Feds had a laundry list of charges against this old white mafia cat from extortion to loan sharking..government fraud , gambling and trafficking of illegal prescription pills and money laundering
not to mention he has priors of beating 2 murder charges a decade earlier...as well as associtations with the Junior Black Mafia of Philadelphia during the 80s
Inside the Drug-Dealing Empire That Ruled West Philly
Needless to say ALL CHARGES WERE DROPPED due to several mistrials and found guilty with a "gambling charge" (illegal betting)
Wonder if AR AB can look forward to the same type of exemption
5 fun facts about 'Skinny Joey' Merlino
Merlino and Meek Mill
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Fed-up judge sends reputed Philly mafia boss turned Boca restaurateur back to prison: 'Mr. Merlino, enough, let's move on'
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Joey Merlino is headed back to prison.
“Skinny Joey,” the reputed boss of the Philadelphia mob who has a home in Boca Raton, was sentenced Wednesday to serve two years in federal prison for a gambling-related count to which he pleaded guilty in April.
The sentence, imposed by a federal judge in Manhattan, marks just the latest stint of incarceration for the mouthy celebrity gangster, who has survived assassination attempts, beaten murder charges in court, and spent at least a decade locked up for prior convictions on counts of racketeering, conspiracy, assault or related offenses.
It was the stiffest possible penalty for Merlino, who had opted to plead guilty to a single count instead of facing a retrial on a litany of other charges. Still, in imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan said that Merlino needed to move on from his prolific criminal past.
operating illegal gambling rings and bribing doctors to write unnecessary prescriptions for topical skin creams, among other alleged schemes.
Nearly every defendant pleaded guilty before trial, but Merlino opted to take his case before a jury — even though he faced a lengthy potential prison term if convicted. Earlier this year, a judge declared a mistrial after jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked.
Just two months later, in a surprising twist, Merlino decided to plead guilty to a single gambling count instead of facing a retrial. It was the first time the brash mobster had admitted to criminal conduct in court.
Edwin J. Jacobs Jr., Merlino’s lawyer, said in April that the plea was prudent because Merlino — a longtime gambling addict — would be exposed to a much longer prison sentence if convicted at a retrial.
In court documents, prosecutors had asked Sullivan to impose the full two-year prison term against Merlino, citing his extensive criminal history and what they viewed as a continuing indifference to obeying the law. In sentencing memos, they wrote that “the experience of standing trial twice for murder did not sufficiently discourage him from engaging in illegal activity.”
not to mention he has priors of beating 2 murder charges a decade earlier...as well as associtations with the Junior Black Mafia of Philadelphia during the 80s
Inside the Drug-Dealing Empire That Ruled West Philly
Needless to say ALL CHARGES WERE DROPPED due to several mistrials and found guilty with a "gambling charge" (illegal betting)
Wonder if AR AB can look forward to the same type of exemption
5 fun facts about 'Skinny Joey' Merlino
- Before he was the maître d' for Merlino's in Boca Raton, Joey Merlino owned the Avenue Café, a cigar and espresso shop on Passyunk Avenue. Merlino said he'd use his mother's recipes in the Florida restaurant, which closed in 2016. (Two of the recipes, someone joked, were Mobster Lobster and Broken Leg of Lamb.)
- A decent athlete, Merlino was the starting pitcher for his South Philly softball team, unofficially known as Skinny Joey Merlino's All-Stars.
- There have been at least a half-dozen attempts on Merlino's life, including one in August 1993 that left him with bullet wounds in one leg. When informed that a rival mobster had put a $500,000 bounty on him, Merlino quipped: "For $500,000, I'd shoot myself."
- The news media have been extraordinarily respectful in never writing about his grown daughters, Nicolette and Sophia, and in rarely mentioning his devoted wife, Deborah, with whom he celebrated his 21st wedding anniversary in March.
- Merlino likes rap music. In 1998, he attended the 25th birthday party of rapper Kurupt, formerly of Snoop Dog's Dog Pound, and was called to the stage by Tommy Hill, leader of the North Philly rap group R.A.M. Squad. The party ended early when gunfire broke out, but Merlino had no part in that.
Merlino and Meek Mill
Sun Sentinel - We are currently unavailable in your region
Fed-up judge sends reputed Philly mafia boss turned Boca restaurateur back to prison: 'Mr. Merlino, enough, let's move on'
Privacy Policy
Joey Merlino is headed back to prison.
“Skinny Joey,” the reputed boss of the Philadelphia mob who has a home in Boca Raton, was sentenced Wednesday to serve two years in federal prison for a gambling-related count to which he pleaded guilty in April.
The sentence, imposed by a federal judge in Manhattan, marks just the latest stint of incarceration for the mouthy celebrity gangster, who has survived assassination attempts, beaten murder charges in court, and spent at least a decade locked up for prior convictions on counts of racketeering, conspiracy, assault or related offenses.
It was the stiffest possible penalty for Merlino, who had opted to plead guilty to a single count instead of facing a retrial on a litany of other charges. Still, in imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan said that Merlino needed to move on from his prolific criminal past.
operating illegal gambling rings and bribing doctors to write unnecessary prescriptions for topical skin creams, among other alleged schemes.
Nearly every defendant pleaded guilty before trial, but Merlino opted to take his case before a jury — even though he faced a lengthy potential prison term if convicted. Earlier this year, a judge declared a mistrial after jurors reported being hopelessly deadlocked.
Just two months later, in a surprising twist, Merlino decided to plead guilty to a single gambling count instead of facing a retrial. It was the first time the brash mobster had admitted to criminal conduct in court.
Edwin J. Jacobs Jr., Merlino’s lawyer, said in April that the plea was prudent because Merlino — a longtime gambling addict — would be exposed to a much longer prison sentence if convicted at a retrial.
In court documents, prosecutors had asked Sullivan to impose the full two-year prison term against Merlino, citing his extensive criminal history and what they viewed as a continuing indifference to obeying the law. In sentencing memos, they wrote that “the experience of standing trial twice for murder did not sufficiently discourage him from engaging in illegal activity.”
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