Genovese East Coast Gambling Ring Busted Up
 |
| Genovese capo Daniel Pagano, last August. |
Fourteen suspects are charged with multiple felony counts following a 16-month probe into a multimillion-dollar monthly sports-betting ring that allegedly operated in Rockland, New York City, Bergen County in New Jersey, and Florida, according to law enforcement officials.
All those arrested were arraigned and released without bail today.
"The defendants are accused of operating an incredibly lucrative gambling operation – taking in millions of dollars a month," Zugibe said. "Such unlawfully earned profits are commonly diverted to more insidious criminal enterprises.
"In fact, the investigation uncovered evidence that the enterprise had links to organized crime."
This is a second assault on the Genovese family in about one month. In late October, in Powerful Genovese Capo and His NJ Crew Nabbed This Week, we reported: "The Genovese crime family saw a major bust earlier this week that centered on an 80-year-old capo and his New Jersey-based crew, which earned more than $12 million from various rackets, including loansharking, unlicensed check cashing, gambling and a money laundering operation that included drug trafficking proceeds. "
Law enforcement seems to have targeted the Genovese family, the most powerful Mafia group in America.
Those arrested today range in age from 27 to 74; all are charged with promoting gambling, possession of gambling records, and money laundering, among other offenses, Zugibe said.
Investigators seized more than $3 million dollars in cash and property during the investigation, which included about 60 court-authorized search warrants in New York, New Jersey and Florida, Zugibe said.
Participants used threats and violence to collect debts, officials noted, and also loaned money as sharks.
The arrests came on the heels of an investigation spearheaded by District Attorney's Office Organized Crime Unit that led to a federal indictment in August of reputed Ramapo organized crime figure Daniel Pagano and a Suffern-based associate, Michael Palazzolo.
Pagano, son of late mobster Joseph Pagano, and Palazzolo were charged with loansharking and other gambling-related counts. Pagano was identified as a captain in the Genovese crime family by federal prosecutors. He also has served prison time for mob-related scams.
Both men pleaded not guilty and were also released on bond.
In September, a veteran Haverstraw-based gambler was was arrested on a loansharking charge during a separate investigation. Anthony DePalma, 69, a barbershop owner also known as "Harpo," was charged with criminal usury after more than $60,000 and loan records were seized during a May 29 raid on his business.
The latest crackdown was led by the Organized Crime Unit with the assistance of the New York State Police Special Investigative Unit, the Clarkstown Police Department, the Ramapo Police Department, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, the Queens District Attorney's Organized Crime Division, the NYPD Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Department of Homeland Security, the Broward County Sheriff's Department, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department and the FBI.