Michael Imperioli is about 5ft. 8 so he would still tower over Joey. And I don't think they're that alike facially except for surface similarities. As for the similarities in personality I don't really see it. At the time of filming he could've been based on any number of younger mobsters, or none at all. Carmine Galante's nephew was in the news for a high profile killing back then. He had a hot girlfriend and liked to party. Christopher probably wasn't based on him either.

Would Joey Merlino even be well known outside Philadelphia circa 1999? The way some people go on about him here you would think he has the same cachet as Brad Pitt or George Clooney. But would someone like David Chase or The Sopranos writers even know who he is?

For all we know guys like Christopher were probably modelled on some low profile New Jersey wiseguy. Or he could be a composite based on several wiseguys. That's the way they usually do it in Hollywood.

I invoke my right under the 5th amendment of the United States constitution and decline to answer the question.