Gangland: Joey Merlino is the boss

This is one of the three articles in gangland not breaking board rules


Mob Busters Say Merlino's Running The Philadelphia Show From Florida

Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino insists that he's put the wiseguy life behind him and that he's now concentrating on running his restaurant in Boca Raton (Merlino's), and enjoying his life in the sun.

"People live longer in Florida," he quipped shortly after his release from prison in 2011.

The South Philadelphia mobster was talking about the fine weather and laid back lifestyle he clearly enjoys in southern Florida where he relocated after completing a 14-year prison sentence for racketeering. But the comment brought a smile to those familiar with the fact that Merlino has spent a good part of his life bobbing and weaving in an underworld where mob bosses John Stanfa and Nicodemo Scarfo had both targeted him for death.

Life in the sun has been good, but there are those in law enforcement who believe Skinny Joey is still calling the shots in the City of Brotherly Love. They point out that George Borgesi, a top Merlino lieutenant, has made at least two trips this year to visit his old friend and that Merlino has flown into Philadelphia on several occasions, including a trip in early March to celebrate his birthday and another visit this month to attend the wedding of the daughter of a mob associate.

Merlino turned 54 on March 13.

During his birthday visit, friends took him to a restaurant for dinner and he and his entourage, including several mob associates who were part of his crew back in the day, were later spotted at the Sugar House Casino on Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia. Authorities believe everyone brought Merlino a birthday card and that he used some of the cash in those envelopes at the blackjack tables.

Ironically, he has been on the New Jersey casino exclusion list for years but to date is not barred from any Pennsylvania casino. That may now change. Unlike New Jersey gaming regulators, Pennsylvania authorities appear to take a reactive rather than proactive approach to the exclusion issue.

Only after a so-called "undesirable" is spotted in a casino does the state move to add that person to the list.

"It would be the best thing that could happen to him," said one law enforcement source familiar with Merlino's history of big bets and big losses. In a casino it's usually blackjack. But on the streets, his game of choice is sports. Merlino had a reputation for collecting when he won and walking away from the debt when he lost. In fact, there are those who claim several bookmakers in South Philadelphia have been waiting for years for Merlino to settle up.

More recently, sources say, Merlino did "very well" with the NCAA basketball tournament, riding his hometown favorite Villanova to a series of big payoffs.

Merlino is not talking to the media these days, but those around him say he is happy to be in Florida and off the radar of Philadelphia law enforcement.

"He just wants to be left alone," said one underworld source who knows him.

Meanwhile Borgesi has emerged as a street boss with his fingers in lots of pies.

"All legitimate," those around him say, as you might expect.

Home rehab construction is booming in sections of Philadelphia undergoing gentrification and Borgesi & Company have ties to construction and mortgage refinancing. Law enforcement is tracking the action and has made note of his trips to Florida and Boston where Merlino and company planted a flag in the late 1990s and where several mob associates loyal to the Philadelphia organization are still out and about.

"It's only a matter of time," said one investigator who predicted that the legitimate veneer is a cover. "They are who they are and they do what they have always done."

For now, it's wait and see.

Merlino is still a lightning rod for the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police organized crime units that track his movements whenever he is in town. It's unclear if he gets the same kind of attention in Florida where the living is easy and where the erstwhile mob boss is enjoying the sunshine.

Always an avid sports fan, Merlino spent his teenage years as a jockey, racing thoroughbreds at several Philadelphia area tracks. He would bring up that fact whenever he and friends got into a debate about Philadelphia sports teams, claiming — only half in jest — that he was "the only professional athlete" in the room.

Now he's taken up golf. But he'll never convince anyone that's his profession.

http://www.vice.com/read/what-happened-to-the-american-mafia-712

Will there ever be any more Mafia dons like John Gotti or Lucky Luciano?

