Sauce Gardner Spotted Hanging Out With Alleged Philly Mob Boss

Sauce Gardner was spotted hanging out with a rumored Philadelphia mob boss at a Fourth of July celebration on Thursday.

His name is Joseph Merlino. Bu because no self-respecting mobster would go by "Joseph," Merlino calls himself "Skinny Joey." And since I don't want to be on the mob's bad side, I'll call him that, too.

So Skinny Joey posted a video on his Instagram account (which, unfortunately, cannot be embedded) of himself shaking hands with the New York Jets cornerback on a pool deck. 

"My main man Sauce, the best defensive back in the NFL," Joey says, "I want to get him on the podcast."

In fairness, Gardner doesn't look too enthusiastic, and the whole thing gives hostage video vibes. But the two-time Pro Bowler did share the video on his own Instagram story, so maybe I'm reading it wrong.

Anyway, Joey — known as the "John Gotti Of Philadelphia" — was born into a mob family and took over virtually all organized crime in Philadelphia after the city’s bloody mob wars in the 1990s. Over the years, he's done several stints in prison for various convictions, including racketeering, extortion and bookmaking. At one point, he even faced murder charges, but he was acquitted.

Merlino, though, is now a free man and claims to be reformed.

Instead of doing crimes, "Skinny Joey" Merlino now spends his time owning a cheesesteak shop and hosting a podcast with a fella named Lil Snuff (not sure if that's a mobster name or a rap name). 

But who knows? Maybe they'll have Sauce Gardner on as a guest soon!