Bonanno Long Island gambling bust

[Wiseguy]

Promoting gambling is a charge? As opposed to fanduel, draftkings and all the other sites that are promoting it on every medium you use to watch and or listen to something.

Fanduel and dk have commercials going 24/7 on the radio stations like wfan here in tristate area. Its terrible. I agree. Not right.

Just to state the obvious, it's because those companies are regulated by the government and pay taxes. And also aren't part of a larger criminal organization that engages in illegal activity.

That said, I'll be the first to point to the hypocrisy of the government (and society in general) in thinking vices like gambling, prostitution, etc suddenly become "OK" just because they are "legal."

[gohnjotti]

But that then brings up another point that I think Cheech or someone brought up before (and gohn too in a way above) where, if the bookie is using money from the losing players to pay off the winners, while keeping the vig, that doesn't serve the bookie well to have to go into his own pocket to pay his winners while playing loan collector with his losers.

Exactly, it seems like a few deadbeat customers could really throw off the profit margins of a smaller book. And in cases like these, where the defendants simultaneously run an illegal loansharking business that ostensibly utilizes extortion, why wouldn't that apply to their bookmaking enterprise too?

I don't know... This is maybe a bad example but it's like if a violent drug dealer gets ripped off by a customer, i.e. he gives the person drugs on consignment to sell & never receives the money, is he going to say "That's okay, only pay me half the debt, I value your business." No, he's going to use extortionate measures to collect his money and the guy will probably remain a customer afterwards anyways. I understand the majority of bookmakers aren't also extortionate, but when the Mafia is so heavily involved, such as this indictment, in seems like it goes without saying. I mean, we've seen plenty of instances where deadbeat gamblers are roughed up, etc., and have to appeal to a Mafia figure from a rival family to represent them in the sitdown. Then, you get the knockdown payments that Cheech mentions, but it seems there's a few extra steps before you can simply tell your bookie "Sorry bud, I'm only paying half of that $3,000 bet I placed with you."

once it becomes obv the guy cant or wont pay maybe you propose a settlement , willing to be pay but cant is allot different then outright refusing to pay ,
its not like you just offering settlements to every guy who loses that week

It also would have to do with the bookmaking outfit's ability to extort, right? Not every operation or customer is made equally, which is why we've seen so many cases of deadbeat gamblers being beaten or threatened, while others are able to negotiate knockdown debts instead. The two arguments of "you can't strongarm a deadbeat because he'll go to the cops" and "you can't strongarm a deadbeat because he'll simply take his business elsewhere" ignores the entire point of the Mafia's ability to extort, in my opinion. I guess that's why it's important to separate regular, low-level bookmakers and runners from the operations that are run top-down by the Mafia.

But I understand that extortionate cases like I've mentioned are exceptions to the rule, as Cheech has explained. I can see why it would typically be more prudent to use extortion as a last resort.

[Bing Bang 74]

I researched what I could about those arrested and came up with a picture for Pellegrino

Anthony Pellegrino.png

It appears he and LoNigro are related, possibly through marriage (https://clustrmaps.com/person/Pellegrino-10a0h).
Pietaro seems a bit nasty and it's no surprise he's in league with these guys, he joined the NYPD in 1987 and during the late '80s-early '90s was the subject of four allegations of abuse of authority, three were deemed unsubstantiated and one wasn't — part of the allegations were that he used excessive force and racial insults against detainees (https://www.50-a.org/officer/8W5Q). Since his retirement from the force, he has founded a company centered around bodybuilding (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-pietaro-4a990511) and also apparently publicly opposes BLM and tried to justify the murder of Rayshard Brooks (https://blacksportsonline.com/2020/06/v ... justified/).

[Pogo The Clown]

Just occasionally these mobsters act in a socially conscious way.


Pogo

[Tonyd621]

Promoting gambling is a charge? As opposed to fanduel, draftkings and all the other sites that are promoting it on every medium you use to watch and or listen to something.

Fanduel and dk have commercials going 24/7 on the radio stations like wfan here in tristate area. Its terrible. I agree. Not right.

do you still bet with a local ? , I do but it only makes sense for straight bets , the payouts and options on paralays etc way better with the fanduels etc.

Those multi leg parlays are sucker bets. Its so hard to win one game nevermind multiple compounded together.

[Stroccos]

Promoting gambling is a charge? As opposed to fanduel, draftkings and all the other sites that are promoting it on every medium you use to watch and or listen to something.

Fanduel and dk have commercials going 24/7 on the radio stations like wfan here in tristate area. Its terrible. I agree. Not right.

do you still bet with a local ? , I do but it only makes sense for straight bets , the payouts and options on paralays etc way better with the fanduels etc.

Those multi leg parlays are sucker bets. Its so hard to win one game nevermind multiple compounded together.

Yes they are but a local can’t compete on those and most betters on these legal sites are small time betting parlays,
I would love to see the legal sites profit margins on these multi leg parlays

They love posting when someone actually hits a big parlay on their social medias

[Wiseguy]

Promoting gambling is a charge? As opposed to fanduel, draftkings and all the other sites that are promoting it on every medium you use to watch and or listen to something.

Fanduel and dk have commercials going 24/7 on the radio stations like wfan here in tristate area. Its terrible. I agree. Not right.

do you still bet with a local ? , I do but it only makes sense for straight bets , the payouts and options on paralays etc way better with the fanduels etc.

Those multi leg parlays are sucker bets. Its so hard to win one game nevermind multiple compounded together.

