New York Jets player Sauce Gardner was spotted spending time with alleged mob leader “Skinny Joey” Merlino at a gathering in Florida this past weekend. Joseph Salvatore Merlino, often identified as the head of the Philadelphia mob, famously took over the Borgata in the mid-1990s by displacing then-leader John Stanfa.

At 62, Merlino enjoys public attention and has amassed more than 100,000 Instagram followers. He shared a video on the platform featuring himself and Gardner this Saturday, hinting at a future podcast collaboration with a caption that read, “My main man @saucegardner stay tuned Podcast coming soon 🎙️🌶️ 🏈.”

A commenter playfully noted an Italian individual who is notably cool with African-Americans, adding humor regarding potential football matchups. Meanwhile, Sauce Gardner, a prominent NFL cornerback, has grabbed headlines not just for his sports prowess but also for his association with a man who has had his fair share of legal troubles.

Joey Merlino, who previously served time for racketeering among other charges, was imprisoned in 2001. Although acquitted of murder charges alongside six others, Merlino was not completely free of the justice system; he briefly returned to prison years later due to involvement in illegal gambling.

More recently, in May, his cheesesteak restaurant, Ace of Steaks, was the site of a fire that police suspect was an act of arson, confirmed by Fire Marshal Tanya Little.

In other news, fans were both shocked and entertained when Sauce Gardner shared a video of himself playing golf in harsh conditions without a shirt, highlighting his tough and carefree persona outside the football field.