322 --> 00:08:54,325 Merlino was a little cautious about Previte. 139 00:08:56,369 --> 00:08:58,829 There were obstacles that we had to overcome. 140 00:08:59,997 --> 00:09:03,709 Joey never trusted Ron Previte. No one trusted Ron Previte. 141 00:09:04,293 --> 00:09:07,296 If you ever saw a guy that you just don't trust, that's him. 142 00:09:08,714 --> 00:09:12,134 But people did business with Ron Previte because they saw a way to earn. 143 00:09:14,136 --> 00:09:17,932 Ron Previte, he's a hustler, he's a maneuverer. 144 00:09:18,015 --> 00:09:21,561 And for Joey Merlino, everything's about the dollar bill. 145 00:09:22,353 --> 00:09:26,107 The goal was to get Previte to have access to Merlino, 146 00:09:26,607 --> 00:09:30,695 to win Merlino's trust through tribute and respect. 147 00:09:31,862 --> 00:09:33,781 That's all that was important to Joey, 148 00:09:33,864 --> 00:09:36,826 was money and "They think I'm somebody." 149 00:09:38,578 --> 00:09:43,291 We gave Ron a Rolex Submariner watch 150 00:09:43,374 --> 00:09:46,669 with diamonds encrusted around the face 151 00:09:46,752 --> 00:09:49,880 to give to Merlino as a gift, as a show of respect. 152 00:09:51,757 --> 00:09:54,218 Joey fell for the bait hook, line, and sinker. 153 00:09:57,597 --> 00:10:01,309 Merlino invited Previte to talk about doing business. 154 00:10:02,226 --> 00:10:04,937 It felt like, finally, we were on the right track. 155 00:10:10,526 --> 00:10:14,822 And that prompted the FBI to expand the team. 156 00:10:17,533 --> 00:10:18,951 I showed up in Philadelphia, 157 00:10:19,035 --> 00:10:21,412 and they assigned me to the Organized Crime Squad. 158 00:10:22,079 --> 00:10:24,624 I was 27 years old, my first day in the FBI, 159 00:10:24,707 --> 00:10:26,751 and it felt like I'd walked into a movie. 160 00:10:30,421 --> 00:10:33,090 One of the agents says to me, "We're gonna go meet Previte." 161 00:10:33,174 --> 00:10:38,512 "He's meeting Joe Merlino. Let's get Ron wired up." 162 00:10:39,472 --> 00:10:40,890 Titcombe was brand new. 163 00:10:40,973 --> 00:10:43,517 I thought wiring Ron Previte was a great opportunity 164 00:10:43,601 --> 00:10:47,521 for Titcombe to see that this isn't book learning down at the Academy. 165 00:10:47,605 --> 00:10:49,273 This is what we do every day. 166 00:10:50,941 --> 00:10:54,070 So I walk into his bedroom, and he's wearing a bathrobe and boxer shorts. 167 00:10:55,696 --> 00:10:57,365 And he's got a jockstrap on. 168 00:10:58,282 --> 00:11:03,704 Ron was about six foot, he was about 320 pounds, bald head. 169 00:11:04,205 --> 00:11:05,665 He's standing there like this, 170 00:11:05,748 --> 00:11:07,958 his bathrobe open, and he said, "Who's this kid?" 171 00:11:08,709 --> 00:11:11,379 I put tape from his navel to his chest, 172 00:11:12,380 --> 00:11:15,174 put the recorder in the jockstrap, 173 00:11:15,257 --> 00:11:17,218 and I'm looking around like, "Is this for real? 174 00:11:17,301 --> 00:11:19,762 "Is this how this works? Am I being punked?" 175 00:11:19,845 --> 00:11:21,347 I guess this is the FBI. 176 00:11:32,316 --> 00:11:36,320 Ron goes to meet with Merlino at the Avenue Café. 177 00:11:37,488 --> 00:11:39,699 And they start talking business. 178 00:11:40,866 --> 00:11:45,663 And whatever distrust Merlino may have had of Previte was coming down. 179 00:11:47,498 --> 00:11:51,544 Previte's sitting in the meeting. He's got his feet up on a desk. 180 00:11:52,211 --> 00:11:53,462 He looks down. 181 00:11:55,256 --> 00:11:57,967 And he sees a piece from the recording device 182 00:11:58,050 --> 00:12:00,678 dangling out of the bottom of his jeans, 183 00:12:01,637 --> 00:12:04,598 where anyone who wanted to could see it. 184 00:12:06,976 --> 00:12:09,228 This is incredibly risky 185 00:12:09,311 --> 00:12:11,689 because if they find out that he's cooperating, 186 00:12:11,772 --> 00:12:13,607 certainly they would try to kill him. 187 00:12:22,074 --> 00:12:23,492 Without missing a beat, 188 00:12:23,993 --> 00:12:27,621 he just crossed his legs, put his feet down on the floor, 189 00:12:28,289 --> 00:12:30,291 concealing it completely. 