Family ties to notorious mob figures are not enough to bar Joseph N. Merlino, his mother, and their construction company from working on Atlantic City casino construction sites, a hearing examiner for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission has ruled.
In a 67-page report released yesterday, William T. Sommeling blasted the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement for presenting circumstantial evidence against the Merlinos that was "unreliable, uncorroborated and, in some instances, demonstrably false" and said he found no reason to deny the license applications filed by the Merlinos and their company, Bayshore Rebar of Pleasantville, N.J.
The division had cited past and current alleged associations between the Merlinos and the Philadelphia crime family recently led by jailed Joseph S. "Skinny Joey" Merlino as reasons to deny their license applications.
Joseph N. Merlino, 43, is the mob figure's cousin. His mother, Phyllis, is Skinny Joey's aunt.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Examiner won't bar Merlino family firm from Atlantic City Work
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
