In a statement released on Wednesday, James noted that illegal gambling and loan sharking schemes have been part of the mob’s tactics for many years.
“We are shutting down several Gambino family members’ operations today, despite the continued existence of organized crime in New York,” she asserted. “New Yorkers have suffered greatly at the hands of these illicit activities, losing millions of dollars and being left with insurmountable debt.”
According to a news release from James’ office, the inquiry into the loan-sharking and illegal gambling activities utilized court-approved wiretaps and bugs, concealed video cameras for surveillance, search warrants for an offshore illegal gambling website, and search warrants for certain residences.
According to the indictment, Falcone and Edward LaForte served as loan sharks, keeping meticulous records of their victims’ names and the exorbitant amounts they borrowed. Occasionally, John LaForte and Cinque gave the green light for these illegal loans to be made. Falcone, a former member of the New York Police Department, was among those involved in this illicit activity.
According to prosecutors, Edward LaForte was found to have been running an unlawful sports betting business through an unsanctioned website in New York state. The investigation revealed that the operation had facilitated over $22 million in bets between September 2022 and March 2023.
According to the indictment, Edward LaForte oversaw a group of co-defendants who were known as “sheetholders.” These individuals were responsible for managing bets and collections for bettors. The co-defendants in question were identified as 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, aged 44, purportedly aided in the management and coordination of the gambling syndicate. Her responsibilities included recording the weekly gambling numbers, as well as collecting and dispersing the earnings.
According to the indictment, James Miranda, the 23-year-old son of McLaughlin, has been charged for serving as a courier, responsible for collecting and distributing the profits generated from the gambling and loan-sharking activities.
Uncommon Knowledge
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At Newsweek, we are dedicated to questioning common beliefs and discovering correlations in pursuit of shared understanding.