NEWARK, N.J. - Forty-three people were charged and guns, cocaine and $1 million in cash seized as authorities moved to break up a sports betting ring allegedly operated by members of three organized crime families in northern New Jersey.
A joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and state police began in January following a tip that a gambling ring, which used a so-called wire room in Costa Rica to process bets placed by phone and computer, was being run out of the Caffe Roma in East Rutherford, Prosecutor John Molinelli said Wednesday.
"It's the direction illegal gambling is taking," Molinelli said of the offshore connection. "You get an access code, you get an 800 number letting you call the wire room and place a bet."
Molinelli said investigators learned that the cafe was also used as a base of operations for a faction of the Genovese crime family that engaged in a variety of illegal activities, including extortion, loan sharking, fencing stolen property and drug dealing. He said members of the Lucchese and Bonanno crime families were also involved.
Messages left on Caffe Roma's answering machine Wednesday were not returned.
The operation took in some $300,000 per week from bettors who paid a $25 weekly fee in exchange for numbers and access codes allowing them to place bets to the Costa Rican wire room, Molinelli said. "Runners" would collect the weekly fees, and "agents" would make payments to winners or collect from losers.
In one case, on Oct. 8, a losing bettor's car was set on fire to intimidate him into making an overdue payment, Molinelli said.
All but three of the people charged live in New Jersey, most in Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties. Charges included racketeering, promoting gambling, trafficking stolen property, money laundering, loan sharking, aggravated arson and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Molinelli said most of those charged in the ring had been arrested by Wednesday afternoon, though six of the suspects remained at large. Some 25 guns were seized, as well as the cash and drugs.
A break in the case came when one of the defendants, Anthony Carnevale, 26, of Staten Island, was stopped on the Garden State Parkway on Oct. 15. Authorities seized $38,000 in cash he was holding, Molinelli said. He said Carnevale was stopped again on the Parkway on Nov. 22, when another $60,000 was seized.
Investigators had learned that Carnevale routinely dropped of cash at the Millburn home of an elderly couple, Carmen and Rose Cicalese, and later seized another $10,000 in cash there, Molinelli said. He said investigators seized another $670,000 from two safety deposit boxes the couple maintained.
The Cicaleses, who have a non-published telephone number, remained at large Wednesday, charged with money laundering, Molinelli said. Carmen Cicalese was also charged with racketeering, promoting gambling and conspiracy.
Carnevale was arrested on charges of racketeering, money laundering, promoting gambling and hindering apprehension. His telephone number was not listed in directory information.
By STEVE STRUNSKY
Associated Press Writer Newsday.com
A joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and state police began in January following a tip that a gambling ring, which used a so-called wire room in Costa Rica to process bets placed by phone and computer, was being run out of the Caffe Roma in East Rutherford, Prosecutor John Molinelli said Wednesday.
"It's the direction illegal gambling is taking," Molinelli said of the offshore connection. "You get an access code, you get an 800 number letting you call the wire room and place a bet."
Molinelli said investigators learned that the cafe was also used as a base of operations for a faction of the Genovese crime family that engaged in a variety of illegal activities, including extortion, loan sharking, fencing stolen property and drug dealing. He said members of the Lucchese and Bonanno crime families were also involved.
Messages left on Caffe Roma's answering machine Wednesday were not returned.
The operation took in some $300,000 per week from bettors who paid a $25 weekly fee in exchange for numbers and access codes allowing them to place bets to the Costa Rican wire room, Molinelli said. "Runners" would collect the weekly fees, and "agents" would make payments to winners or collect from losers.
In one case, on Oct. 8, a losing bettor's car was set on fire to intimidate him into making an overdue payment, Molinelli said.
All but three of the people charged live in New Jersey, most in Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties. Charges included racketeering, promoting gambling, trafficking stolen property, money laundering, loan sharking, aggravated arson and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Molinelli said most of those charged in the ring had been arrested by Wednesday afternoon, though six of the suspects remained at large. Some 25 guns were seized, as well as the cash and drugs.
A break in the case came when one of the defendants, Anthony Carnevale, 26, of Staten Island, was stopped on the Garden State Parkway on Oct. 15. Authorities seized $38,000 in cash he was holding, Molinelli said. He said Carnevale was stopped again on the Parkway on Nov. 22, when another $60,000 was seized.
Investigators had learned that Carnevale routinely dropped of cash at the Millburn home of an elderly couple, Carmen and Rose Cicalese, and later seized another $10,000 in cash there, Molinelli said. He said investigators seized another $670,000 from two safety deposit boxes the couple maintained.
The Cicaleses, who have a non-published telephone number, remained at large Wednesday, charged with money laundering, Molinelli said. Carmen Cicalese was also charged with racketeering, promoting gambling and conspiracy.
Carnevale was arrested on charges of racketeering, money laundering, promoting gambling and hindering apprehension. His telephone number was not listed in directory information.
By STEVE STRUNSKY
Associated Press Writer Newsday.com
