Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino the alleged boss of the Philadelphia Mafia is facing various charges including racketeering stemming from last years bust of the East Coast LCN Enterprise.
The 55-year-old mobster has rejected multiple plea deals and now faces a significant amount of time behind bars if convicted. The trial begins today and the flamboyant Cosa Nostra leader seems to be upbeat and not at all bothered by the situation. In typical Merlino fashion, he even made a prediction from the courtroom saying “Deadlock win, all the way,” along with an additional hot tip saying “Oh, and bet the Eagles” according to an NYPost report. The feds case has definitely had its problems along the way but Merlino could still be facing an uphill battle as multiple cooperating witnesses line up to testify against him and feds roll out hundreds of secretly recorded conversations.
“Joey Merlino”
The feds claimed that Merlino along with alleged Genovese family capos Eugene “Rooster” Onofrio and Pasquale “Patsy” Parrello were leaders of this so-called East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise. Parrello has already agreed to a plea deal along with all the other co-defendants in the case except for Merlino and Onofrio. They were both set to stand trial together but Onofrio’s trial has been delayed indefinitely due to health reasons leaving Merlino to go at it alone. Joey had his own health issues recently being hospitalized for a heart condition which was explained as two significant blockages in a court memo which led to a short delay in his trial.
The stakes are definitely high for Merlino who maintains he has done nothing wrong and thinks this trial is a chance to hold the feds accountable for actions he believes are criminal. According to a George Anastasia report, Joey said “If I had done what they did, I’d be indicted,” while explaining why he has refused to take any plea offers. But Merlino has already been convicted twice including a racketeering conviction back in 2001 that sent him to prison for 14 years. After his release from prison in 2012 Joey claimed that his life in organized crime had come to an end and he was looking forward to living a nice life down in Boca Raton with his family. He said there was “Too many rats” now and he wanted no part of that.
But the feds weren’t convinced saying Merlino continued to play a major role in the Philadelphia crime family from down in Florida. He remained on the feds radar eventually becoming a focus in this New York-based investigation into the mafia. According to report Bonanno family turncoat Peter “Pug” Lovaglio is set to take the stand on Tuesday and will be followed by the other cooperating witness which included the feds star witness John “JR” Rubeo. The trial is expected to last about a month and we will try to keep things updated as it moves long.
I think this one will get interesting and even though we all know Jacobs is a monster in the court room gotta think there is more risk here that Joey would want. But gotta hand it to the guy he has balls and just doesn’t flinch when it comes to starring down the feds. If he somehow beats them here they are gonna be all kinda of pissed and could def see thinks go to a new level in he ongoing Philly probe we keep hearing about which they could see as another shot at Merlino and others. If i had to set the odds today on this one I would put feds as a slight fav i think.
Some of the Opening statements from Prosuction and Jacobs in this article for those interested
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/Philly-Mob-Joe-Merlino-Fraud-Trial-471749484.html
A reputed Philadelphia mob boss who reinvented himself as a restaurateur relapsed into a life of crime by orchestrating a health care fraud that made a fortune for an East Coast crime syndicate, a prosecutor said Tuesday in opening arguments at his federal trial.
Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino was a tough-talking “fixer” in a widespread scheme to collect insurance payments by bribing doctors to write bogus prescriptions for a pain cream, Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Nicolas told Manhattan jurors.
Merlino “called the shots and he always called them in favor of taking and keeping money,” Nicholas said.
The prosecutors said Merlino also sought to collect gambling debts for the syndicate, adding that the jury would hear recordings of him fretting over whether any “rats” and “stool pigeons” were lurking.
In his opening statements, defense attorney Edwin Jacobs said Merlino was framed by cooperating criminals with incentive to lie to save their own skins.
“Joey is accused of a bunch of crimes he didn’t commit,” Jacobs said.
Merlino, wearing a knit hoodie and gold chain, listened as Jacobs described how, after a stint in prison, his client moved to Florida to “live a normal and new life” with his family and four pet dogs. But he couldn’t shake a gambling problem that made him vulnerable to manipulation by wire-wearing mob turncoat named John Rubeo, who gave him tens of thousands of dollars to feed his habit.
“Joey’s weakness is gambling,” the lawyer said. “He bets frequently and beyond his means.”
Merlino, 55, was among nearly four dozen defendants arrested in a 2016 crackdown on the syndicate that prosecutors say committed crimes including extortion, loan-sharking, casino-style gambling, sports gambling, credit card fraud and health care fraud. It operated in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey.
Most of the defendants pleaded guilty to lesser charges, with Merlino the only one so far to go to trial on conspiracy charges. He’s free on $5 million bond.