190 00:12:34,795 --> 00:12:37,465 It takes nerves of steel to do something like that. 191 00:12:41,051 --> 00:12:44,472 At the end of the meeting, Merlino tells him that 192 00:12:44,555 --> 00:12:49,518 they've come into a load of stolen bicycles and baby formula 193 00:12:49,602 --> 00:12:52,021 and asks Previte if he thinks he can move them. 194 00:12:54,148 --> 00:12:56,734 They had people who were breaking into the rail yard 195 00:12:56,817 --> 00:12:59,528 down in South Philadelphia and stealing conex boxes. 196 00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,865 They didn't know what was in the conex boxes. 197 00:13:03,365 --> 00:13:05,034 They'd just hook a trailer up, drive it out. 198 00:13:08,579 --> 00:13:09,663 The deal happened. 199 00:13:10,164 --> 00:13:12,041 Previte goes back to Merlino with an envelope 200 00:13:12,124 --> 00:13:13,584 and says, "This is your cut." 201 00:13:15,878 --> 00:13:18,964 Now you've established we can do business together. 202 00:13:22,802 --> 00:13:26,931 It's now Merlino directing Previte to buy stolen goods. 203 00:13:27,681 --> 00:13:31,685 It's a checkmark that goes towards convicting Merlino and others 204 00:13:31,769 --> 00:13:33,312 of being involved 205 00:13:33,395 --> 00:13:35,731 in a racketeer-influenced corrupt organization. 206 00:13:39,193 --> 00:13:40,820 It was a great result. 207 00:13:41,403 --> 00:13:44,323 Previte was becoming more trusted by Merlino. 208 00:13:46,116 --> 00:13:48,619 We thought it was only a matter of time until Merlino 209 00:13:48,702 --> 00:13:51,413 brought something more serious to Previte. 210 00:13:58,712 --> 00:14:00,548 Ron meets with Joey Merlino one day. 211 00:14:00,631 --> 00:14:02,091 He comes back after the meeting, 212 00:14:02,174 --> 00:14:06,971 and he tells us that Joey introduced him to "his guy" in Boston. 213 00:14:07,054 --> 00:14:08,681 Bobby Luisi. 214 00:14:10,307 --> 00:14:13,602 Bobby's one of the major players in the Mob. 215 00:14:16,647 --> 00:14:20,317 Bobby's got a history of narcotics. 216 00:14:21,944 --> 00:14:24,697 Bobby Luisi was well-known for selling drugs. 217 00:14:25,698 --> 00:14:27,741 And we believed he was still selling drugs. 218 00:14:29,034 --> 00:14:32,204 Why does Merlino want Previte to deal with Luisi? 219 00:14:32,288 --> 00:14:34,248 'Cause he knows Luisi can move cocaine. 220 00:14:34,331 --> 00:14:37,418 Why is that important? Because Merlino's gonna profit from it. 221 00:14:39,295 --> 00:14:42,506 When Joey makes that introduction, 222 00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:46,594 Previte, in a strategic stroke of genius, 223 00:14:46,677 --> 00:14:48,679 responds to Joey, 224 00:14:48,762 --> 00:14:51,265 "Well, that's great. I've got a guy in Boston too." 225 00:14:51,348 --> 00:14:55,394 Thinking that that was an opportunity for us to introduce an undercover agent. 226 00:15:01,984 --> 00:15:03,402 John Terry called me. 227 00:15:04,695 --> 00:15:06,614 He said, "We have this golden opportunity." 228 00:15:08,782 --> 00:15:11,994 "We got a chance to make a case against Luisi in Boston 229 00:15:12,077 --> 00:15:13,621 and Merlino in Philadelphia." 230 00:15:15,706 --> 00:15:19,043 Right away, those are two magic names to the FBI. 231 00:15:19,126 --> 00:15:22,963 That adrenaline kicked in, and I was like, "Yeah." 232 00:15:23,547 --> 00:15:25,007 "Where do I sign up?" 233 00:15:27,426 --> 00:15:31,263 The idea is Luisi sells cocaine to Mike McGowan, 234 00:15:31,847 --> 00:15:35,601 and Luisi would give the portion of the proceeds to Merlino. 235 00:15:36,393 --> 00:15:40,189 So it links Merlino to the drug sale to McGowan. 236 00:15:44,193 --> 00:15:48,447 The cover story was that Mike's an import-export guy, 237 00:15:48,530 --> 00:15:53,953 which is code for, "I can do drugs. I can do stolen stuff." 238 00:15:54,036 --> 00:15:56,747 It's tailor-made for anything you want it to be. 239 00:16:03,170 --> 00:16:06,256 I have a business out at Logan Airport. 240 00:16:06,882 --> 00:16:08,592 The Irish International Office. 241 00:16:09,969 --> 00:16:14,848 And because I'm supposed to be involved in Irish goods, 242 00:16:14,932 --> 00:16:18,894 it was packed with Irish flags, dolls, leprechauns. 243 00:16:18,978 --> 00:16:21,480 I got so sick of Irish stuff. 244 00:16:26,193 --> 00:16:28,320 When we were preparing for the first meeting, 245 00:16:28,404 --> 00:16:31,448 the technical squad had come into my office 246 00:16:31,532 --> 00:16:34,076 and wired it for audio and video, 247 00:16:34,576 --> 00:16:40,165 and the camera had been placed behind the desk inside a clock. 