Attorneys for reputed Philadelphia Mob Boss Joey Merlino moved quickly this week to blast a story floating around social media that somehow the Dapper Don of Philly had been part of some Presidential election night shenanigans in Philadelphia.
“The most ridiculous and fictitious story about Joey I’ve ever seen in all my years as Mr. Merlino’s lawyer,” Edwin Jacobs, Merlino’s long time attorney, told Mobtalksitdown.com.
Jacobs said he had fielded several calls about a story that floated out on social media over the weekend and then out to the mainstream media on Monday. He vehemently denied the bizarre allegations about Merlino made in the story.
Merlino’s New York attorney, John Meringolo, also took aim at the story which claimed Merlino was allegedly part of a $3 million scheme to forge thousands of Philadelphia election ballots in favor of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden.
“My client categorically denies all the allegations. Joey would rather die than ever be a snitch,” Meringolo told Mobtalksitdown.com. He went on to say that he also fielded numerous calls about the story and called the media attention to this “out of control”.
After reading the story, Meringolo said his client told him “these people are crazy.”
The story also indicated that Merlino was in South Philadelphia during the alleged ballot scheme on the night of the Presidential election.
Merlino is currently on federal supervised release after leaving federal custody in late July. He lives in South Florida and is confined to that region unless he receives prior approval from federal authorities to travel outside that jurisdiction. Mob insiders say he hasn’t left Florida since his release.
The story also alleged that Merlino might be willing to “flip” and discuss the scheme with authorities in return for immunity and expungement of his past criminal record.
Merlino has repeatedly told media outlets he despises cooperators and “rats” during his numerous trials in Philadelphia and New York.
In fact, during his 2018 trial in New York on health care fraud charges, Merlino was quoted as saying, “President Trump was right….They need to outlaw flippers.”
Merlino made those comments during the testimony of an FBI cooperator in the not so famous “East Coast LCN” trial. His first trial ended in a mistrial. He later plead guilty to a minor gambling charge and was sentenced to two years behind bars. He was released early.
Merlino, 58, left prison and house arrest in late July. He’s been flying under the radar in Boca Raton, Florida for months now, trying to maintain a low profile. But sources say Merlino has been spotted recently behind the wheel of a Bentley. So much for low key.
Merlino has not spoken to the media since his release from prison. No word on what the former jockey and restaurant owner is doing to make a living.
