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Philadelphia Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
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Diner
Apr 25, 2013, 12:51:54 AM4/25/13
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http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Posted: October 24, 2012
Convicted mobster Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino - the father of former Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino - died Monday in a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
The elder Merlino was 73 and had spent the last quarter century behind bars. The federal Bureau of Prisons listed his potential release date as August 2016.
Local attorney Joseph Santaguida confirmed Merlino's death on Tuesday, but offered little other information. He said simply that Merlino had been "sick for a while."
He said he did not know about any funeral arrangements.
"They're waiting for the body to be shipped back," he said.
Merlino's death comes amid the region's biggest mob trial in years: Current Philadelphia boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and six other defendants are facing federal racketeering charges. The trial was on break Tuesday.
Prosecutors in that case filed documents asserting that Joseph Merlino remained at the top of the Philadelphia mob's organization chart. The court papers described Ligambi as "acting boss" and suggested that Merlino had been running the crime family while serving a 12-year prison sentence.
Joseph Merlino was released from federal prison to a Florida halfway house in March 2011. He is barred from associating with organized-crime figures during his three-year supervised release.
His attorney, Edwin Jacobs Jr., said last year that Merlino planned to remain in Florida - far from the temptations of his former life. Jacobs also represents Ligambi.
Salvatore Merlino rose through the crime family to become underboss to Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo in the 1980s. Salvatore Merlino even served for a time as acting boss while Scarfo was jailed on a weapons violation.
Salvatore Merlino and his brother, Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino, were convicted of racketeering in 1988.
Lawrence Merlino became a cooperating witness and died in the witness-protection program in 2001.
Salvatore Merlino was serving a 45-year sentence when he died at a low-security prison in Fort Worth.
Contact staff writer Troy Graham at 215-854-2730 or tgr...@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @troyjgraham.
Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Posted: October 24, 2012
Convicted mobster Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino - the father of former Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino - died Monday in a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
The elder Merlino was 73 and had spent the last quarter century behind bars. The federal Bureau of Prisons listed his potential release date as August 2016.
Local attorney Joseph Santaguida confirmed Merlino's death on Tuesday, but offered little other information. He said simply that Merlino had been "sick for a while."
He said he did not know about any funeral arrangements.
"They're waiting for the body to be shipped back," he said.
Merlino's death comes amid the region's biggest mob trial in years: Current Philadelphia boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and six other defendants are facing federal racketeering charges. The trial was on break Tuesday.
Prosecutors in that case filed documents asserting that Joseph Merlino remained at the top of the Philadelphia mob's organization chart. The court papers described Ligambi as "acting boss" and suggested that Merlino had been running the crime family while serving a 12-year prison sentence.
Joseph Merlino was released from federal prison to a Florida halfway house in March 2011. He is barred from associating with organized-crime figures during his three-year supervised release.
His attorney, Edwin Jacobs Jr., said last year that Merlino planned to remain in Florida - far from the temptations of his former life. Jacobs also represents Ligambi.
Salvatore Merlino rose through the crime family to become underboss to Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo in the 1980s. Salvatore Merlino even served for a time as acting boss while Scarfo was jailed on a weapons violation.
Salvatore Merlino and his brother, Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino, were convicted of racketeering in 1988.
Lawrence Merlino became a cooperating witness and died in the witness-protection program in 2001.
Salvatore Merlino was serving a 45-year sentence when he died at a low-security prison in Fort Worth.
Contact staff writer Troy Graham at 215-854-2730 or tgr...@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @troyjgraham.
Bermuda999
Apr 25, 2013, 6:56:53 AM4/25/13
to
On Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:51:54 AM UTC-4, Diner wrote:
> http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
>
> Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
> By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
> Posted: October 24, 2012
How could we have missed this story 6 months ago? And the photo with the article is of the son, Skinny Joey, not the dead guy, Chuckie. Here's a photo of Chuckie:
> http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
>
> Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
> By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
> Posted: October 24, 2012
http://tinyurl.com/ctcp9pv
"Prosecutors in that case filed documents asserting that [Chuckie's son] Joseph Merlino remained at the top of the Philadelphia mob's organization chart. The court papers described Ligambi as "acting boss" and suggested that Merlino had been running the crime family while serving a 12-year prison sentence.
Joseph Merlino was released from federal prison to a Florida halfway house in March 2011. He is barred from associating with organized-crime figures during his three-year supervised release.
His attorney, Edwin Jacobs Jr., said last year that Merlino planned to remain in Florida - far from the temptations of his former life. Jacobs also represents Ligambi."
Diner
Apr 25, 2013, 9:59:58 AM4/25/13
to
On Thursday, April 25, 2013 6:56:53 AM UTC-4, Bermuda999 wrote:
> On Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:51:54 AM UTC-4, Diner wrote:
>
> http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
> > Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
> By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
> Posted: October 24, 2012
>
> How could we have missed this story 6 months ago? And the photo with the article is of the son, Skinny Joey, not the dead guy, Chuckie.
Damn... I knew the photo was of the son (since his face has appeared in the local media regularly for years), but I hadn't realized the story was six months old. I missed the date on the article when I was copying it. A link to it popped up on the side of another article on Philly.com while I was browsing the site.
> On Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:51:54 AM UTC-4, Diner wrote:
>
> http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
> > Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
> By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
> Posted: October 24, 2012
>
> How could we have missed this story 6 months ago? And the photo with the article is of the son, Skinny Joey, not the dead guy, Chuckie.
Here's a link to a great recent Philadelphia Magazine article by George Anastasia about his 35 years reporting on the Philly mob, and why the mob suffered a decline and fall in the last decade or so. It's long, but it's terrific writing.
http://www.phillymag.com/articles/35-years-philly-mob-george-anastasia-2/
-Tim
Bermuda999
Apr 25, 2013, 10:20:38 AM4/25/13
to
On Thursday, April 25, 2013 9:59:58 AM UTC-4, Diner wrote:
> On Thursday, April 25, 2013 6:56:53 AM UTC-4, Bermuda999 wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:51:54 AM UTC-4, Diner wrote:
>
> >
>
> > http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
>
> > > Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
>
> > By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
>
> > Posted: October 24, 2012
>
> >
>
> > How could we have missed this story 6 months ago? And the photo with the article is of the son, Skinny Joey, not the dead guy, Chuckie.
>
>
>
>
>
> Damn... I knew the photo was of the son (since his face has appeared in the local media regularly for years), but I hadn't realized the story was six months old.
I think it's fine because I don't believe it was reported or mentioned here.
> On Thursday, April 25, 2013 6:56:53 AM UTC-4, Bermuda999 wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:51:54 AM UTC-4, Diner wrote:
>
> >
>
> > http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-24/news/34681860_1_federal-prison-philadelphia-mob-boss-edwin-jacobs
>
> > > Mobster ‘Chuckie’ Merlino dies in federal prison in Texas
>
> > By Troy Graham, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
>
> > Posted: October 24, 2012
>
> >
>
> > How could we have missed this story 6 months ago? And the photo with the article is of the son, Skinny Joey, not the dead guy, Chuckie.
>
>
>
>
>
> Damn... I knew the photo was of the son (since his face has appeared in the local media regularly for years), but I hadn't realized the story was six months old.
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