by George Anastasia, Jersey Man/Philly Man Magazine Mob boss Joey Merlino, who has spent nearly half his adult life either in jail or on probation,
Black Entertainment Television (BET) produced the “Philly Black Mafia: ‘Do for Self’” episode of their wildly popular American Gangster program back in 2007, and it
by Eric C. Schneider, Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia Crime is inextricably linked to Philadelphia’s shifting economic fortunes. Its history reflects the region’s status as a
by Jermey Roebuck, The Philadelphia Inquirer The trial is over, but Louis “Bent Finger Lou” Monacello isn’t done talking. In an interview Wednesday, the
by Jeremy Roebuck, The Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA He fought off conviction for a second time last week. On Tuesday, Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi could
by David Gambacorta, The Philadelphia Inquirer Maybe the crab cakes will taste better in the slammer. Robert “Bootsie” Verrecchia pleaded guilty Wednesday to helping
Very few people have had the kind of impact on the niche field of organized crime research as Donald R. Cressey. Here, then, is part
[Note: This was originally posted in December 2010 and has been updated in September, November, and December 2019, and in January 2020] Far from the
[Note: this post was updated as of September 2020 to reflect that BET no longer posts the episode online and that it may be found
According to an analysis of best-selling sociology titles published in the Spring 2010 issue of Contexts*, Black Brothers, Inc.: The Violent Rise and Fall of