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Joey Merlino sits at the center of Netflix’s three-part docuseries Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia, so the first question is simple. Where is he now, and what is he doing?
As the series revisits the early 1990s war in South Philadelphia, present-day details still draw attention. Merlino maintains a public presence. He co-hosts a weekly sports-betting show and runs a cheesesteak shop in Philadelphia.
He has long denied being part of the Mafia and has not been convicted of murder. The series notes he was wounded in 1993 and later imprisoned for racketeering, then returned to civilian life after release.
Where is Joey Merlino now
Merlino lives a mostly open life. He launched a podcast, The Skinny With Joey Merlino, in 2023 and continues to post picks and commentary. In late March 2025, he opened Skinny Joey’s Cheesesteaks near Philadelphia’s stadium district, drawing visits from celebrities and former players. Per People.com, he splits time between Philadelphia and a residence in Boca Raton and has leaned into restaurant and media work.
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He has said he is retired from crime and denies ever being a Mafia member. Organized crime reporters have stated he was reportedly “shelved” by the Philadelphia organization in 2024 after stepping into social media and podcasting.
That claim remains untested in court and is described in reporting as internal mob discipline, not a charge. The series also suggests federal attention has not fully faded, a point made through interviews and archival surveillance shown on screen.
Joey Merlino in Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia
The docuseries places Merlino against John Stanfa during a period of street shootings, attempted hits, and broad surveillance. It walks through the August 1993 ambush that killed Michael Ciancaglini and left Merlino wounded, then the drive-by that targeted Stanfa weeks later.
Interviews and recordings frame how investigators moved from wires and informants to court outcomes. Merlino’s on-camera presence is limited to archival material; the series notes he denies being violent or a made member. Viewers see how prosecutors built cases while still leaving disputed acts labeled as alleged.
Joey Merlino’s record and court outcomes
Merlino has multiple convictions, but none for murder. In 2001, a federal jury acquitted him of murder counts yet convicted him of racketeering offenses that included extortion, bookmaking, and receiving stolen property.
He received a 14-year federal sentence and ultimately served about 11 years before his March 2011 release. According to the New York Times, that sentence followed a long racketeering trial that also ensnared several associates.
Post-release, he was later charged in a 2016 case in New York that ended with a mistrial on several counts. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to an illegal gambling offense to avoid retrial and received a two-year sentence. He was released in 2019. None of these proceedings established a homicide conviction, and several allegations from the 1990s remain contested or were labeled as alleged acts by cooperating witnesses.
Joey Merlino since release, and why the question matters after Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia
Since 2019, activity has centered on legal business, media, and public appearances. The podcast began in 2023. Restaurant plans took shape through 2024 and opened in March 2025, with steady promotion and guest visits.
For viewers of the Netflix series, the present context helps decode what the cameras show. The war years carry heavy claims, many based on surveillance, informants, and plea deals.
The public record shows a racketeering sentence in 2001, a gambling plea in 2018, and no murder conviction. Today, Joey Merlino is reportedly focused on a cheesesteak business and a podcast, while the long trail of alleged acts and courtroom battles remains part of his story.
Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia streaming on Netflix.