248 00:16:48,424 --> 00:16:52,386 We can capture video looking directly at the wise guys. 249 00:16:52,928 --> 00:16:55,931 Very clear and easy to identify who they are. 250 00:16:56,015 --> 00:16:59,852 And the audio, you just don't get opportunities like this very often. 251 00:17:06,900 --> 00:17:09,236 The first meeting, that was a big day 252 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:12,906 because I was basically auditioning in front of them. 253 00:17:20,330 --> 00:17:22,583 And if I had flunked the audition, 254 00:17:23,292 --> 00:17:25,085 we were done in Boston in one day. 255 00:17:28,714 --> 00:17:31,425 If the initial meeting is not successful, 256 00:17:31,508 --> 00:17:33,594 not only is the undercover operation dead, 257 00:17:33,677 --> 00:17:36,930 but there's a significant risk to Previte and Mike McGowan 258 00:17:37,014 --> 00:17:38,599 of being hurt or killed. 259 00:17:44,354 --> 00:17:45,564 Yeah. 260 00:17:48,317 --> 00:17:50,444 You're on a tightrope, and there's no safety net. 261 00:17:54,448 --> 00:17:56,283 One slip, you can get killed. 262 00:18:25,604 --> 00:18:29,399 I'm trying to convince them that I worked well with Previte, 263 00:18:29,483 --> 00:18:33,112 made him a lot of money in Philadelphia. I can do the same in Boston. 264 00:18:41,745 --> 00:18:45,666 At that point, Luisi and Previte had asked me 265 00:18:45,749 --> 00:18:48,669 to leave the room so they could talk privately. 266 00:18:50,170 --> 00:18:51,046 Yeah. 267 00:18:54,550 --> 00:18:55,884 I was very nervous. 268 00:18:57,386 --> 00:19:00,681 There are thousands of thoughts going through your mind. 269 00:19:20,701 --> 00:19:24,413 They talked for about five minutes, and then I came back in. 270 00:19:38,218 --> 00:19:40,053 And then he says… 271 00:19:42,764 --> 00:19:44,016 …"You're with us." 272 00:19:47,686 --> 00:19:52,774 In the Mafia, "You're with us" is a very important statement. 273 00:19:52,858 --> 00:19:56,612 He's saying, "You will work for me under my protection." 274 00:20:00,741 --> 00:20:02,284 Inside, I was like, "Boom." 275 00:20:02,784 --> 00:20:04,661 We couldn't have had a better result. 276 00:20:06,955 --> 00:20:11,460 Now it's time to turn it on and set up some deals. 277 00:20:19,509 --> 00:20:24,014 Mike was now on the inside, and we were making significant headway. 278 00:20:26,308 --> 00:20:27,267 Eh… 279 00:20:32,397 --> 00:20:34,524 We can now move to the next phase, 280 00:20:35,567 --> 00:20:39,196 which is to introduce the cocaine deal. 281 00:20:53,543 --> 00:20:57,464 I told Luisi the person who had given me the diamonds 282 00:20:58,173 --> 00:21:01,176 wanted to exchange it not in cash but in cocaine. 283 00:21:12,521 --> 00:21:15,023 -He wants to swap. -He wants to swap. 284 00:21:16,775 --> 00:21:20,320 He wants three bricks for the diamonds. 285 00:21:20,404 --> 00:21:25,033 Three bricks are street slang for three kilograms of cocaine. 286 00:21:44,970 --> 00:21:46,096 We were in trouble. 287 00:21:51,101 --> 00:21:53,895 I followed him outside down into a stairwell. 288 00:22:11,413 --> 00:22:13,332 That meeting is critical, 289 00:22:13,415 --> 00:22:16,626 and if it doesn't work, there's a lot at stake. 290 00:22:20,213 --> 00:22:21,048 Yeah. 291 00:22:41,735 --> 00:22:42,944 That was a bad day. 292 00:22:44,571 --> 00:22:46,365 The deal didn't come together. 293 00:22:47,783 --> 00:22:50,660 We're working hard to make this happen, 294 00:22:50,744 --> 00:22:54,915 but if I can't do my job, we're done. 295 00:22:59,628 --> 00:23:02,464 The cocaine deal, it's not happening. 296 00:23:03,673 --> 00:23:07,511 It's a big black hole in the operation. 297 00:23:09,679 --> 00:23:12,933 That's when Previte set up a three-way call 298 00:23:13,016 --> 00:23:16,812 between Luisi in Boston and Merlino in Philadelphia 299 00:23:17,771 --> 00:23:21,066 to try to get the deal back on track. 300 00:23:24,152 --> 00:23:28,073 All the chips were pushed into the center of the table on that one meeting. 301 00:24:12,534 --> 00:24:14,453 "That guy, do what you got to do for him." 302 00:24:14,536 --> 00:24:17,247 "That guy" is our undercover agent, Mike McGowan. 303 00:24:17,330 --> 00:24:18,915 Joey Merlino, by asking that question, 304 00:24:18,999 --> 00:24:21,460 just gave approval for the drug deal to happen. 