Scott Burnstein: Yes, there is at least one in existence today. His name is "Skinny Joey" Merlino; he's the boss of the Philadelphia Mafia and is a gangland icon in my opinion, [one] you can put up there with the most dynamic, gutsy, and ambitious mob leaders of all time.


For me Merlino understand that is better for him to stay in Florida and take a trusted street boss in philly,for sure will return soon or later in philly,but it's better to stay under the radar. But is my opinion.

So Borgesi is the street boss and not Mazzone?

My curiosity but joey had a son to made like gotti ?

Joey does not have a son he has a daughter

I'm not sure, but latest reports seem to suggest that Ligambi is the acting boss and Borgesi is his number 1 guy on the street (street boss if you will).

mazzone was seen as acting boss last few years when ligambi and borgesi were on trial steve mazzone took over as acting boss. He is also said to be the only guy the scarfo crews will deal with. Ligambi then took over after he got out.

Borgesi seems to be a major player aswell. My own view is that joey merlino is still the number 1 guy joey is joey he has not changed from the 90s the same attitude then borgesi mazzone ligambi all of them report to joey none of them are the number 1 leader on the streets

I could easily be wrong thats just a guess

Joey has three daughters, two with Debbie and a third no one knows about that's in her mid to late 20s he had out of wedlock as a very young man that he recently reconnected with. I "bet" Joey won a boatload of money on Villanova as his daughter currently attends there....

Correct - Joey has a first daughter out of wedlock she seems to live quite well as well also to say the least...

Crazy never have heard about his other daughter. Just the 2 he has with his wife.. Guessing he obviously supports her financially.. His other 2 daughters seem to want for nothing.. Driving Porsches and Mercedes

Think it's only a matter of time before the Feds nail him and put him away for good. He's obviously a lot smarter than a lot of people give him credit for but in that life it's impossible to keep yourself safe. Even if you're only talking business with 1 person as you're still vulnerable.

I see nothing wrong with that. Some people are just fortunate and are born into wealth.

Not hating on him giving his daughters what they need/want. Shit I wish I had that up bringing.. I mean as a parent I think that's what everyone wants.. Is to be able to provide and give your kids a better life than what you had

It's so pathetic he doesn't pay his bookies

I agree about him not paying his losses. That's some punk shit for sure . From what I've heard about him that's very common behavior of him.. I heard he used to use people to Bet into Johnny changs book! Imagine that. He's trying to bust out a book that's kicking up to him. Greed is a crazy thing.

There does seem to be a little confusion about Georgie Boy in the article...

it says something like he appears to be a street boss...not THE street boss...so im not so sure he was saying he took over for Mazzone as street boss

I dunno, that doesnt seem like it would make sense since Mazzone seemed to be doing a good job as he was one of the only ones that didnt have beefs with other factions and everyone respected him.

To replace him with a hot head like George? lol I dont know unless they did it to appease him after he was making a ruckus

If anything maybe they gave him the title as a front street boss but Mazzone is still who they listen to

who knows...but its unclear in this article imo

<Looks at your location>

Ahhh now it makes sense

+100

why don't they have the IRS up his ass, he's married, he must file a tax return, you can't have 4 $80,000 cars in your family and be seen gambling in casino's and flying back and forth from Florida to NJ on $60k a year he maybe be pulling form the restaurant gig.

he does not pay for anything thats why never has never will. Back in the 90s the cars everything was in other wiseguys names.

Stanley Stein pays for the cars the condo in florida restaurant the private jet everything joey is living the lifestyle he is because of this guy joey has endless supply of mob wannabes

Plus his wife has a well paid "job"

he never payed his gambling debts his his greed it has never been good for joey loads of bookies flipped and testified against him in 2001 because joey ruined there business not only did he bet into there books and never pay he also demanded street tax it was impossible for these guys to make a living
he bet into mob guys aswell 200k into prevites book and apparently bet into steve mazzone and johnny changs book. The guy tried to run a book with ralphie head they went out of business within a week they couldn't do it joey never had the smarts for it Joey was never an earner

Read somewhere the wife is a saleslady for some big beverage company salary 250k a year so all the cars and houses can be paid for.

