Bada bing! Philadelphia 'mafia king' Skinny Joey is released on $5m bail, ordered to wear an ankle bracelet and confined to his mansion and the Italian restaurant he owns

Joseph Merlino, also known as 'Skinny Joey', may soon have to get used to a steady diet of prison food.

The man who is widely believed to be the head of Philadelphia's largest organized crime ring was likely to be released on Friday after a federal judge granted him $5million bail, according to the Associated Press.

Merlino, 54, has been ordered to stay at his home in Boca Raton, Florida, where he will be required to wear an ankle monitor so that authorities can monitor his movements.

US Magistrate Judge William Matthewson said Merlino can work from 7am to 7pm at the local restaurant that bears his name, Merlino's, which he says will reopen in October, and travel to New York City, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, including to attend a family day at his two daughters' university. Merlino is expected to be released from Palm Beach County jail later Friday.

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Merlino - one of the more flamboyant figures in the American underworld - has already spent nearly half of his life - 20 years - in prison for various criminal offenses, including armed robbery, fraud, and racketeering.

Matthewson asked Merlino for assurances that he will obey the conditions of his release, saying he didn't want to issue a warrant for his arrest.

'Don't worry your honor, you won't,' replied the unshaven Merlino, who was dressed in dark blue jail overalls and shackled at the wrists and ankles. Merlino faces up to 20 years in prison on charges that he was part of a health care fraud scheme where conspirators got corrupt doctors to bill insurers for unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for expensive compound creams in exchange for kickbacks.

He was one of nearly four dozen reputed members of an East Coast crime syndicate who were charged last week with racketeering and various crimes including extortion, loansharking, casino-style gambling, sports gambling, credit card fraud and health care fraud.

Federal prosecutors say the syndicate operated in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey. 

Prosecutors agreed to Merlino's release, a 180-degree turn from documents filed last week that called him a 'danger to the community' and requested that he be held without bail. 

Attorney David Roth, who represents Merlino, insisted his client's 'devotion' to his wife Deborah and two adult daughters would keep him in check while he waited for his trial, Palm Beach Post reports.

His wife, 47,  and two friends will also liable for $5 million if he runs while out on bail after she signed a release to pledge a $575,000 house she owns in Philadelphia.

David McCaffrey and Anthony Marano, friends of Merlino, also pledged their properties in Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale.  

Assistant US Attorney Aurora Fagan couldn't explain the shift to Matthewson, saying it was a decision made in New York where the investigation is headquartered. The US attorney's office in Manhattan had no immediate comment.

'Boss': Joseph 'Skinny Joey' Merlino (pictured in 1995, left and 1997, right), 54, was among the 46 indicted suspects. He is believed to head up Philadelphia's mob operations, and is accused of leading the operation alongside the New York families

Reputed mob underboss Joseph 'Skinny Joey' Merlino (pictured  preparing donations for the homeless in 1995) was a reputed member of an East Coast crime syndicate who were charged last week with racketeering and various crimes 

His devotion to his stunning Korean wife may have been tested in the past when she was caught up amid allegations of an affair after cocaine trafficker Billy Rinnick was caught in a police bust hiding underneath Deborah's bed - wearing nothing but his underwear - while her husband was in jail.

Friends of the mobster's wife always denied anything was going on between the two and insisted Rinnick was just a friend.

But two years later, during Rinnick's 2003 murder trial, he told the court that Deborah had been conducting a secret affair with a New York football player – and later aborted the jock's baby, New York Post reported at the time.

The football player was never named.

But prosecutors accused the drug dealer of lying to try and settle a score with Deborah and would have said anything to avoid the death sentence. He was convicted of murder and jailed for life.

The massive syndicate - known as the 'East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise' - was formed from a rare pact between the powerful families. 

The mob bust saw 46 people - including alleged members of some of New York's biggest Mafia families - indicted on charges including extortion, gun-running and assault, federal officials say.

The FBI and local police swooped on suspected organized crime members last week in a states-spanning bust that sees each suspect facing at least one racketeering charge with a maximum 20-year sentence.

In addition to Merlino, alleged members of the Genoveses, Gambinos, Lucheses and Bonannos - four of the New York mob's infamous 'five families' - were arrested.

