Joey Merlino - Family Mob Ties

Family Mob Ties

Joseph Salvatore Merlino a.k.a. "The John Gotti of Passyunk Avenue" is the only son of Italian-American parents former Nicky Scarfo underboss/soldier Salvatore "Chuckie" Merlino (born June 29, 1939 from Ducktown, Atlantic City) and housewife Rita (born 1942) who later divorced after Salvatore was incarcerated. Joe was raised in Southwest Philadelphia and Ventnor City, New Jersey. He is also the nephew of deceased former alleged Scarfo crime family Capo Lawrence (Yogi) Merlino and first cousin of Joseph N. (Fat Joey) Merlino, a building contractor who owns Bay Shore rebar corporation based in Pleasantville, New Jersey and Marco Merlino, who followed his cousin and father into the construction business. He has two sisters, Natalie and Maria. His sister Maria was engaged to Salvatore Testa until he broke it off a few years before he was murdered. He had been friends to future made man in the Scarfo crime family Michael (Mikey Chang) Ciancaglini and his brother Joseph (Joey Chang) Ciancaglini since attending St. Thomas Aquinas grade school in Point Breeze, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the 1970s Salvatore owned and operated the 9M Bar at 9th Street and Moyamensing Avenue in Southwark, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that Nicky Scarfo used as his criminal headquarters during his attempt to become the new boss of the Scarfo crime family. The 9M Bar would later be renamed Anthony's Bar. In the summer of 1983, his father Salvatore starting raising tension between himself and mob boss Nicky Scarfo. George Anastasia said, "He had been picked up on a drunken driving charge in Margate, New Jersey. Merlino, who often drank more than he could handle, tried to bribe the police officer who brought him a Breathalyzer test. He offered $400 in cash and his gold watch. Merlino made his offer while he was in the police station. The cops got it all on videotape." Joe's uncle Lawrence died December 2001 following his release from federal prison three years earlier from a conviction in 1988 on racketeering charges. He lived in Washington Square West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as an adult. He stands at 5'3 and weighs 105 pounds. He is a huge fan of the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Phillies professional sports teams. Philadelphia Inquirer crime reporter and author George Anastasia said that many years ago Joseph was a horse jockey and worked in a steakhouse restaurant and made cheesesteaks.