305 00:24:24,754 --> 00:24:26,465 In very coded language, 306 00:24:26,548 --> 00:24:30,010 but very clear language to FBI agents and mobsters, 307 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,555 Merlino gave the green light for the drug deal. 308 00:24:34,639 --> 00:24:38,935 Joey, in his own words, is now involved. 309 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:51,448 We have that phone call on the 28th. 310 00:24:51,531 --> 00:24:53,408 And on April 30th, 311 00:24:53,992 --> 00:24:55,911 I'm literally sitting in my office, 312 00:24:56,620 --> 00:24:58,121 and there's a knock on the door. 313 00:24:59,372 --> 00:25:00,832 And there's a stranger there. 314 00:25:02,042 --> 00:25:03,960 And he says he was sent by Luisi. 315 00:25:05,337 --> 00:25:07,964 Hey, traffic was brutal. 316 00:25:08,048 --> 00:25:09,299 I'll tell ya. Oof. 317 00:25:10,175 --> 00:25:13,887 When he introduced himself, he introduced himself as Bobby Carrozza. 318 00:25:14,429 --> 00:25:18,850 And I immediately recognized the name because of his father, 319 00:25:19,726 --> 00:25:20,852 who was also in the Mob. 320 00:25:23,730 --> 00:25:24,898 -Okay. -Okay? 321 00:25:24,981 --> 00:25:26,608 -Bye. -Okay, bye. 322 00:25:28,693 --> 00:25:29,528 All right. 323 00:25:35,659 --> 00:25:37,786 He makes a comment about the window. 324 00:25:38,286 --> 00:25:39,996 He's being careful. 325 00:25:40,622 --> 00:25:43,250 And he puts the briefcase on my desk 326 00:25:44,626 --> 00:25:45,544 and opens it up. 327 00:25:53,218 --> 00:25:57,180 There's two packages in there, two kilos of cocaine. 328 00:26:04,020 --> 00:26:06,982 They both have 215 written on them. 329 00:26:07,065 --> 00:26:09,693 215 is the area code for Philadelphia. 330 00:26:10,443 --> 00:26:12,362 As far as I'm concerned, as an FBI agent, 331 00:26:12,445 --> 00:26:16,783 that's just like putting Joey Merlino's signature on those kilos. 332 00:26:22,664 --> 00:26:23,832 Worked out well. 333 00:26:31,631 --> 00:26:33,091 It's all on video. 334 00:26:33,174 --> 00:26:37,721 Cocaine exchanged, deal done, deal consummated. 335 00:26:40,849 --> 00:26:43,810 But, on its own, it wasn't gonna be sufficient. 336 00:26:46,229 --> 00:26:48,023 That surveillance video 337 00:26:48,106 --> 00:26:51,109 had the potential to be very damning evidence. 338 00:26:52,319 --> 00:26:55,947 But Luisi did not handle the drugs or the money. 339 00:26:56,948 --> 00:27:00,368 So there was still not enough to connect the dots. 340 00:27:09,878 --> 00:27:11,338 In Philadelphia, 341 00:27:12,047 --> 00:27:15,800 there were unsolved serious crimes 342 00:27:15,884 --> 00:27:18,386 that we were trying to get information about… 343 00:27:21,556 --> 00:27:24,476 …to see if Joey Merlino had any connection to them. 344 00:27:31,316 --> 00:27:36,529 We were receiving information about his longtime Mob associate Ralph Natale… 345 00:27:38,531 --> 00:27:43,662 …who was out of jail after serving 15 years on a drug conviction. 346 00:27:44,537 --> 00:27:47,666 Natale and Merlino were housed together in jail. 347 00:27:48,458 --> 00:27:50,043 They hatched a plan 348 00:27:50,126 --> 00:27:53,380 that they were gonna ultimately take over the Philadelphia Mafia. 349 00:27:55,382 --> 00:27:59,344 Joey Merlino was actually under Ralph Natale. 350 00:28:00,512 --> 00:28:03,807 Ralph Natale got the kiss from the five families 351 00:28:03,890 --> 00:28:05,809 to take over after Stanfa. 352 00:28:06,559 --> 00:28:08,103 But Joey Merlino 353 00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:09,979 was the real power. 354 00:28:10,939 --> 00:28:12,732 How about Joe? Can I ask you about him? 355 00:28:12,816 --> 00:28:17,112 Joe is a good, solid young man. That's all I can say. 356 00:28:17,195 --> 00:28:19,447 I know if I was in trouble, or in a foxhole, 357 00:28:19,531 --> 00:28:21,157 I'd like to be with Joe Merlino. 358 00:28:22,409 --> 00:28:25,954 Ralph Natale is the boss, and Joey Merlino is the underboss. 359 00:28:26,705 --> 00:28:28,498 But like any other puppet, 360 00:28:28,581 --> 00:28:31,167 you know, Joey's pulling the strings behind Ralph's back. 361 00:28:31,251 --> 00:28:33,962 And he had no loyalty to Joey. 362 00:28:36,464 --> 00:28:38,466 While we're still keeping track of Merlino, 363 00:28:38,550 --> 00:28:43,221 I authored 18 consecutive wiretap affidavits 364 00:28:43,304 --> 00:28:44,889 to bug Ralph Natale. 