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The government plans to have three cooperators as witnesses, including Rubeo, an associate with the New York-based Genovese crime family. Another witness is a government agent who served a five-day suspension after being accused of mishandling cooperators and investigative reports in the case, a topic the judge ruled the defense could cover in cross-examination.
Merlino once controlled the remnants of a Philadelphia-south Jersey organized crime family that was decimated by a bloody civil war in the 1980s and 1990s. Federal authorities say he was frequently targeted by murder plots after rivals put a $500,000 murder contract on his head.
He became a main suspect in a failed hit on another mob figure on Halloween 1989, but was never charged. He also served time for a $350,000 armored truck heist that same year.
In 2001, a jury acquitted Merlino and six co-defendants of three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder that could have put him in prison for life. He was convicted of lesser racketeering charges and served 12 years in prison before being released in 2011.
Merlino claimed that he retired from the mob for good by running an upscale Italian restaurant in Boca Raton. The since-closed restaurant was called Merlino’s.
In a 2013 interview, he said that life in the Mafia wasn’t worth the stress of being double-crossed.
“Too many rats,” he said. “I want no part of that.”
Pretty much what I think most expected from Jacobs at the start of this. Gonna def be more interesting when he cross examines Rubio etc.
Joey. Is taking the biggest gamble o8f his life….He hopes for at least hung jury if he don’t win….but his father Salvatore AKA..Chuckie merlino died in Prison and joey if found guilty could end up like that medical care is atrocious in Prison as many of us know…Joey Will be Joey to his last day …he don’t back down and don’t cave in and never ever will rat….and for those reasons I respect his balls and because joey said bet EAGLES +5 points my pals in Vegas are lying down ????
joey will be joey ….. exactly! and that won’t ever change
All of yous sound stupid. You all sit on here and act like you know what your talking about. I bet none of yous even know Joey or any of the guys. You probably get your info from that toad Georgie Anastasia.
Mafia boss? Shit in Italy or Sicily this mutt never would’ve made it past foot soldier.
I know how RICO works and how Feds use it to get the Alleged Mafia Leaders,but why do Leaders still use “low level” Underlings to do “running” for them? These Ppl no matter how loyal always say/do something that implicates their Bosses/Leaders. Maybe I’m more naive,but couldn’t they meet somewhere hash out agreements incl where proceeds will be dispered/picked up? That way the possibility of a “Rat” bringing multiple Families down is practically zero. Am I over thinking this or WHAT? Only asking bc we used to handle business this back in the day,when I was a Yng dumb man
Usually they pass down information to a capo then onto a soldier or top associate, then from there low level associates. If having no solid legal income coming in, relying heavily on rackets eventually most will get caught up in something. Eventually will slip up speak to wrong guy a little too far down the pecking order.
Hes gonna win!!!!!!!!!!
NOT GUILTY !!!!!
JESUS PAID IT ALL ALL TO HIM I OWE SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN BUT HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW !!!BARABAS AT THE CROSS WAS SET FREE !!!JESUS TOOK HIS PLACE !!AND I TELL YOU TODAY JOEY MERLINO WILL GO FREE JESUS TOOK HIS PLACE AT CALVARY !
Say what u want …people prayin for the man!!
Hes gonna walk BIG JOHN!!!
I didnt wanna go to jail!!!!!Boo hoo!!!Poor you !!!!What kinda gangster r u????Makin up lies !!!!Lyin ass testimony!!!Lyin on the poor man with a family a wife and kids !!!Shame on you !!God dont like ugly !!!Pussy ass lyin ass fake gangsters!!!You and the other one !!!That man didnt do nothin wrong andYOU KNOW IT !!
Youre the one needs to repent !!!Joey if he ever was in the LIFE LEFT IT A LONG TIME AGO!!!LEAVE THE MAN ALONE !LEAVE HIM ALONE!!HE HAS CHILDREN!!AND A WIFE !!!LIAR!!!
Now this is for the people ..heres a government with paid informants lyin witnesses corrupt ass officials !!!Nobody in their right mind would believe youre stlries !Thats y youre gonna lose !!Cuz youre lying!!!
Go ahead and waste the tax payers money !!!Nobody here is afraid of you !!!!
None of you are HALF THE MAN THAT YOU GOT SITTIN AT THAT DEFENSE TABLE!!!YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE IN YOURE HEARTS !!YOURE WIVES DONT EVEN BELIEVE YOU !!
7I KNOW FOR “A FACT”THAT MAN DIDNT DO NOTHIN WRONG!!HE DIDNT BREAK THE LAW!!!