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Michael Cohen's Viral Promise to Prison Buddies Tony Meatballs and Big Minty

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  December 29, 2020 8:45 AM

A clip of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen went viral on Monday night after he did some name dropping while discussing a promise he made to his prison pals.

While discussing his recent lawsuit, which argues he deserves early release from home confinement, Cohen said he filed two writs. 

“One is a writ of habeas corpus, the other is a writ of mandamus,” he said on MSNBC's "The Beat with Ari Melber." "Now, I did the mandamus because I made a promise to guys back at Otisville, like my buddies Tony Meatballs and Big Minty, that I wasn't going to stop once I got out, once I was put back on home confinement.”

In 2018 Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine after pleading guilty to tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and other charges. In May 2019 he reported to Federal Correctional Institute Otisville but was released a year later over COVID-19 concerns. 

“Cohen was put on home confinement but was put back in prison in July after refusing to sign an agreement that stipulated he would have no contact with the media -- including releasing his tell-all book -- for the remainder of his sentence,” according to The Big Lead. “Cohen successfully sued to challenge that ruling and was again released on July 24.”

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The New York Post reported last month that Tony Meatballs was among the “South Philly mobsters charged in a sweeping federal indictment..."

The suspects are accused of everything from illegal sports betting to heroin-peddling to offering loans at 400 percent interest — not to mention plotting to kidnap and possibly murder a drug dealer to save their reputations after the guy sold them fake narcotics.

Anthony “Tony Meatballs’’ Gifoli, 72, was named in the superseding grand-jury indictment along with others including accused La Cosa Nostra underboss Steven “Stevie’’ Mazzone and alleged capo Domenic “Mr. Hopkins’’ Grande, the feds said. (New York Post)

Cohen told The Hill in a recent interview that he would continue fighting for prison reform. 

Twitter users had a variety of reactions to the clip.