365 00:28:49,602 --> 00:28:50,812 As a tech agent, 366 00:28:52,814 --> 00:28:55,525 you're a legalized burglar. 367 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:59,487 So if someone happens to walk in, 368 00:29:00,405 --> 00:29:05,368 you never know what can happen. 369 00:29:06,995 --> 00:29:08,705 The Ralph Natale apartment, 370 00:29:10,248 --> 00:29:12,500 it was a high-rise building. 371 00:29:12,584 --> 00:29:15,295 He was on the top floor. They called it the penthouse. 372 00:29:16,337 --> 00:29:18,298 Ralph was down in Atlantic City, 373 00:29:18,381 --> 00:29:20,508 and they expected him to be there all night. 374 00:29:21,676 --> 00:29:24,179 Our job was to do a surreptitious entry 375 00:29:24,262 --> 00:29:26,431 to put microphones into his living room area. 376 00:29:31,311 --> 00:29:34,481 The lock guys, they were able to open the door. 377 00:29:39,903 --> 00:29:42,322 And a cat made a beeline for the door. 378 00:29:45,033 --> 00:29:46,534 At the last second, 379 00:29:46,618 --> 00:29:48,787 one of the lock guys was able to block the cat. 380 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,583 Or we would've been chasing him all over the building. 381 00:29:53,666 --> 00:29:55,043 That wouldn't have been good. 382 00:29:57,504 --> 00:30:00,048 We're in there placing the microphones. 383 00:30:01,549 --> 00:30:06,137 And the surveillance agent lets us know… 384 00:30:07,972 --> 00:30:09,349 …"Gotta get outta here. 385 00:30:10,099 --> 00:30:11,726 "Natale's heading back." 386 00:30:15,688 --> 00:30:17,023 We don't have much time. 387 00:30:27,408 --> 00:30:30,370 Everybody stopped and started tidying up. 388 00:30:34,123 --> 00:30:36,292 Getting out of there before he made it home. 389 00:30:40,296 --> 00:30:44,676 We picked up some snippets of conversation on the wiretaps. 390 00:30:47,011 --> 00:30:49,764 We found out that Natale and his son-in-law 391 00:30:49,848 --> 00:30:52,517 were making and selling methamphetamine. 392 00:30:54,227 --> 00:30:56,354 The audio didn't implicate Merlino, 393 00:30:56,437 --> 00:30:59,649 but it was a significant development. 394 00:31:00,650 --> 00:31:04,487 We made a decision to arrest Natale at that point in time. 395 00:31:05,321 --> 00:31:08,283 Today, the FBI announced the arrest of Philadelphia, South Jersey, 396 00:31:08,366 --> 00:31:10,535 La Cosa Nostra boss, Ralph Natale, 397 00:31:10,618 --> 00:31:13,204 this time for a methamphetamine sales conspiracy 398 00:31:13,288 --> 00:31:16,291 involving five other reputed local gangsters. 399 00:31:16,374 --> 00:31:19,586 Ralph's involvement in the methamphetamine 400 00:31:19,669 --> 00:31:21,588 is a death sentence for him. 401 00:31:22,171 --> 00:31:24,507 He's a convicted drug dealer. 402 00:31:24,591 --> 00:31:27,135 He's going to jail longer than he'll live. 403 00:31:28,219 --> 00:31:31,264 So it was a strategic decision on our part 404 00:31:31,347 --> 00:31:33,308 to make sure that we plant the seeds, 405 00:31:33,391 --> 00:31:38,605 that he knew if he decided he wanted to talk about any possible cooperation, 406 00:31:38,688 --> 00:31:40,064 we were receptive to that. 407 00:31:42,066 --> 00:31:45,695 But he had given his life to the Mafia, 408 00:31:45,778 --> 00:31:47,697 and he wasn't gonna talk. 409 00:31:49,991 --> 00:31:55,413 So the pressure to get to Merlino just got ratcheted up. 410 00:31:57,123 --> 00:31:59,375 We felt like we wanted more, and we needed more. 411 00:32:01,753 --> 00:32:04,547 So now it was all up to Mike McGowan. 412 00:32:11,346 --> 00:32:14,223 The US Attorney's Office weren't satisfied 413 00:32:14,307 --> 00:32:18,394 that we had tied Luisi to the cocaine deal, 414 00:32:19,395 --> 00:32:22,815 even though he set it up, even though we had the phone call two days earlier. 415 00:32:23,816 --> 00:32:25,360 But I also had to tell them 416 00:32:25,443 --> 00:32:30,907 there was no way that Luisi was gonna physically touch the cocaine. 417 00:32:31,991 --> 00:32:34,327 That's how these bosses think, 418 00:32:34,410 --> 00:32:36,913 that if they don't touch it, they're okay. 419 00:32:37,664 --> 00:32:40,708 And the plan at that point was if we were able to get more cocaine, 420 00:32:40,792 --> 00:32:44,087 that I would try to pay Luisi directly. 