Deborah Wells Merlino, wife of Joey Merlino, is pictured leaving the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building United States Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida 

'Skinny Joey' has been allowed out of jail on house arrest but will be allowed to go to his restaurant Marino's (pictured) in Boca Raton to help prepare for its reopening

Merlino will be placed under house arrest at his home in the 600 block of northeast 4th Street in Boca Raton, Florida

The news of Merlino's arrest came despite a pledge he made in 2013 vowing not to return to a life of crime after completing his prior stint in prison.

'I want no part of that', he told Philly Voice in 2013. 'Too many rats'.

According to the report, Merlino was busted as a result of an undercover investigation by the FBI, which used informants and moles wearing audio and video recording equipment.

The recordings allegedly catch Merlino making incriminating statements about himself and others.

Specifically, the recordings, which include hundreds of hours of conversations, offer clues as to how Merlino – despite spending 11 years in prison – was able to quickly reassume an opulent lifestyle in Florida, complete with a beachside condo, trips to the gym, and outings to exclusive restaurants and cigar bars.

Authorities have zeroed in on a restaurant that he owns and which bears his name, Merlino's, though it is believed to be a front for illicit activity.

If convicted in this latest bust, Merlino could be facing a lengthy prison term that would exceed the time he has served behind bars to this point.

Thus far, Merlino has spent nearly 20 years in prison. Among his crimes was the robbery of an armored truck carrying $375,000. 

Arrested: Ralph 'Ralphie Sant' Santaniello, 49, of Longmeadow, Mass, was one of 46 men arrested in a massive, East-Coast-wide sting by FBI and local police Thursday. He is allegedly a member of the New York-based Genovese crime family

Booked: Francesco 'Sammy Shark' Depergola, 60, also of Mass, was also taken in. Cops say they're members of the 'East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise,' a pact between New York's Genovese, Gambino, Luchese and Bonanno crime families

In court: Bradford Wedra is seen entering Manhattan federal court on Thursday. And alleged member of the East Coast Enterprise, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if he is convicted on racketeering charges

Mugshots: (l-r) John 'Johnny' Lembo, 50, is accused of acquiring a machine to duplicate credit cards; Pasquale 'Mustache Pat' Capolongo, 67, is referred to as a 'longtime bookmaker' in documents; John 'Tugboat' Tognino, 74, was linked to gambling

Named: (l-r) Wayne Kreisberg, 39, was linked to medical scams; Anthony 'Harpo' DePalma, 70, was named as 'a member of the Enterprise'; Richard 'Richie' LaCava, 67, is accused of selling contraband cigarettes worth $3million

Boss: Pasquale 'Patsy' Parrello (pictured left in 2001), 72, is alleged to be one of the Enterprise's ringleaders, alongside Merlino;  Mark 'Stymie' Maiuzzo (right), 37, allegedly set fire to a car owned by someone from a rival gambling syndicate

Among those arrested in the sting were the colorfully named Anthony 'Tony the Wig' Vazzano, who is also known as 'Muscles'; Pasquale Capolongo, whose nicknames include 'Mustache Pat' and 'Fish'; and Vincent 'Big Vinny' Terracciano. 

Suspects were arrested on charges throughout the East Coast, including New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Florida, during which agents recovered three handguns, a shotgun, gambling paraphernalia and more than $30,000 in cash.

However, an indictment in Manhattan federal court said the crime activities were mostly based in New York. 

Most of those arrested were from the Genoveses and Lucheses.

They include Pasquale 'Patsy' Parrello, 72, of the Genovese family and Eugene 'Rooster' Onofrio, the NY Daily News said.

They and Merlino 'supervised and controlled members of the enterprise engaged in illegal schemes,' according to the indictment.

Busted! Giovanni 'Johnny Cal' Calabrese, 53, was not among the 46 names but was nonetheless arrested in Springfield, Mass., and accused of conspiring with men with ties to the Genovese crime family

Accused: Richard Valentini, 51, of East Longmeadow, was also accused of conspiring with Santaniello, Calabrese and Depergola. The men are all members of the so-called 'Springfield Crew'

Wise guy: The four men are also accused of joining a fifth man, Gerald Daniele (pictured), 51, of Longmeadow, to loan $3,700 in cash to a person to pay off gambling losses; when the victim didn't repay, they allegedly worked together to 'punish' him

Those alleged schemes also included selling untaxed cigarettes - worth up to $3million - and handguns, as well as healthcare fraud, arson, extortion and assault.

The assault occurred outside 'Pasquale's Rigoletto Restaurant' in the Bronx, owned by Parrello, when he told his goons to beat up a panhandler, court papers claim.

