Alleged Mobster In Racketeering Case Wants Separate Trial, Fears Crime Boss’ Rough Reputation Will Create Biased Jury

Victoria Bekiempis at the New York Daily News offers a piece on the federal trial of Joseph Merlino, the reputed Philadelphia Cosa Nostra organized crime family, and others.

Murder comes “easy” for accused Philadelphia mob boss Joseph Merlino, prosecutors say.

And that is making it hard for his co-defendant to face trial with him.

Merlino, aka Skinny Joey, was among 46 alleged wiseguys hit with racketeering charges in August 2016.

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office has claimed those charged — who allegedly hail from the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno and Philadelphia crime families — cooperated in a conspiracy ranging from South Florida to Springfield, Mass.

One co-defendant, Eugene (Rooster) Onofrio, wants to be tried separately from Merlino.

Onofrio, an alleged Genovese capo who runs crews on Little Italy’s Mulberry St. and in Springfield, Mass., fears Merlino’s alleged misconduct could prejudice the jury against him at trial, according to court papers.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/alleged-mobster-separate-trial-racketeering-case-article-1.3336622 

Former Philadelphia Mob Boss Ordered Back To Jail For "Night On The Town"

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia is covering the Joseph Merlino federal proceedings for Bigtrial.net.

What a federal prosecutor described as a "night on the town with his mob buddies" has resulted in a four-mouth prison sentence for former Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick imposed that sentence this afternoon after hearing more than three hours of testimony and argument in a probation violation hearing for the 52-year-old convicted Mafia leader.

Merlino, now living in Florida, will begin the sentence in 30 days, according to the order issued by Surrick. Once he completes that sentence, Merlino will no longer be on supervised release and will be free to meet and associate with whomever he chooses.

But that may be the least of his problems. According to testimony during the hearing, Merlino has been the focus on an ongoing investigation by an organized crime task force in South Florida. Authorities have apparently had the one-time South Philadelphia celebrity gangster on their radar since his arrival in the Sunshine State three years ago.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/10/merlino-ordered-back-to-jail-for-night.html#more

South Philly One-Time Mob Boss Joseph Merlino Ordered Back To Philadelphia For Parole Violation

Veteran organized crime reporter and author George Anastasia is covering Joseph Merlino's federal hearings for Bigtrial.net.

It looks like an encore is planned for U.S. District Court in the ongoing Skinny Joey Merlino saga.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick issued a one-page ruling this morning denying a motion by Merlino's lawyer seeking to have his probation violation voided. Instead, Surrick set a hearing on the issues for Friday at 10 a.m.

Merlino, who has been living in Boca Raton for the past three years, drew a media horde when he appeared earlier this month for the first hearing in the case. That proceeding focused on a motion filed by defense attorneys Edwin Jacobs Jr. and Michael Myers who argued that federal authorities had failed to properly notify Merlino of the alleged violations.

Merlino, they said, had not been given a summons to appear in court prior to the expiration of his three-year probation. Prosecutors argued that the practice in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania was to file a notice of a violation rather than issue a summons. That notice was filed on Sept. 2, five days before Merlino's probationary period ended.
Surrick provided not details in his order, but simply denied the defense motion, setting the stage for a return trip to Philadelphia by the one-time celebrity mob boss. 
You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/10/merlino-ordered-back-to-philadelphia.html#more 

Joseph Merlino: The Mobster Next Door (In Boca Raton)

 

Julie K. Brown at the Miami Herald offers an interesting piece on Philadelphia organized crime figure Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, who now resides in Boca Raton, Florida.
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A year out of prison, Joseph Salvatore “Skinny Joey” Merlino isn’t so skinny anymore. But he looks almost as boyish at 50 as at 39, when he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for racketeering. Back then, he was a five-foot-three, 100-pound dapper young don who masterminded the bloody takeover of the Philadelphia mob. Today, he is a two-hour plane ride from the Southwest Philadelphia row house where he grew up to become an underworld icon, both feared and eerily revered in the City of Brotherly Love.
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“How’d ya find me?” he asks, his Philadelphia accent unmistakable.
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 You can read the rest of the story via the below
link:
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 http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/29/3026287/joseph-merlino-the-mobster-next.html#
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Note: Merlino grew up in South Philadelphia, not Southwest Philadelphia.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/29/3026287/joseph-merlino-the-mobster-next.html#storylink=cpy