Kriti Mehrotra
Born on March 13, 1962, to Rita Giordano Merlino and Salvatore “Chuckie” Merlino, Joseph Salvatore “Skinny Joey” Merlino was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Ventnor City, New Jersey. According to records, both his father and his uncle, Lawrence “Yogi” Merlino, were significant figures in the Philadelphia crime family, making him a “legacy” of sorts by the time he grew up. Therefore, he ended up becoming a significant part of the family too before reportedly deciding to relocate and start a career as a social media personality, allegedly resulting in his expulsion from the mob.
How Did Joey Merlino Earn His Money?
According to Netflix’s ‘Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia,’ Joseph Salvatore “Skinny Joey” Merlino began his involvement in organized crime at a young age. The documentary series states that he was always very charming and suave, which enabled him to gain the trust of others before reportedly stealing from them and then lying about it. Whether it be strangers or friends, he allegedly targeted them all because his sole aim was to make as much money as possible while also having a good time. It was reportedly because of this that he was also banned from all casinos in New Jersey by the state’s Casino Control Commission in August 1984 – he was merely 22 at the time.
According to the show, Joey also liked having his name be in the public eye as much as possible, whether in a positive or negative sense, so he never really hid his alleged viciousness. Since he reportedly ended up becoming a “made” man at a relatively early age, he allegedly earned a lot of money through criminal actions, which he then liked to spend via gambling, partying, and leading a luxurious life. However, there were times he got caught too, such as in August 1989, when he was charged with conspiracy and interstate theft for stealing $352,000 from a Federal Armored Express truck in 1987. Around a year later, in January 1980, he was convicted and sentenced to 3 years in prison.
By the time Joey was released, the family had a new boss in the form of John Stanfa, an old-school mobster born and raised in Sicily, Italy. Therefore, thinking he didn’t know the way of the Philadelphia streets and not liking his style of choosing to stay away from the limelight, Joey began challenging his leadership behind the scenes. No one had any idea that what would ensue would be a full-fledged, bloody, and chaotic power struggle, in which several people, including Joey’s best friend and underboss, Michael Ciancaglini, would end up losing their lives.
According to records, in the 1990s, Joey owned a few eateries in the city as fronts, but his primary source of income was allegedly derived from his criminal activities. When the war with John Stanfa concluded with his imprisonment for life in the mid-1990s, Joey named Ralph Natale as the new mob boss, positioning himself as his underboss. He did so to avoid direct law enforcement attention, but many believe he was the real power in the family and was running everything behind the scenes. According to records, he was involved in extortion, gambling, loan sharking, and stolen goods rackets for years, even going as far as to reportedly often not pay bookies after deals.
By the late 1990s, Joey had reportedly not only survived over 20 attempts on his life and thrived as a mobster, but also allegedly evolved with several local gangs in case he ever needed more backing. Nevertheless, they couldn’t save him from the FBI, as he was arrested in June 1999 on one charge each of conspiracy to distribute over 5 kilos of cocaine and unlawful use of a communication facility during drug trafficking. The charges against him were later updated to include racketeering, conspiracy to commit three murders, and two attempted murders. In the end, though, he was only found guilty of racketeering in 2001 – he was acquitted of all potential mafia-related violence charges against him.
After serving 12 years of his 14-year term, Joey was released from Federal Correctional Institution – Terre Haute in Indiana on March 15, 2011. However, he was ordered to an additional 4 months in prison in January 2015 for violating his 3-year supervised release just before it was to end by allegedly meeting with organized crime figures in Florida. This term was later vacated, by which point Joey had relocated to Boca Raton, Florida, for good. He claimed he no longer had any involvement with the Philadelphia crime family in 2013, but officials never believed it.
Nevertheless, Joey established a restaurant called Merlino’s in November 2014, where he served as the maître d’ until it closed in 2016 – it was primarily owned by investors. Then, in 2016, he was banned in all Pennsylvania casinos, which was the same year he closed down Merlino’s Italian Restaurant in Florida, which he had launched just the day prior. According to records, he was involved in another racketeering case in 2016, for which he was paroled for $5 million, tried, convicted, and then was handed down 2 years on October 17, 2018. Since then, he has seemingly turned over a new leaf by reportedly leading a straight life to provide for his family. Yet, the FBI still reportedly keeps tabs on him.
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Joey Merlino’s Net Worth
Considering Joey’s active years in the mob, he has undoubtedly amassed significant wealth over the years. Unfortunately, the precise number cannot be ascertained due to the criminality and logistics behind it. So, all we know is that his restaurant businesses were thriving until they weren’t, resulting in their shutdown. Therefore, in September 2023, the Florida resident kick-started a sports betting podcast called ‘The Skinny with Joey Merlino” to evolve into an influencer/social media personality.
According to records, Joey had no idea that his attempts to become a public figure would result in the Philadelphia family demoting him and essentially expelling him from the mob. Today, at the age of 63, it appears that he now splits his time between Philadelphia and Boca Raton, where he is surrounded by his wife of 28 years, Deborah Merlino, and their two children. He also owns and operates Skinny Joey’s Cheesesteaks today, which opened at 3020 South Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in March 2025. Taking all these aspects into account, along with his possible assets, investments, returns, and lifestyle, we estimate Joey’s net worth to be $10-$15 million as of the time of writing.
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