New York: Mafia-Linked Illegal Gambling Scheme
A shady gaming operation that was purportedly associated with one of New York’s notorious mafia families was busted by the New York City Police Department. The operation of illicit gambling activities, racketeering, and money laundering have been accused of by six people who have been detained.
Millions Received Through Illegal Gambling Scheme
The FBI and the New York Police Department were successful in exposing a significant illegal gambling operation that was being controlled by 57-year-old Anthony Villani of New York. Villani is purportedly a “soldato” of the renowned Lucchese mafia family of New York. In the US mafia’s formal structure, a “soldato” is the lowest position.
Together with other collaborators, Villani established and managed Rhino Sports, a significant gambling enterprise that had a big number of local bookies in New York and an offshore gambling website hosted on servers in Costa Rica. The bets had to be taken in cash, and any winners had to be paid out by the bookmakers.
The website had between 400 and 1,300 weekly regular participants, the majority of whom lived in New York City.
Villani employed colleagues to assist in running the company. The Lucchese family provided some of the bookmakers, but other La Cosa Nostra families also participated.
From 2004 through 2020, the illegal gambling system was in operation. Law enforcement investigators estimate that Villani received $1 million in winnings from the company each year.
Over $407,000 in cash was also seized by the police during Villani’s arrest at his New York home. Partners of Villani, Louis Tucci, Jr. aka “Tooch,” Dennis Filizzola, and James Coumoutsos aka “Quick,” were the other defendants detained in New York. The Florida police detained the accused Michael Praino, also known as “Platinum.”
The FBI Commit to Eradicate the New York Mafia
Michael Driscoll, Assistant director-in-charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), commented “Members of the mafia are not giving up the tried-and-true methods of criminal behavior, even in the face of the burgeoning world of legal gambling. As we allege, a Lucchese soldier and other family members ran an illegal gambling operation and offered their clientele the same twisted customer service: do what they say or face terrifying consequences. One thing these criminals can bet on – the FBI will continue our pursuit.”
The fact that La Cosa Nostra is still active in the gambling industry despite the state of New York having legalized sports betting worries Breon Peace, US attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Operations involving gambling are frequently linked to money-laundering plans as well. The member families profit illegally by millions of dollars from these actions.
Peace said that the FBI, prosecutors, and law enforcement in New York have vowed to continue to crack down on La Cosa Nostra until it is completely eradicated from the city.
He also took the opportunity to thank the Westchester County Police, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in bringing the operation to a successful conclusion with the defendants’ arrests.
