Mob boss Joey to juror: ‘Hi, Sylvia’
Reputed Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino greeted a juror at his racketeering trial by name outside a Manhattan courtroom — while surrounded by members of his “crew,” the woman revealed Thursday.
The juror — No. 9 — told federal Judge Richard Sullivan that she was waiting for an elevator when Merlino spoke to her following the end of testimony Wednesday, according to an official transcript of their closeddoor meeting in the judge’s robing room.
But while many people would have been terrified by the strictly forbidden interaction, the fearless New Yorker said she was merely struck by the brazenness of the reputed gangster.
Asked to describe Merlino’s approach, the juror said, “Not close, but, like, he was on that side, on the opposite side over there, before you get to the exit, and he just said, ‘Hi, Sylvia,’ and I just turned my head, like, ‘Some nerve.’ ”
The juror, whose last name is being withheld by The Post, said she didn’t respond to Merlino — who beat three murder raps in 2001 — but noted he wasn’t alone.
“There was some people. I guess his crew. I’m saying ‘crew’ because I don’t know what else to say, his crew that was all over that side, I guess waiting for somebody to come out or something,” she said.
When Sullivan asked if the incident would affect the juror’s ability to be fair and impartial to the defendant, she said, “No, not at all.”
Back in the courtroom, Sullivan gave a stern tongue-lashing to Merlino, who earlier had denied ever greeting or speaking to the juror.
“Mr. Merlino, you are to have no contact with jurors, even to say, ‘Good morning,’ even to say, ‘Hello.’ Do you understand?” he said.
Merlino — whose wife, Deborah, was startled by a snitch’s testimony Wednesday that the wiseguy had been cheating on her — mumbled something in response, prompting the judge to admonish him again.