Joan Rivers is threatening to sue a 22-year-old female impersonator who portrays Joan in a Las Vegas show -- and steals the jokes she's using in her current nightclub act, says her attorney.

The fake "Joan," Frank Marino, received a letter in June from Joan's lawyer Paul Sherman demanding that he change his act in the Las Vegas show "An Evening at La Cage."

And if Marino doesn't do it, Joan is ready to sue him, Sherman said in the letter.

The attorney told The Enquirer that the comedienne has no objection to Marino impersonating her -- but to him using jokes from her own current Las Vegas act.

"Joan has been very friendly with him," Sherman said. "She told him, 'You can use my old material. But please don't do the jokes that I'm using right now.'"

Sherman said that at one time as much as 80 percent of Marino's material came from Joan's current act.

"Joan is prepared to protect her rights," he added. "We're prepared to sue."

But Marino claimed: "I use very few of her jokes.

"Paul Sherman stated that it's a common courtesy between comedians that they don't tke from other people.

"But I'm impersonating the woman, so it's kind of hard for me not to."

Marino -- who performs in a blonde wig and a $150,000 Rivers' look-alike wardrobe -- told The Enquirer that when Joan first saw him three years ago, she complimented him and later asked him the name of his dress designer.

"If she sues me, it will be the first time that a female impersonator was ever sued by the main star instead of being flattered and appreciated."

Marino's producer Norbert Aleman said: "The whole thing is stupid.

"They're trying to keep Frank from imitating her.

"He's gourgeous when he's all dressed up.

"You wouldn't know it wasn't Joan."

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