Joey Merlino

Joseph Salvatore "Skinny Joey" Merlino (born March 13, 1962) is an American former mobster who was the reputed boss of the Philadelphia crime family from the 1990s until 2024. He rose to power and seized control of the organization in the mid-nineties after he fought against the John Stanfa faction of the family. He has led the crime family in gambling, loan sharking, drug trafficking, and extortion. In comparison to other traditional mob bosses who shunned the limelight, Merlino has interacted regularly with the media and the public, often openly providing charity and hosting events to benefit indigent people in Philadelphia, drawing comparisons to the similarly outgoing, conspicuous, and ostensibly charitable late New York crime boss John Gotti. He is the son of deceased Philadelphia crime family underboss Chuckie Merlino.

With the help of boss-turned-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. Following his release from prison in 2011, the FBI and organized crime reporters believed he continued to run the Philadelphia–South Jersey Mafia. Merlino disputed this, saying he had retired from a life of crime. As of 2015, Merlino divides his time between south Florida and Philadelphia. After beginning a career as a social media personality, Merlino was reportedly demoted and expelled from the Philadelphia Mafia in 2024. Provided by Wikipedia