421 00:33:11,072 --> 00:33:15,034 That day I was in my office, and just like Carrozza in April, 422 00:33:15,118 --> 00:33:16,494 there's a knock on my door. 423 00:33:17,370 --> 00:33:19,831 It's Tommy Wilson, a member of Luisi's crew. 424 00:33:23,209 --> 00:33:24,127 Yeah? 425 00:33:31,968 --> 00:33:34,721 Wilson had a paper bag with him, 426 00:33:36,097 --> 00:33:39,726 and inside, there was another kilo of cocaine. 427 00:33:53,781 --> 00:33:57,952 He comes into the office, takes a kilo of cocaine out of his bag, 428 00:33:58,619 --> 00:34:00,913 and then he puts it in the bag that Mike gave him. 429 00:34:00,997 --> 00:34:03,374 That is beyond a reasonable doubt. 430 00:34:09,964 --> 00:34:15,011 We wanted to make sure that Luisi was directly tied to that delivery. 431 00:34:16,471 --> 00:34:18,639 So when Luisi calls, 432 00:34:18,723 --> 00:34:22,477 I told him I didn't trust Wilson with the cash. 433 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,605 He would have to come meet me outside of my office. 434 00:34:26,606 --> 00:34:29,067 Special Agent Robert Callen. 435 00:34:29,776 --> 00:34:34,739 We are in the vicinity of 171 Milk Street, 436 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:37,784 approximately 2:05 p.m., 437 00:34:39,035 --> 00:34:41,996 videotaping an undercover agent 438 00:34:42,663 --> 00:34:44,499 at the intersection of Milk and India Street, 439 00:34:44,582 --> 00:34:45,958 Boston, Massachusetts. 440 00:34:48,461 --> 00:34:51,089 Mike would get there early as the undercover agent. 441 00:34:51,172 --> 00:34:53,591 He wants to make sure that he's comfortable. 442 00:34:54,258 --> 00:34:57,637 This is an ideal location. There's people walking around. 443 00:34:58,346 --> 00:34:59,764 Where no one's gonna see us. 444 00:35:03,142 --> 00:35:07,271 Within the hour, Luisi came strutting down the street. 445 00:35:10,399 --> 00:35:11,609 This is our one shot 446 00:35:12,401 --> 00:35:16,030 to get Luisi taking drug money. 447 00:35:21,994 --> 00:35:24,956 Just as I went to hand him the 24,000, 448 00:35:26,749 --> 00:35:29,252 a van blocked the surveillance post. 449 00:35:29,877 --> 00:35:31,337 So I pull the money back. 450 00:35:32,964 --> 00:35:34,423 Once the van cleared, 451 00:35:35,133 --> 00:35:36,134 I paid him. 452 00:35:38,761 --> 00:35:41,264 And it's crystal clear. 453 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,184 Approximately 2:10 p.m., 454 00:35:45,268 --> 00:35:48,688 Bobby Luisi departs after making pickup 455 00:35:48,771 --> 00:35:52,567 from undercover agent in a Dodge pickup truck. 456 00:35:56,696 --> 00:35:58,948 Doesn't get any better than that. That's a home run. 457 00:35:59,031 --> 00:36:00,032 We had him. 458 00:36:08,708 --> 00:36:12,837 We now had Luisi on tape taking cocaine money. 459 00:36:16,799 --> 00:36:18,885 The US Attorney's Office decided 460 00:36:18,968 --> 00:36:20,970 that there was enough evidence to go forward. 461 00:36:23,681 --> 00:36:26,142 We had evidence of serious crimes, 462 00:36:26,642 --> 00:36:28,978 racketeering, drug trafficking, 463 00:36:29,061 --> 00:36:33,149 and now, finally, it's time to arrest Joey Merlino. 464 00:36:36,485 --> 00:36:38,070 At seven o'clock this morning, 465 00:36:38,154 --> 00:36:40,114 FBI agents went to a second-floor apartment 466 00:36:40,198 --> 00:36:42,742 and arrested 37-year-old Joey Merlino. 467 00:36:42,825 --> 00:36:46,370 Why don't you put in your newspaper they gave me a warrant with nothing on it? 468 00:36:46,454 --> 00:36:48,456 -Are you related? -I'm the mother. 469 00:36:48,539 --> 00:36:50,041 -You're the mother? -Get out. 470 00:36:51,626 --> 00:36:53,085 He was off the street, 471 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:56,964 as were several of his associates and members 472 00:36:57,548 --> 00:37:00,635 that made up the hierarchy of the Philadelphia Mob. 473 00:37:02,511 --> 00:37:05,598 We're here today to announce the arrest of 11 individuals, 474 00:37:05,681 --> 00:37:07,475 including Joseph Merlino, 475 00:37:07,558 --> 00:37:10,394 following long-term intensive investigations 476 00:37:10,478 --> 00:37:12,146 of La Cosa Nostra activity. 