Parole Violation May Send Skinny Joey Back to Prison

Merlino violated parole, Feds charge.

Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino is coming back to Philadelphia -- and may even find himself in prison; the irony is that his court-ordered supervision, which is scheduled to end this coming Thursday, will not -- assuming federal authorities have their way.

This is according to a Philly.com report.

The 52-year-old "former" Don violated the terms of his release in June with a night on the town with John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini, a captain convicted with Merlino back in 2001.






Also present were Brad Sirkin, a convicted fraudster and money launderer, and Frank Fiore, who has a record of his own and may have been the original target of the law enforcement operation.


According to papers filed in a Philadelphia federal court last week, authorities in Broward County, Fla., conducted surveillance on a June 18 dinner at which Merlino joined the trio for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Boca Raton. The foursome later departed for drinks at the Havana Nights Cigar Bar & Lounge, which Fiore owns.

The terms of his probation prohibit Merlino from associating with convicted felons or Cosa Nostra members.

Merlino was said to have sworn off the mob before moving to South Florida after his release from federal prison around three years ago.

The new allegation could bring an abrupt halt to any plans Joe had, which reportedly included a number of options ranging from opening a restaurant or bar to launching an acting career.

He'd certainly be able to play a believable gangster.

It is unclear why Florida authorities were surveilling Merlino at the time, as Philly.com noted.

As we reported, "Johnny Chang" and Steve Mazzone are reportedly running the Philadelphia family for Skinny Joey as George Borgesi, consiglieri, seeks to assert his own power. The reported power play between the two groups could result from attempts to fill the apparent void created by the alleged retirement of Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi.

Philly.com noted that "Skinny Joey" may have simply picked the wrong bar and the wrong drinking companions.

"A month after the former mob don quaffed drinks at Havana Nights, federal authorities raided the bar and charged Fiore in a conspiracy to sell counterfeit Xanax, Viagra, and steroids."

In a separate violation, probation officers say, Merlino refused in May to answer questions about one of his business transactions, a breach of a requirement that he provide any financial information sought by his monitors, the article further noted.

The new allegations come more than a decade after Merlino was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his conviction in a racketeering conspiracy case.

Federal investigators have kept a close eye on his activities.

The Miami Herald's gossip columnist reported last week that Merlino had recently finalized plans to invest in a "high-end, South Philadelphia-style Italian place."

But the probation violation charge could throw all that into doubt. It is possible he will be required to return to Philadelphia at least temporarily. A date for a hearing has not been scheduled yet.