Merlino wins appeal and is free no strings

[joeycigars]

JOEY MERLINO has regained his freedom - no strings attached - for the first time since 1999.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled in his favor yesterday, overruling a District Court judge who had ordered Merlino to serve another four months in prison for violating the terms of his probation on a 2001 racketeering conviction.

"He's out. He's a free man," Merlino's attorney, Edwin Jacobs, told the Daily News.

Merlino, 53, considered the current or former boss of the Philly mob, depending whom you ask, served about three months in a Miami prison after he was caught associating with mobster John "Johnny Chang" Ciancaglini at a Florida cigar bar last year.

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At the time, Merlino was prohibited from associating with Ciancaglini because he was finishing up his probation on the racketeering conviction that had kept him in prison for about 12 years.

Jacobs had argued that the feds hadn't properly notified Merlino of the violation. A split appeals court sided with Jacobs today, but it has not yet issued its opinion with the rationale behind the decision.

Merlino, once known as "Skinny Joey," was believed to have been living in a halfway house or on house arrest and would have been cut loose early next month, even if the appeal was unsuccessful. Jacobs declined to say what Merlino's living arrangements had been prior to the ruling.

"He's done. Period," Jacobs said.

David Fritchey, chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia, said the ruling is largely a moot point.

"He served all of his time," Fritchey said. "To appeal it would mean we'd be arguing whether he should be under house arrest for another week, which is not worth anybody's time."

Merlino has reinvented himself as the maitre d' at a new Boca Raton restaurant that bears his name.

Fritchey declined to comment on rumors that Merlino is tied up in another federal investigation. The progress of that probe, and whether it will result in an indictment, is unclear.

For now, it appears that Merlino will return to his job working the front of the house at his Italian restaurant.

"And whatever that may entail," Fritchey said.


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150 ... YDfbmIX.99

http://mobile.philly.com/news/?wss=/phi ... =301156881


Seems like the right decision but a little late , See where Merlino lands now he has no strings

[Pogo The Clown]

Looks like Skinny Joey is coming home. Watch out South Philly.


Pogo

[willychichi]

Must be the government didn't have anything else on him after all.

[JerryB]

The order: http://www.mediafire.com/view/2svffbfnn ... 232015.pdf

[camerono]

don't cross the boss!welcome home Joey,give em hell!

[123JoeSchmo]

don't cross the boss!welcome home Joey,give em hell!

Fanboy

[Pete]

don't cross the boss!welcome home Joey,give em hell!

Fanboy

I think he's tryng get nominated for fanboy of the year and he's got my vote

[phatmatress]

I don't know how much hell JOey will be giving anybody Im sure he's not gonna come home with a Big Bang and make the streets of south philly run with blood.


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[phatmatress]

don't cross the boss!welcome home Joey,give em hell!

Fanboy

I think he's tryng get nominated for fanboy of the year and he's got my vote

aww leave the poor guy alone I don't think he knows any better


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[Pete]

I think he's tryng get nominated for fanboy of the year and he's got my vote [/quote]aww leave the poor guy alone I don't think he knows any better


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Just busting balls he's a good kid

[phatmatress]

Yeah I've never cared for the fanboy stuff... I believe in a way in some form all of us are a little fan boys if some part of us wasn't we wouldn't be here discussing these old fucks lol... I have a little bit of jimmy Burke in me we are both tough Irish pricks and we both root for the bad guys in the movies. Of course we all have that one gangster or family that interests us the most, and I believe deep down we tend to root for them a little bit. Joey ain't a bad guy to root for lol he took over a family gave away turkeys is loved by south philly and did his time like a man. He is camera friendly and gives great sound bites.


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[Lupara]

The feds are gonna be pissed.

[camerono]

I agree with phat,I love those old fucks and he's right.we all got some cosa nostra in us.I personnely love the life.I think we on the forum would be the ultimate crew!lol.good day fellas.

[Chucky]

I agree with phat,I love those old fucks and he's right.we all got some cosa nostra in us.I personnely love the life.I think we on the forum would be the ultimate crew!lol.good day fellas.

I can't even...

[willychichi]

Former Philadelphia organized crime boss “Skinny Joey” Merlino returned to his gig as maitre d’ in a Boca Raton eatery over the weekend, just hours after he was sprung from his federal half-way house. Merlino, 53, who spent most of his adult life in federal custody and on probation, was let go when an appeals court order his release. He left federal custody Friday, three weeks before his four-month sentence for violation of probation was supposed to end.

Read more: http://www.gossipextra.com/2015/04/26/s ... rida-4722/