Well Said. I always compare the legalities of gambling to the legalities of marijuana. I'm an avid poker player and this is how I see it, technically it's illegal to have a poker game at your house with a few buddies BUT if the state opens a casino there's nothing stopping you from losing your entire life savings in the blink of an eye and we all know how absolutely terrible the odds in a casino are. This is perfectly legal for you to lose your life savings in a casino in the blink of an eye. Why? Because the state/government are getting a piece of it. Same with marijuana which IMO is much, much less harmful than alcohol. It's not illegal for someone to walk into a bar or liquor store and purchase enough alcohol to kill themselves or someone else or in some cases numerous people. Why? Because the state/government are getting a piece of it. Ironically, technically it's illegal to smoke a joint in the comfort of your own home before you go to sleep at night. Why? The state/government are NOT getting a piece of it. It's a contradictory country we live in and if the Supreme Court would actually start doing their job maybe eventually we can live in a country where the almighty dollar doesn't have the final word in every fucking legal decision made in this country.
a local I used twenty + years ago was busted because he was taking action from Hartford Jai Lai players. The players were being investigated for fixing games at the fronton, their phones were being wiretapped, and he was essentially in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We were all worried that we might be busted. They had to record our calls, and they found his records when they raided his home. Evidently,they couldn't use any wiretapping evidence against us, only the Jai Lai players, and / or they were not really interested in the small potatoes. Nothing ever happened.
had to ask my buddy who knew him better, he was Jewish.
Radio Sports Personality Was Betting Big, Documents Say
Supposedly Wagered At Least $350,000 In Two Years
Sports Gambling Ring: Thirteen Charged in Greater Hartford Betting Operation
By DON STACOM, dstacom@courant.com The Hartford Courant December 22, 2010
BRISTOL — —
Radio personality Sebastian told detectives investigating an illegal sports betting operation that he paid more than $350,000 for gambling losses in two years, according to court documents.
Joseph Schlosser, the radio show host who goes by the name Sebastian, is one of more than a dozen people facing criminal charges after a yearlong state police investigation.
Schlosser was arraigned Tuesday in Superior Court in Bristol. As with other defendants, his case was transferred to Superior Court in New Britain, where he is scheduled to appear Jan. 4. He said nothing during his brief appearance in court with his attorney, James Armentano.
[Sample Our Free Breaking News Alert And 3 P.M. News Newsletters]
Schlosser, a Wolcott town official and an 81-year-old Bristol man were among those arrested Nov. 17 after a joint investigation by the FBI, the IRS, the chief state's attorney's office and the statewide organized crime investigative task force.
State police say more arrests are possible. Court officials have blacked out extensive sections of the arrest warrant affidavits, but numerous case files contain references to Paul Graziano, a Burlington man identified by several defendants as handling illegal sports bets.
Court records show that no charges have been filed against Graziano. When asked to explain that on Tuesday, a state police spokesman said only that the investigation is continuing.
Troopers and federal agents searched Graziano's house on Dec. 11, 2009, and seized nearly $11,000, a $30,000 check and handwritten gambling slips, according to the affidavits. But they didn't arrest the 13 defendants until 11 months later.
Schlosser, who will turn 63 on Dec. 30, told investigators that he has been betting on sports events for much of his life, according to the affidavits. Between January 2008 and mid-November 2009, he paid Graziano more than $350,000 in gambling debts, but still owed another $30,000, Schlosser told IRS Special Agent Jeff Miller last January, according to the affidavits.
"If Schlosser was owed money, Graziano would pay him in cash, given to him in person in a plain, unmarked envelope," according to Miller's account of what Schlosser told him. "If Schlosser owed Graziano money, Schlosser would pay by check from his 'Sebastian Sports' business account."
The affidavits list a Burlington phone number as being Graziano's. A woman who answered the phone there Tuesday afternoon said Graziano was unavailable, then hung up.
Schlosser is charged with professional gambling and transmitting gambling information. He was a long-time morning radio personality at WCCC until last year, and has done an NFL pregame show on WTIC since then. The station's website still promotes WTIC's Pregame Blitz with Sebastian and former New England Patriot Tebucky Jones. Station Manager Steven Salhany said Tuesday that the show isn't airing now, but declined to elaborate.
Supposedly Wagered At Least $350,000 In Two Years
Sports Gambling Ring: Thirteen Charged in Greater Hartford Betting Operation By DON STACOM, dstacom@courant.com The Hartford Courant December 22, 2010
BRISTOL — —
Radio personality Sebastian told detectives investigating an illegal sports betting operation that he paid more than $350,000 for gambling losses in two years, according to court documents.
Joseph Schlosser, the radio show host who goes by the name Sebastian, is one of more than a dozen people facing criminal charges after a yearlong state police investigation.
Schlosser was arraigned Tuesday in Superior Court in Bristol. As with other defendants, his case was transferred to Superior Court in New Britain, where he is scheduled to appear Jan. 4. He said nothing during his brief appearance in court with his attorney, James Armentano.
[Sample Our Free Breaking News Alert And 3 P.M. News Newsletters]
Schlosser, a Wolcott town official and an 81-year-old Bristol man were among those arrested Nov. 17 after a joint investigation by the FBI, the IRS, the chief state's attorney's office and the statewide organized crime investigative task force.
State police say more arrests are possible. Court officials have blacked out extensive sections of the arrest warrant affidavits, but numerous case files contain references to Paul Graziano, a Burlington man identified by several defendants as handling illegal sports bets.
Court records show that no charges have been filed against Graziano. When asked to explain that on Tuesday, a state police spokesman said only that the investigation is continuing.
Troopers and federal agents searched Graziano's house on Dec. 11, 2009, and seized nearly $11,000, a $30,000 check and handwritten gambling slips, according to the affidavits. But they didn't arrest the 13 defendants until 11 months later.
Schlosser, who will turn 63 on Dec. 30, told investigators that he has been betting on sports events for much of his life, according to the affidavits. Between January 2008 and mid-November 2009, he paid Graziano more than $350,000 in gambling debts, but still owed another $30,000, Schlosser told IRS Special Agent Jeff Miller last January, according to the affidavits.
"If Schlosser was owed money, Graziano would pay him in cash, given to him in person in a plain, unmarked envelope," according to Miller's account of what Schlosser told him. "If Schlosser owed Graziano money, Schlosser would pay by check from his 'Sebastian Sports' business account."
The affidavits list a Burlington phone number as being Graziano's. A woman who answered the phone there Tuesday afternoon said Graziano was unavailable, then hung up.
Schlosser is charged with professional gambling and transmitting gambling information. He was a long-time morning radio personality at WCCC until last year, and has done an NFL pregame show on WTIC since then. The station's website still promotes WTIC's Pregame Blitz with Sebastian and former New England Patriot Tebucky Jones. Station Manager Steven Salhany said Tuesday that the show isn't airing now, but declined to elaborate.
