Seventeen individuals have been arrested and indicted by Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York. The charges are related to illegal gambling and “lucrative” loan-sharking operations that were allegedly controlled by members of the Gambino crime family.
On Wednesday, an 84-count indictment was revealed, charging a group of individuals for their involvement in an illicit sports gambling ring that processed over $22.7 million in unlawful wagers. Additionally, the group is accused of running a loan-sharking operation that collected weekly payments on roughly $500,000 in exorbitant loans.
Police have arrested several individuals, including reputed Gambino soldiers John LaForte, Anthony Cinque Jr., and John Matera, along with Gambino associates Edward LaForte, Frederick Falcone Sr., Giulio Pomponio, and Daniel Bogan. Additionally, Charles Fusco, an alleged associate of the Colombo crime family, has also been arrested and charged.
The Gambino crime family, one of the classic five Mafia families in New York, has had yet another brush with the law. The recent arrests involve alleged members and associates of the notorious crime family. It is worth noting that last year, 10 individuals believed to be involved with the group were apprehended and charged for attempting to gain control of the carting and demolition industries in New York City.
In a distinct indictment, John LaForte, along with his wife, Tracy Alfano, and two other individuals, were charged for their involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme to acquire a $600,000 property in New Jersey.
In a statement released on Wednesday, James pointed out that illegal gambling and loan sharking are among the oldest schemes in the mob’s playbook.
“We may still have organized crime operating in New York, but today, we are shutting down several members of the Gambino family,” she emphasized. “These illegal activities have siphoned off millions from innocent residents, leaving them mired in dangerous levels of debt.”
According to a news release from James’ office, the inquiry into the loan-sharking and illegal gambling activities included the use of court-approved wiretaps and bugs, covert video surveillance cameras, search warrants on an illegal offshore gambling website, and search warrants for some homes.
According to prosecutors, Edward LaForte was found to be running an illegal sports gambling operation through a website that was not authorized in New York state. The investigation revealed that this operation had facilitated over $22 million in bets from September 2022 to March 2023.
According to the indictment, Edward LaForte oversaw a group of co-defendants known as “sheetholders.” These individuals were responsible for managing bets and collections on behalf of individual bettors. The sheetholders identified in the indictment include Fusco, Pomponio, Matera, Bogan, Falcone Sr., Frederick Falcone Jr., Robert Carter, Arthur Geller, Daniel Scarabaggio, Daniel Shah, Vincent Ricciardi, and Louis Palombo.
According to prosecutors, Amy McLaughlin, 44, is suspected of aiding in the organization and upkeep of the gambling operation. She allegedly kept track of the weekly betting numbers, as well as gathered and dispersed the earnings.