Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia

I usually like Netflix documentarys, however when you see John Alite wanna be gangster in it not good.

He claims to be part of john gottis gang back in the day. JOHN GOTTI Jr said he was a nobody wanna be. Lol they would not even allow him to be a hang around.

So this tells you how much truth is in the series.

The NYC Five families gets a lot of attention and the Philly Mob was considered the out of control crazy cousin to the five families.

This documentary comes in at the time that the Philly Boss gets sent down and the power vacuum that results. With the lucrative Atlantic City (and its casinos) up for grabs, NYC has one idea for the new boss, but the local young blood have another.

There are countless NYC Mob books, movies and documentaries we are all familiar with, but this Philly documentary tells a far less familiar story and that's why it works.

It's a new true crime story we haven't heard a million times over.

It's a good narrative, well told and with convicted mafia hitmen and FBI agents telling both sides and woven with media footage from the time in the 90s

If you like Mafia True Crime this is worth a look 7/10.

The three episodes are very different.

The first sets up the ensuing chaos when a mob boss goes to prison and there's a division among the soldiers.

The second is the immediate aftermath - and by far the best episode. Amazing, hilarious, horrifying at the same time.

The third is a real letdown after the second. Anticlimactic.

Some comments (I've lived in the suburbs since before this time, not a city person).

Local politicans and law enforcement are virtually non-existent. Yup, that's Philly. Ed Rendell was mayor most of the time.

The hitman in the second epsiode is the star of the series. Both engaging and a genuine monster wrapped in one package. Wow/

The mob guys are shown as emotional and foolish. The feds are so far ahead of them that it is funny. But it comes down to making the case, easier said than done.

Bigging this up ? It's like Saturday Night Live doing a comedy skit of Goodfellas or Casino.

The "hoodlums" are comedy gold and the cops who were involved are scripted beyond a joke .

I could count on two hands , several Hollywood renditions , covering the five families , that put this to shame .

It's laughable.

Mob boss Little Nicky Scarfo was put behind bars, leaving a vacuum in Philadelphia back in the 90s. Two factions fought for the top spot: John Stanfa and Joey Merlino. Families feuded, bullets flew, but there could only be one winner.

If you're a fan of gangsters and the mob, this documentary will appeal to you, but I'd suggest it's enjoyable enough for a casual viewer too.

It's well-produced, entertaining, and quite shocking when you think that these events happened thirty years ago, not one hundred. It's crazy; the police simply didn't have control. The revelations are jaw-dropping.

This documentary will surprise and shock you. At three episodes, it's the perfect length to binge-watch. I'm not one for gangsters, but I was engrossed. It's so shocking yet rather absorbing. I loved the characters, footage, and that Philly accent too.

You have to remember what Joey Merlino and John Veasey were guilty of, but in some strange way, they're definitely guys you'd love to have a pint with.

7/10.