477 00:37:12,772 --> 00:37:15,316 It is alleged that Merlino and three others conspired 478 00:37:15,399 --> 00:37:16,609 to distribute cocaine, 479 00:37:17,193 --> 00:37:18,778 and the cocaine was distributed 480 00:37:19,362 --> 00:37:22,990 to an individual who was, in fact, an FBI undercover agent. 481 00:37:24,158 --> 00:37:28,746 The shadow of the Mob had been hanging over Philadelphia for a long, long time. 482 00:37:29,789 --> 00:37:31,874 Maybe it was time to see the light. 483 00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:34,168 It was a big deal. 484 00:37:34,752 --> 00:37:37,255 Merlino was finally going to face justice. 485 00:37:41,634 --> 00:37:43,844 After Merlino's arrest, 486 00:37:45,554 --> 00:37:49,809 I was told to be over to the Camden County courthouse. 487 00:37:52,478 --> 00:37:57,817 Ralph Natale was brought up into one of the witness rooms. 488 00:38:00,987 --> 00:38:03,698 He said to me that he wanted to cooperate. 489 00:38:05,574 --> 00:38:07,410 It was just an incredible moment. 490 00:38:08,869 --> 00:38:11,539 Ralph Natale was the first sitting Mob boss 491 00:38:11,622 --> 00:38:14,417 in the history of the American Mafia 492 00:38:15,001 --> 00:38:17,044 to come in to cooperate. 493 00:38:17,128 --> 00:38:19,505 And we accepted his cooperation. 494 00:38:20,506 --> 00:38:21,799 Ralph Natale realized 495 00:38:21,882 --> 00:38:24,468 that if he was convicted on this drug case, 496 00:38:24,552 --> 00:38:26,095 that he would get a sentence 497 00:38:26,178 --> 00:38:29,640 which would make it very difficult for him to ever get out of jail. 498 00:38:29,724 --> 00:38:34,103 The fact that Natale is cooperating may be the worst-kept secret in the world. 499 00:38:34,186 --> 00:38:37,732 Law-enforcement sources indicate that Natale is saying plenty. 500 00:38:37,815 --> 00:38:41,485 He's talking about Mob murders and about other Mob activity. 501 00:38:42,278 --> 00:38:44,322 Ralph, the rat, traitor. 502 00:38:44,989 --> 00:38:46,032 It was sickening. 503 00:38:47,450 --> 00:38:49,994 Thank God he wasn't involved over there with Vietnam. 504 00:38:50,077 --> 00:38:52,413 He'd have gave up the whole United States, this guy. 505 00:38:52,496 --> 00:38:54,040 It's beyond me. 506 00:38:54,123 --> 00:38:58,044 I mean, I did 32-plus years. It never entered my mind to be a rat. 507 00:38:58,127 --> 00:39:00,921 Uh, and I can't stand 'em. I can't stand 'em. 508 00:39:01,005 --> 00:39:03,466 So many rats now, they all have podcasts. 509 00:39:06,886 --> 00:39:10,139 Flipping Ralph helped us to add murder and attempted murder 510 00:39:10,222 --> 00:39:12,516 to the charges against Merlino and his crew. 511 00:39:14,852 --> 00:39:19,065 Now we have to prove what we allege they did 512 00:39:19,148 --> 00:39:22,943 in front of a jury of 12 people who have no idea about any of this. 513 00:39:32,036 --> 00:39:33,996 -Don't trip. -Joey, how you doing? 514 00:39:34,538 --> 00:39:37,792 As big as the Stanfa trial was, this was even bigger. 515 00:39:37,875 --> 00:39:39,126 Lots of media. 516 00:39:39,210 --> 00:39:40,628 How are you doing today? 517 00:39:41,796 --> 00:39:43,798 -Do you have anything to say? -No. 518 00:39:44,632 --> 00:39:46,342 It was tough to get a seat. 519 00:39:48,761 --> 00:39:53,641 Because Mob boss Ralph Natale was gonna testify 520 00:39:53,724 --> 00:39:56,560 against Joey Merlino and his crew. 521 00:40:00,815 --> 00:40:03,609 Ralph was brought up on the witness stand. 522 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:10,491 Now the challenge was to tape his testimony 523 00:40:10,574 --> 00:40:12,368 so the jury would believe him. 524 00:40:16,372 --> 00:40:18,958 Were you a member of a criminal organization? 525 00:40:19,041 --> 00:40:20,126 Yes, I was. 526 00:40:21,001 --> 00:40:23,587 -What was the name? -La Cosa Nostra. 527 00:40:25,256 --> 00:40:27,258 And what is La Cosa Nostra? 528 00:40:28,592 --> 00:40:31,220 La Cosa Nostra is a descent into hell. 529 00:40:33,973 --> 00:40:35,975 And whether it was an extortion, 530 00:40:36,684 --> 00:40:37,893 whether it was a beating 531 00:40:38,686 --> 00:40:39,728 or a murder, 532 00:40:40,980 --> 00:40:45,776 when you rise to the position of the boss, 533 00:40:46,569 --> 00:40:48,696 you rule over everybody and everything. 534 00:40:53,576 --> 00:40:55,327 That would be Joey Merlino. 