Here is the first episode of the new Mob Talk series featuring veteran investigative reporter Dave Schratwieser and mafia author and former Philadelphia Inquirer writer George Anastasia.

The duo teams up once again to talk about the East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise racketeering case against alleged Philadelphia mafia boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino and the current state of the Cosa Nostra family in Philly. We get a rundown of what they know about the case against Merlino and where it stands as of today along with their opinions of how things play out. This case has had its share of twists and turns and now we get somewhat of an inside look at things from two guys who have covered Merlino and the Philly mafia for years.

One of the more debated questions when it comes to organized crime in Philly is whether or not Joey Merlino is still the boss and if not then who. Anastasia gives us his opinion as to how the mafia family is currently operating and if a traditional boss and mob hierarchy are even in place. The old Mob Talk series was always interesting and informative and this new series which will include Mob Talk Sitdown will hopefully be more of the same and we look forward to future episodes!