Joey Merlino, a name identical to the underworld, has carved a prominent place for himself in the crime world. Skinny Joey was born in Philadelphia on the 13th of March, and from the very start, he was a part of the Philadelphia crime family.
A young, energetic, and ambitious, Joey Merlino became The John Gotti of Philadelphia. He displayed his leadership qualities and earned the rightful increase in his net worth. Joey’s amassed journey of achieving a net worth of $5 million is quite extensive.
Here, we aim to explore the net worth of Joe Merlion. The intriguing life of Joey Merlino, and uncover the secrets behind his rack-up fortunes. Join us as we dive into the shadows of Joey’s net worth and shed light on the factors that became reasons for his vast net worth.
Who is Joey Merlino?
Like other notorious Philadelphia mafia bosses, Joey Merlino has significantly impacted the underworld community of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The power and authority of mafia bosses and folks of the underworld is undeniable. The ideology of this community the public’s perspective is quite limited to what is displayed in the movies.
It revolves around owning high-worth cars, blasting and killing around, creating conspiracies, generating multiple streams of money, having a witty mindset, and creating a high net worth.
But the only way to deeply know the details of becoming a mafia boss and the underworld is by being a part of it. Not recommended tho! Well, Joey Merlion’s life is utterly private, and little to no detail is found, but here are some tidbits about the great mafia boss:
| Date of Birth | 13 March 1962 |
| Place of Birth | Philadelphia |
| Raised In | South Philadelphia & Ventnor City, New Jersey |
| Net Worth | More than $5 million |
| Known as | Skinny Joey, Joseph Salvatore Merlino, Joey Merlino. The John Gotti of Philadelphia. Now “ Ex-Philly” |
| Convictions | Interstate theft and conspiracy (1990), Racketeering (2001), Illegal gambling (2018) |
| Boss | Young Turks and Philadelphia crime family |
| Source of Income | Racketeering, Extortion, Bookmaking, Gambling. |
| Currently Living | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Spouse | Deborah Merlino |
| Siblings ( 2 sisters) | Maria Moss and Natalie Merlino |
| Children | Nicollete Merlino, Sophia Merlino |
| Retired On | 2011 (made public in 2013) |
Some things are conventional among mafia bosses: they came from nothing, they went through extremes in life, they all did the unthinkable, and most of them were convicted of several RICO charges. They all managed to create high net worth for themselves.
Joey’s Net Worth: A Closer Look
Joseph Salvatore Merlino attended St. Thomas Aquinas grade school in Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood. He was a companion and friend of the future-made man in the Philadelphia crime family Michael Ciancaglini and his brother Joseph Ciancaglini.
Early Life and its Contribution to Net Worth
- Skinny Joey was Born into a Mob Family and spent his childhood under the guidance of his father, Salvatore Merlion(Underboss), Nicky Scarfo (the Violent boss), and his uncle Lawrence Merlion, Yogi(a capo). The sister of Joey Merlino, Maria was married to the Crown Prince of Philadelphia Mob, Salvator Testa. Here is a preview of Joey’s life.
- Atlantic City Stabbing Incident, In his 20s he faced his first conviction.
- 1990 Robbery, sentenced to 4 years in prison. Crime: Conspiring car robbery of $350,000.
- Meet his first mentor, Ralph Natale(mob associate) was serving 16 years in prison. He was the mastermind of the “Young Turks”, led by Merlion against Stanfo. The motive was to take over Philadelphia Crime Family.
- Lost his school friend, Michael Ciancaglini in 1993, during the attack from Mob boss John Stanfa.
- In 1995, Stanfa was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences.
- In 1997 got married to Deborah Merlino.
- Merlion’s time to shine came after taking over the Philadelphia/South Jersey family. Generated million through the journey and stayed in tune with the media and public.
- His charitable actions and donations.
- December 2001-Natale’s betrayal, Joey Merlio was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
- Released in 2011, after the release he retired from the crime world.
Rise to Prominence in Joey’s Net Worth
The net worth of Joey Merlino increased due to multiple factors, from a very early age till 2011 and even now recently popped up on social media with former President Trump. Factors like; his leadership skills, wild spontaneous personality, the start of his rebel community Young Turks, and his early training by being part of the crime family.