535 00:40:57,496 --> 00:41:00,958 The 65-year-old Natale admitted shooting two men to death. 536 00:41:01,041 --> 00:41:05,212 He says he conspired with fellow mobsters to kill six others. 537 00:41:05,796 --> 00:41:09,508 Natale even detailed his own Mob initiation ceremony. 538 00:41:09,592 --> 00:41:12,052 He says it was none other than Joey Merlino 539 00:41:12,136 --> 00:41:14,472 who administered the Mafia's secret oath. 540 00:41:16,474 --> 00:41:19,059 Ralph Natale was one piece of a puzzle. 541 00:41:19,685 --> 00:41:23,564 But you need the entire picture to convict. 542 00:41:24,982 --> 00:41:26,484 With Mike's videotape 543 00:41:27,526 --> 00:41:29,153 and Previte's wire, 544 00:41:29,236 --> 00:41:30,696 we felt we had enough. 545 00:41:31,322 --> 00:41:34,450 Now we have to wait until the jury comes back with a verdict. 546 00:41:51,008 --> 00:41:52,426 It was a four-month trial, 547 00:41:52,510 --> 00:41:55,554 and when the jury came back with the verdict, 548 00:41:56,388 --> 00:41:58,307 I would call it surprising. 549 00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:02,102 Joey Merlino, the hard-charging young Mob boss, 550 00:42:02,186 --> 00:42:05,064 is headed to prison tonight but not for life. 551 00:42:05,147 --> 00:42:06,482 In a stunning decision, 552 00:42:06,565 --> 00:42:09,652 the jury rejected murder and drug-dealing charges 553 00:42:09,735 --> 00:42:12,947 and convicted Merlino and his colleagues of racketeering. 554 00:42:13,948 --> 00:42:17,785 Joey got convicted of the extortion, the loan-sharking, the gambling, 555 00:42:17,868 --> 00:42:21,539 but not of the murders, attempted murders, or drugs. 556 00:42:22,122 --> 00:42:28,045 The drug dealing they lost because Joey was, on tape, very vague. 557 00:42:28,546 --> 00:42:30,297 Do what you gotta do for him? 558 00:42:30,381 --> 00:42:32,424 You didn't know what Joey was talking about. 559 00:42:32,508 --> 00:42:35,177 Where on the tape was he talking about cocaine? 560 00:42:35,261 --> 00:42:37,972 Joey was able to walk away from the drug case 561 00:42:38,472 --> 00:42:40,766 even though his guys in Boston were convicted. 562 00:42:41,433 --> 00:42:46,230 Jurors rejected the testimony of Mob boss-turned-informant Ralph Natale 563 00:42:46,313 --> 00:42:49,233 when they acquitted Merlino and his six codefendants 564 00:42:49,316 --> 00:42:51,986 of 11 Mob hits or attempted murders. 565 00:42:52,820 --> 00:42:54,989 Ralph was tainted by his criminal past. 566 00:42:55,489 --> 00:42:56,991 He was looking at life in prison, 567 00:42:57,074 --> 00:43:00,244 and I think the jury felt he would say anything to avoid that. 568 00:43:01,161 --> 00:43:02,746 The verdict was indicative of that. 569 00:43:04,873 --> 00:43:08,252 We were disappointed not to get the murder and drug charges. 570 00:43:08,836 --> 00:43:12,256 But Joey Merlino and others received jail sentences 571 00:43:12,339 --> 00:43:14,800 up to 14 years in federal prison. 572 00:43:15,509 --> 00:43:19,013 And the city was definitely safer with Merlino behind bars. 573 00:43:19,763 --> 00:43:21,473 Every boss is dead or in jail. 574 00:43:21,557 --> 00:43:24,393 It's as simple as that, and I'm sure that will continue. 575 00:43:24,476 --> 00:43:27,271 We will continue to investigate organized crime, 576 00:43:27,354 --> 00:43:29,398 and we will continue to successfully prosecute. 577 00:43:31,108 --> 00:43:33,902 What the feds accomplished through that period of time, 578 00:43:33,986 --> 00:43:35,988 it's one after the other, 579 00:43:36,071 --> 00:43:39,366 a victory for law enforcement against organized crime. 580 00:43:39,450 --> 00:43:43,203 And each conviction diminishes the crime family. 581 00:43:45,581 --> 00:43:48,667 Does the Mob still exist to this day? Yes, it does. 582 00:43:48,751 --> 00:43:51,587 Does it have the same clout? Does it make the same money? 583 00:43:51,670 --> 00:43:54,423 Do they commit the same violence and murders that they used to? 584 00:43:54,506 --> 00:43:55,591 No, they do not. 585 00:43:56,175 --> 00:43:57,843 In the 1990s, 586 00:43:57,926 --> 00:44:02,014 the FBI took out the leadership of the Philadelphia Mob 587 00:44:02,097 --> 00:44:04,975 as well as several made members and associates. 588 00:44:06,894 --> 00:44:10,981 The Philadelphia Mafia was decimated and has never been the same.