Looks like this is a follow up of the Pagano bust...
Rockland gambling crackdown leads to raids: DA
Steve Lieberman
December 2, 2014The Rockland District Attorney's Office continued its assault on organized crime-backed gambling with more than a dozen arrests on Tuesday.
The 14 suspects surrendered to face face multiple felony charges, culminating a 16-month investigation into a a multi-million dollar monthly sports betting operation that stretched from Rockland to New York City, Bergen County in New Jersey and Florida, officials said.
The ring took bets on professional football, basketball, baseball and college sports, Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said.
"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."
Those arrested, who range in age from 27 to 74, 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 other properties during the investigation, which included about 60 court-authorized search warrants in New York, New Jersey and Florida, Zugibe said.
Authorities noted gambling is not a victimless crime since the participants use threats and violence to collect debts and charge illegal interest rates on money owed.
Clarkstown Police Officer Peter Walker said numerous people were being fingerprinted and processed at police headquarters in New City. All those arrested were arraigned before Clarkstown Town Justice Rolf Thorsen and released without bail.
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, the son of the former late mobster Joseph Pagano, and Palazzolo were charged with a with loansharking and other gambling-related charges. Pagano has been identified as a captain in the Genovese crime family by federal prosecutors and has served prison time for mob-related scams.
Both men pleaded not guilty and have been 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 lastest 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.
The Internet allows gambling rings to expand over states and, sometimes, into foreign countries.
"Illegal gambling is not a victimless crime," Zugibe said. "Those who participate in these criminal enterprises often use threats, intimidation and even physical force to collect debts and regularly charge usurious interest rates on outstanding debts."
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2014/12/02/rockland-crackdown-gambling-mob-raids/19774629/Press Release (contains photos of those charged)http://rocklandgov.com/files/1214/1754/3508/2014.12.2_Sports_Betting.pdf