Halloween Hit incident
This incident is the main foundation of your question” What is the net worth of Joey Merlino?”. This shooting was the moment of him being in the spotlight, Joey Marlin scaled up the ladder of his net worth and stance after being convicted of shooting the son of then-arrested mob boss Scarfo.
Marking Territory
The masked assailant who shot Skinny Nicky on Halloween night in 1989 was suspected to be Joey Merlino. Scarfo’s son was expected to overtake after his father’s arrest, but his control over the gang was turbulent.
The leading generation and the son of a strong, well-reputed Philadelphia crime family got busted by Joseph Salvatore Merlino. Little Nicky, or Mr. Apple’s father, was once the one-time mafia boss of the Philly gang. They held significant importance in the underworld. Joey Marlin embossed his standard high in the mafia world and increased his net worth through this rebellious act.
Why were the arrows pointing at Joey?
Even though no one was charged for attempting to murder Nicky Scarfo, but FBI and local enforcement was aware of the power disputes between Scarfos and Merlinos.
Later after this incident, his reputation, net worth, value, and leadership were way high in the crime world. Joey’s witty response and the bounty worth of $500,000 played an influential role in increasing the net worth of Joey Merlino.
Joey’s savage response to these rumors and bounty amount was, “Give me the half million dollars, and I will shoot myself”
Philadelphia crime family and Joey Merlino’s net worth
In the mid-nineteen, Joey Merlino was the one who stood up to take control of the crime world. The unhinged command and the constant arrests of the popular mobsters caused the system of their business to drain. The descendants were not utterly ready to take over the gangs, and their semi-trained methods caused an immense loss in thier dealings.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/183426410882 Philadelphia Crime Family Tree (just for reference, add a better one)
Joey Merlino’s dedicated contributions made him stand out and earned him the title of a vigorous leader. The net worth of Joey Merlino grew due to his speedy growth in the underworld business.
Though Skinny Joey never openly declared himself as the upfront leader of the crime family, he was the sole decision-maker of the Philadelphia crime family. His involvement in loan sharking, extortion, drug trafficking, racketeering, and gambling got him arrested in 2001. Joey Merlino was declared sentenced to 14 years in prison after being guilty of these crimes.
Under the limelight
During his leadership period, Joey Merlino was considered one of the mobsters who had the most interactions with the media and public. His collaboration and involvement in providing charity and hosting events benefitted the unprivileged citizens of Philadelphia. This act made him even more famous among common folks. Unlike other mobsters, Joey Merlino’s leading style was different and unique.
Joey Merlino with Trump
There is a possibility that the net worth of Joey Merlino would still skyrocket even after declaring that he has no links with the crime world. He does own some fixed assets, retail, and his liabilities have declined after starting a separate lifestyle.
On January 2023, Joey Merlino got spotted with the former president at the Trump-owned South Florida Golf Club. This news was not compellingly hipped up, although Trump’s Spokesperson declared that, “President Trump takes countless photos with people,”. It indicated that it may have just been a casual and unexpected encounter.
The Ex-Philly also mentioned that the Former President had no idea who I was when we took that picture. During the interview with Philadelphia Inquirer, Joey Merlion said ” He takes pictures with everybody, he’s the nicest guy in the world”.
To Conclude
Determining the net worth of individuals involved in organized crime is a complex task. For most of their life, aspects of earning, family connections, and their assets are hidden. This fact makes the calculation of thier net worth a bit complicated.
The origin, existence, and impactful actions of the Philadelphia crime family is are no secret. Moreover, Joey Merlino’s net worth is tracked throughout his performance and his influence through the crime families. Currently, the net worth of Joey Merlion is approx. $5 million even though he has left this crime for years. After his release in 2011, the Philadelphia Ex mob boss now walks free.
FAQs
Where is Joey Merlino now?
Joey Merlino is living a noble life in Boca Raton, Florida. He left the crime world after being released from prison in 2001.
What is the updated net worth of Joey Merlino?
The net worth of Joey Merlino is approx. $5 million.
Who shoot Joey Merlion?
25 Years ago, on August 1993 Joey Merlion and Mikey Chang were targetted on the order of Mob boss John Stanfa. They were shoot outside of their clubhouse. Skinny Joey was shot in the buttocks and survived while Michael Ciancaglini got shot in the chest and died.
