Do Staten Islanders know that sports betting is now legal in New York?
Some of them might not, as evidenced by State Attorney General Letitia James’ announcement of the arrest of 17 Staten Island-based associates of the Gambino Crime Family on Wednesday. Among other crimes, they stand charged with running a $22 million illegal sports betting ring through on offshore website.
According to the Staten Island Advocate and the AG’s office, Edward LaForte managed the offshore site ubet1288, which took in $22.7 million in sports wagers from over 70 bettors between September 2022 and March 2023.
Through a wiretap, investigators learned that one bettor had a “system” that resulted in a profit of some $800,000. But more often than not, the Gambino gamblers would fall into thousands of dollars in debt.
History has established that mafiosos are nothing if not multifaceted entrepreneurs. Hence, when these sports bettors fell into debt, the ring’s organizers — chief among them LaForte, John Matera, and Anthony Cinque of Edison, New Jersey — reportedly offered them loans at predatory rates.
‘No One Was Smacked’
In court earlier this week, LaForte’s attorney argued that, hey, at least nobody got roughed up.
“The so-called victims all love LaForte,” said defense counselor Mathew Mari. “He’s a gentleman. No one was smacked, no one was threatened, no one was hollered at.”
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This kinder, gentler approach marks a departure in the career of co-defendant Matera, who was previously convicted of racketeering conspiracy in connection with the murder of a man outside a Staten Island strip club.
Among the 17 charged are a retired NYPD officer, Frank Falcone Sr., and his 41-year-old son, Frank Jr. Aware that the heat was about to come down, they greeted Frank Sr.’s former colleagues on their front stoop Tuesday morning, calmly and conveniently surrendering their freedom.
“As we have seen for over a century and once again here, illegal bookmaking is often intertwined with organized crime,” New York State Gaming Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer said in the AG’s release. “This is why we have regulated gaming with strong safeguards, player protections, and revenue to make our communities better. With the numerous legal gambling opportunities available in our state, there is no legitimate reason to wager with offshore operations and blindly line the pockets of alleged gangsters.”
Among the charges leveled against the gambling and loansharking ring’s participants are enterprise corruption, promoting gambling, criminal usury, and conspiracy. The defendants will next appear in state court on Staten Island on Aug. 13, according to the Advocate.