Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by J. Christian Ingvordsen, Netflix’s Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia is a documentary series that delves deep into the power struggle within the Philadelphia mafia in the 1990s, which resulted in the city essentially plunging into bloodshed and chaos. While the war was essentially between John Stanfa and Joey Merlino, John Veasey also played a significant role as an enforcer/hitman for the former — a role he later admitted to in court.
John Veasey Admitted to Being a Career Criminal Who Started Young
John Veasey was born into a single-parent household in the predominantly Italian neighborhood of South Philadelphia. He was the youngest of five children, and said his childhood was far from cozy, safe, or stable. On the show, he claimed that he never met or knew his father and alleged that his mother sold crystal meth out of her family’s bakery, which, according to him, led to his own early involvement in crime. His mother passed away when he was merely 16 years old, and that’s when, as he put it, he went into the life of crime without any inhibitions or hesitation, as per his own statements.
In fact, according to records, John was an addict and a father of two who was in and out of juvenile detention by the time he was in his late teens, which only spiraled as years passed. He believes he had been arrested more than 60 times by his late 20s, resulting in him allegedly having a reputation of being a man with little empathy or morals – all he knew was crime. Therefore, when he was approached by local mob members following his release from prison in March 1993, offering him $10,000 to be a hitman, he immediately accepted their offer.
As per John’s statements, he was hired by John Stanfa’s associates to conduct a hit on his rival, Joey “Skinny Joey” Merlino, and his underboss, Michael “Mikey Chang” Ciancaglin. He reportedly did his best to fulfill his end of the bargain in a drive-by shooting on August 5, 1993, but while the latter passed away, the former survived. The aftermath of this was a failed assassination attempt on John Stanfa and his son, driving the then-mob-boss to order a hit on everyone involved with Joey. As a result, John admitted to also killing Frank Baldino Sr. in September 1993 by shooting him six times in the head because he “wanted to make sure he was dead.”
John Veasey Served as an FBI Informant After an Attempt on His Life
According to records, John was eventually honored as a “made” member, but officially becoming a part of the mob was the last thing on his mind – all he wanted was his $10,000 payment. John has since stated that he approached John Stanfa about this issue, only to be told “they were saving money for the war,” which didn’t sit too well with him. Therefore, according to his own accounts, he continued to complain, and that’s when the mob boss ordered a hit on him, a fact he learned from his elder brother, William “Billy” Veasey, the closest person to him. Since Billy was the one who had essentially raised him, John had a lot of respect for his brother.
Therefore, when Billy learned that John might be in trouble, he reportedly pleaded with his younger brother to turn himself in to the FBI and become an informant for them, as it would save him. John agreed to do so, even though he wasn’t entirely happy with it, resulting in them setting up a meeting and visiting the FBI on December 30, 1993, during which John agreed to collect evidence. He detailed all the plans he had been involved in, agreed to wear a wire to gather more information, and much more, in exchange for protection via the witness protection program.
Despite the fact that John was careful, there was already a hit ordered on him that culminated on January 14, 1994, when he was lured to a second-floor apartment by two associates. He didn’t think anything of it at the time, but he was suddenly attacked – while he was speaking to an associate, another shot him in the back of the head three times. When he turned around, he was shot again in the chest and then attacked with a knife, but he managed to fight back and escape. His injuries were somehow not very severe, and the fact that he had managed to stab one of his assailants also earned him additional infamy. Nevertheless, he continued to serve as an FBI informant.
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Following a Prison Stint, John Veasey Seems to Have Turned a New Leaf
When John Stanfa stood trial for the several federal charges against him, based on the evidence the FBI collected and the information he provided, he was scheduled to be the prosecutors’ star witness. However, on the day he was to take a stand, his brother Billy was murdered while getting into his car to pick him up for court, shattering any sense of stability he had at the time. His testimony was thus postponed by 5 days, and when he ultimately took the stand, he was very matter-of-fact and powerful in his statements. He never once denied being a hitman, but asserted that his actions were ordered by higher-ups, which helped prosecutors secure convictions.
Later on, John pleaded guilty to the offenses he admitted to – murder, extortion, and other related charges – for which he was sentenced to a decade in prison. During his prison stint, he quit smoking and drugs because his brother hated it and turned his pain into determination. He wanted to seek revenge against his brother’s killers, but because it was uncertain who ordered the hit – John Stanfa for his turning into a rat or Joey Merlino for the attempt on his life – he chose to do his best to move forward. When John was eventually released from behind bars in 2005, the FBI handed him some money and a plane ticket as they determined his life was no longer in immediate danger. Since then, it appears that John has returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he has found love again.
John seems to lead a quiet, suburban life with a loving wife and kids today. According to records, on a professional level, he first got a job as a janitor, but then he rebuilt himself and became a rather successful car salesman. He got in legal trouble again in 2007 as he reportedly got into a fight in a restaurant, for which he later pleaded guilty to “improper touching.” He subsequently served a probation, and then chose to relocate to a new city and get another job. Since then, it appears as if John has preferred to stay well away from the limelight, but he does claim to be leading a sober life today in honor of his brother, whom he still remembers every day. In fact, he claims to be a family man and a businessman whose sole aim is to make his loved ones proud of him. John even has a tattoo of his late brother on his stomach.
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