Coverage of 1990s mafia power struggle analyzed in Netflix documentary “Mob War” by Inquirer and Daily News.

In the early 1990s, Philadelphia became the stage for an intense mob war that saw a faction of younger mafia members, known as the Young Turks, challenge the longstanding authority of the city’s La Cosa Nostra leadership. These young men, primarily related to former mobsters who were either imprisoned or deceased, believed they had a rightful claim to the city’s criminal operations. At the center of this rebellion were two notable figures: Joseph Merlino, famously known as “Skinny Joey,” and Michael Ciancaglini.

The Young Turks contended that John Stanfa, a Sicilian immigrant and existing mob boss, was an outsider unworthy of leading the city’s organized crime scene. Their rise initiated a bloody power struggle that resulted in numerous high-profile violent incidents throughout the decade.

Now, a forthcoming Netflix docuseries titled “Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia” aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of this violent chapter in the city’s history. The series combines interviews with law enforcement officials and former mobsters, alongside archival news footage from the 1990s. Director Raïssa Botterman emphasized the importance of illustrating the human aspects behind the brutality of organized crime, noting the duality of crime and humanity.

Merlino, a central figure in this mob history, has notably declined to participate in the docuseries. He has consistently denied involvement in mob-related violence and has never faced conviction for any such acts.

The mob conflict first escalated in January 1992 with the assassination of Felix “Tom Mix” Bocchino, a Stanfa loyalist, marking the beginning of retaliatory violence. Within weeks, assassination attempts against key Young Turks figures, such as Michael Ciancaglini, followed. The violence escalated dramatically, with numerous casualties and foiled assassination attempts spanning across various locations in South Philadelphia.

In March 1993, an assassination attempt on Joseph Ciancaglini left him paralyzed, illustrating the brutal nature of the ongoing war. By the summer of that same year, the conflict claimed the life of Michael Ciancaglini and rendered Merlino injured. The violence culminated in a series of covert hit attempts, including a failed attack on Stanfa, which injured his son, Joseph—an innocent bystander.

As the 1990s progressed, law enforcement intervention led to indictments against Stanfa and his associates, effectively curtailing the violence. John Veasey, a hitman turned informant, provided pivotal evidence that would see Stanfa sentenced to multiple life terms.

By late 1995, the Young Turks had emerged victorious in their quest for power, with Merlino eventually taking control of the city’s mafia operations. The impacts of these events continue to resonate in both law enforcement and local communities.

“Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia” premieres on October 22 and promises to shed new light on this notorious period in Philadelphia’s history, providing viewers with a nuanced understanding of the conflict that shaped the city’s underworld.