Just a year after opening his South Philadelphia cheesesteak shop, “Skinny Joey” Merlino is launching new locations at the Jersey Shore and Delaware County, writes Michael Klein for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
According to his partner, Joe “Lil’ Snuff” Perri, the new Wildwood boardwalk location will be opening shortly after Memorial Day.
Perri discussed that the boardwalk location will feature the same core menu as the original store, plus pizza options, including plain cheese, a grandma pie, white, and two specials.
The new Skinny Joey’s in Delco will be opening at 1509 Meetinghouse Rd. in Boothwyn, at the site of the former Don’s Deli. They plan to open “around June,” according to Perri.
Almost five years ago, Merlino completed his supervised release, the final formality in a gambling case following allegations that he led a portion of the Philadelphia Mafia in the 1990s.
Rather than shying away from the spotlight, Merlino embraced it, with a podcast and a popular YouTube channel.
Perri and Merlino are proud of their business and the success they’ve had thus far. At their South Broad Street shop, they sell around 1,200 sandwiches daily.
“We’ve really made a mark,” he said. “For years, people coming to Philly talked about the usual spots like Pat’s and Geno’s. Now we’re part of that conversation.”
Read more about the new Skinny Joey’s cheesesteak shops coming to Wildwood and Boothwyn in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on DELCO Today in May 2026.
