Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino the reputed boss of the Philadelphia mafia was hospitalized in Florida earlier this week after experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath according to his lawyer.
The 55-year-old mobster had a procedure called a catheterization performed on him at the hospital. According to reports, Merlino was suffering from two heart blockages making him unable to head to trial which was set to start next week. Because of his recent health issue, a Manhattan federal judge has agreed to postpone his racketeering trial until January 29.
“Joseph Merlino”
The flamboyant Cosa Nostra boss has survived multiple attempts on his life and already spend 14 years behind bars on a previous conviction. It seems like the fast and hard lifestyle which Merlino has taken to over the years may finally be catching up to him. There is sure to be some stress associated with the upcoming mafia trial which could put Joey Merlino back behind bars for an extended period of time if convicted and didn’t help with his recent medical problems. Hopefully, he is back in good health when he and the feds square off!