They said that his men - who allegedly included another indicted man, Israel Torres - first threatened the wrong man, then set about beating the panhandler 'with glass jars, sharp objects and steel-tipped boots, causing bodily harm.'

He's also accused of ordering a retaliatory attack on a man who stabbed one of his associates outside a Bronx bar. 

Parrello cautioned Anthony 'Anthony Boy' Zinzi, who was also indicted, to 'keep the pipes handy and pipe him, pipe him, over here (gesturing to the knees), not on his head,' according to court papers.

Reynold Alberti (pictured) - also known as 'Randy' - was one of the 45 people charged with racketeering

Among those arrested are the colorfully named Anthony 'Tony the Wig' Vazzano (pictured), who is also known as 'Muscles'

Nicholas 'Nicky The Wig' Vuolo (left) and other mobsters were also seen outside Manhattan federal court

Joseph Falco - better known as 'Joe Cub' - of the Bronx, New York, appeared to smirk as he left court

Authorities say the East Coast Enterprise was also involved in loansharking, casino-style gambling, sports gambling and credit card fraud.

One gambling hub, known as 'the Yonkers Club', allegedly held poker and dice tournaments, and took bets on horse racing.

One of the men supposedly associated with that club, Mark 'Stymie' Maiuzzo, set fire to a car owned by a member of a rival gambling operation on the orders of Zinzi, authorities say.

The syndicate members would allegedly hold meetings at highway rest stops and restaurants, using codes to communicate their plans in secret from 2010 to at least June 2016.

The FBI say they uncovered the plans using informants who infiltrated the groups, some wearing video and audio wires.

Federal prosecutors charged nearly four dozen people with being part of an East Coast crime syndicate (center, Vincent Thomas, who was charged with racketeering)

Vincent 'Vinny' Casablanca, 49, of the Bronx, New York, was pictured smoking a cigarette as he left court with friends and family

Marco Minuto (left), 80, of the Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, angrily gestured to the cameras as he left court

John 'Johnny Joe' Spirito, 34, seemed calm as he walked alongside a friend outside Manhattan Federal Court

Alleged mobster Randy Alberti gets into a black car outside Manhattan federal court

One source from Florida law enforcement told the Philly Voice that Merlino met 'frequently' with one of the informants.

Parrello spent four years in prison for loansharking and embezzlement and was released in April 2008.

Merlino, meanwhile, lives in Baton Rouge, Florida and claims to have given up crime - but authorities claim he continues to run the Pennsylvania city's mob family.

He is the only member of his family to be arrested, the Philly Voice said, although more indictments may follow.

With two prior federal convictions - one for racketeering, one for meeting with former associates in violation of parole - Merlino could face a long prison sentence if he is found guilty. 

Feds say they also plan to use forfeiture laws to seize money and property from the suspects. 

Chief: The head of the NY FBI, Diego Rodriguez (pictured) said the indictment 'reads like an old-school Mafia novel'

In a statement Diego Rodriguez, head of the FBI's New York office, said the indictment 'reads like an old-school Mafia novel where extortion, illegal gambling, arson and threats to 'whack' someone are carried out along with some modern-day crimes of credit card skimming.'

Five arrests were made in Massachusetts Thursday morning, with Ralph A Santaniello, Francesco 'Sammy Shark' Depergola, Giovanni 'Johnny Cal' Calabrese, Richard Valentini and Gerald Daniele all being taken in. 

Only Santaniello and Depergola were named in the New York indictment - but both they, Valentini and Calabrese are accused of extorting $17,000 from a tow truck driver between September and November 2013.

They allegedly threatened to cut off the man's head and bury it in his back yard if he didn't pay up, the Boston Globe reported. 

The men are also accused of joining up with Daniele to lend $3,700 to a man to cover gambling losses, then 'punishing' him for not paying up.

'Scene of the crime': According to the indictment, Pasquale 'Patsy' Parrello, one of the alleged leaders of the operation, had a panhandler beaten up outside 'Pasquale's Rigoletto Restaurant' (pictured), his Bronx eaterie

The men, who are allegedly members of the so-called 'Springfield Crew,' have been charged with various extortion counts. 

Also on Thursday, the grandson of John Gotti - former boss of the Gambino crime family - was arrested on drug-dealing charges after $250,000 in cash and 1,000 oxycodone pills were found on his properties.

The Gotti arrest - part of 'Operation Beach Party' - was unrelated to the East Coast indictments.