Sammy the bull is probably the last mobster the feds went after for IRS shit that was 80tys. Anyone think of any other IRS cases.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/28/business/brother-s-tax-problem-puts-home-in-jeopardy.html

This couldn't be a Burnstein article. He didn't call him handsome, suave or enigmatic.

Good question. The penalties are kind of low, so maybe that is why they don't go that route anymore. Especially if they don't want to jeopardize an ongoing racketeering investigation.

the bonanno case the one which took down massimo and vitale all of them orginally started as an IRS investigation by the feds targeting Barry Weinberg and Augustino Scozzari both flipped wore a wire on richie cantella and frank coppa both flipped and then massimo and vitale got indicted then vitale flipped

so you could say the IRS investigation into barry Weinberg took down the entire Bonanno family hierarchy

Interesting. Thanks GR.

I agree, but most people don't come from wealth and when they hear so and so basically gets everything handed to them then they often feel the need to address it and display hatred. No one chooses their family or where they come from. I know you weren't hating, but I have a hard time staying silent when it comes to certain subjects. I just feel that the financial situation surrounding Joey's daughters isn't really anyone's business.

Has anyone ever investigated Stein? who is he, what's his deal, connection to Philly, etc...?

Good question. Probably just a old man with money who's living out his fantasy of being "involved in the life". Or maybe he enjoys having someone spend his money.

Probably just infatuated with the lifestyle.. Sounds like a huge tool to me. If you have excess income, giving it to Joey Merlino is one of the worst things you could possibly do.

It's his money...he can do whatever he pleases with it regardless of how stupid we think it is.

Wish I had a friend like ol Stan lol

I recently finished a book on Massino...I dont recall those two names being the start of the investigation into Merlino though...it was another guy that he had depositing money for him or laundering or something...and that led them into Massino...but the point of getting the guy was to get Merlino..I dont recall it being these two other guys then they went after Merlino

They brought those two forensic accountants on specifically to target Massino since he was too smart with his counter surveliance

There's a lot of wealthy guys who are obsessed with mob guys and many of them act like groupies around them. Even here in L.A., there's a ton of these old rich guys who've seen The Godfather one too many times. Isgro has a lot of those idiots around him. I believe Nicholson is one of them.

When it's obviously the proceeds of crime that's a stupid thing to say.

18yr old girls driving Porsches paid for in money their father either stole or extorted and you're fine with that? You're Switzerland suddenly on his daughters $150k cars?

No ones blaming the daughters but to claim that's above reproach reflects poorly upon yourself.

These guys had nothing to with merlino i was talking about Massimo


Feds brought in two forensic accountants took look into money laundering in the Bonanno famil because the FBI were struggling and did not know how to make a case against massimo. They noticed Vitale and Cantarella were partners in several parking lots owned by Barry Weinberg so barry was put under surveillance.Weinberg hadn't filed tax returns in over a decade not paying $1 million in taxes feds told him he was going to prison if he did not flip. He flipped. Then Augustino Scozzari flipped after feds found he was laundering richie cantellas money through the restaurant.

The tapes Scozzari and Weinberg made on richie cantella and frank coppa buried them which led them to flip.

I know that...I accidentally typed Merlino instead of fat rat Massino...

Maybe it was Weinberg I cant recall...But in your other post you made it seem like they stumbled into Massino rather than the feds following his money to get him because all other efforts were exhausted

Anyway,,, back to the other Joey

The suave, smooth talking, ridiculously handsome...oh and did I mention suave? Joey Merlino!

lol

My next door neighbor who lives on section 8 has one of them porshe cayeens not to impressive. The dealer who fianced them is probably making a killing and thing probably got 100k miles on it and its 3 yrs old.

Where did you hear this from?