page_title: Joey Merlino
hierarchical_section_title: Joey Merlino
caption_attribution_description: English: Joey Merlino, shown here in a government surveillance photo, circa 1995.
context_page_description: Joseph Salvatore "Skinny Joey" Merlino is an Italian-American mobster believed to be the boss of the Philadelphia crime family. He rose to power in the mid-nineties after he allegedly fought a war for control of the criminal organization. He led the crime family in gambling, loan sharking and extortion. In comparison to other traditional mob bosses who shunned the limelight, Merlino interacted regularly with the media and the public. He is the son of deceased Philadelphia crime family underboss Chuckie Merlino.
  With the help of informant Ralph Natale, Merlino was convicted of several RICO charges including racketeering, illegal gambling and extortion, in 2001, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Since his release from prison in 2011, the FBI and organized crime reporters believe he continues to run the Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia. Merlino disputes this, claiming he retired from a life of crime. As of 2015, Merlino divides his time between south Florida and Philadelphia.
context_section_description: Joseph Salvatore "Skinny Joey" Merlino (born March 13, 1962) is an Italian-American mobster believed to be the boss of the Philadelphia crime family. He rose to power in the mid-nineties after he allegedly fought a war for control of the criminal organization. He led the crime family in gambling, loan sharking and extortion. In comparison to other traditional mob bosses who shunned the limelight, Merlino interacted regularly with the media and the public. He is the son of deceased Philadelphia crime family underboss Chuckie Merlino.
  With the help of informant Ralph Natale, Merlino was convicted of several RICO charges including racketeering, illegal gambling and extortion, in 2001, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Since his release from prison in 2011, the FBI and organized crime reporters believe he continues to run the Philadelphia-South Jersey Mafia. Merlino disputes this, claiming he retired from a life of crime. As of 2015, Merlino divides his time between south Florida and Philadelphia.
caption: Joseph Merlino in a surveillance photo in the 1990s.
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