Kaja Whitehouse at the New
York Post offers a piece on the reputed boss of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra organized crime family..
Reputed Philly mob boss
Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino is gearing up for battle in a massive
racketeering case brought by Manhattan federal prosecutors, turning down a
sweet deal from the feds and hiring a big-shot lawyer, The Post has learned.
Merlino, 55, whose
expensive suits and Rolls Royce are reminiscent of a bygone era, hired mob
lawyer and Pace University law professor John Meringolo on Tuesday, court
papers show.
Merlino hired Meringolo — who
has represented former Gambino boss John “Junior” Gotti and acting capo Greg
DePalma — because he plans to take his case to trial despite a plea offer that
could have left him with less than two years prison time, sources said.
Merlino, who also lives
part-time in Boca Raton, Fla., has rolled the dice on trials before and won,
including charges that he murdered an associate in 1996 for being disloyal.
If he losses this time, he
faces as much as 20 years behind bars.
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