Yes they are but a local can’t compete on those and most betters on these legal sites are small time betting parlays,
I would love to see the legal sites profit margins on these multi leg parlays

They love posting when someone actually hits a big parlay on their social medias

It's the equivalent of when casinos hang photos of slot jackpot winners on their wall.

[Stroccos]

But that then brings up another point that I think Cheech or someone brought up before (and gohn too in a way above) where, if the bookie is using money from the losing players to pay off the winners, while keeping the vig, that doesn't serve the bookie well to have to go into his own pocket to pay his winners while playing loan collector with his losers.

Exactly, it seems like a few deadbeat customers could really throw off the profit margins of a smaller book. And in cases like these, where the defendants simultaneously run an illegal loansharking business that ostensibly utilizes extortion, why wouldn't that apply to their bookmaking enterprise too?

I don't know... This is maybe a bad example but it's like if a violent drug dealer gets ripped off by a customer, i.e. he gives the person drugs on consignment to sell & never receives the money, is he going to say "That's okay, only pay me half the debt, I value your business." No, he's going to use extortionate measures to collect his money and the guy will probably remain a customer afterwards anyways. I understand the majority of bookmakers aren't also extortionate, but when the Mafia is so heavily involved, such as this indictment, in seems like it goes without saying. I mean, we've seen plenty of instances where deadbeat gamblers are roughed up, etc., and have to appeal to a Mafia figure from a rival family to represent them in the sitdown. Then, you get the knockdown payments that Cheech mentions, but it seems there's a few extra steps before you can simply tell your bookie "Sorry bud, I'm only paying half of that $3,000 bet I placed with you."

once it becomes obv the guy cant or wont pay maybe you propose a settlement , willing to be pay but cant is allot different then outright refusing to pay ,
its not like you just offering settlements to every guy who loses that week

It also would have to do with the bookmaking outfit's ability to extort, right? Not every operation or customer is made equally, which is why we've seen so many cases of deadbeat gamblers being beaten or threatened, while others are able to negotiate knockdown debts instead. The two arguments of "you can't strongarm a deadbeat because he'll go to the cops" and "you can't strongarm a deadbeat because he'll simply take his business elsewhere" ignores the entire point of the Mafia's ability to extort, in my opinion. I guess that's why it's important to separate regular, low-level bookmakers and runners from the operations that are run top-down by the Mafia.

But I understand that extortionate cases like I've mentioned are exceptions to the rule, as Cheech has explained. I can see why it would typically be more prudent to use extortion as a last resort.

even mob guys get beat of money , look at the genovese guy who went to prison for love taping that guy in a restaurant , the debtor had zero fear of a the mob( maybe he did as he dropped the charges and paid the debt but he did testify against them )

as he went to the cops after being assaulted but later dropped the charges , so I guess being assaulted they end up paying the money back to avoid any more troubles

[OcSleeper]

He was also alleged to be a member/involved with the Albanian mafia, a friend of Romanello's, and wasn't the debtor so there's that.

[Stroccos]

He was also alleged to be a member/involved with the Albanian mafia, a friend of Romanello's, and wasn't the debtor so there's that.

actually he owed them 6k,

[OcSleeper]

He actually didn't. His nephew and nephew's brother-in-law owed the money.

[Stroccos]

He actually didn't. His nephew and nephew's brother-in-law owed the money.

ok I am mistaken

[gohnjotti]

But that then brings up another point that I think Cheech or someone brought up before (and gohn too in a way above) where, if the bookie is using money from the losing players to pay off the winners, while keeping the vig, that doesn't serve the bookie well to have to go into his own pocket to pay his winners while playing loan collector with his losers.

Exactly, it seems like a few deadbeat customers could really throw off the profit margins of a smaller book. And in cases like these, where the defendants simultaneously run an illegal loansharking business that ostensibly utilizes extortion, why wouldn't that apply to their bookmaking enterprise too?

I don't know... This is maybe a bad example but it's like if a violent drug dealer gets ripped off by a customer, i.e. he gives the person drugs on consignment to sell & never receives the money, is he going to say "That's okay, only pay me half the debt, I value your business." No, he's going to use extortionate measures to collect his money and the guy will probably remain a customer afterwards anyways. I understand the majority of bookmakers aren't also extortionate, but when the Mafia is so heavily involved, such as this indictment, in seems like it goes without saying. I mean, we've seen plenty of instances where deadbeat gamblers are roughed up, etc., and have to appeal to a Mafia figure from a rival family to represent them in the sitdown. Then, you get the knockdown payments that Cheech mentions, but it seems there's a few extra steps before you can simply tell your bookie "Sorry bud, I'm only paying half of that $3,000 bet I placed with you."

once it becomes obv the guy cant or wont pay maybe you propose a settlement , willing to be pay but cant is allot different then outright refusing to pay ,
its not like you just offering settlements to every guy who loses that week

It also would have to do with the bookmaking outfit's ability to extort, right? Not every operation or customer is made equally, which is why we've seen so many cases of deadbeat gamblers being beaten or threatened, while others are able to negotiate knockdown debts instead. The two arguments of "you can't strongarm a deadbeat because he'll go to the cops" and "you can't strongarm a deadbeat because he'll simply take his business elsewhere" ignores the entire point of the Mafia's ability to extort, in my opinion. I guess that's why it's important to separate regular, low-level bookmakers and runners from the operations that are run top-down by the Mafia.

But I understand that extortionate cases like I've mentioned are exceptions to the rule, as Cheech has explained. I can see why it would typically be more prudent to use extortion as a last resort.

even mob guys get beat of money , look at the genovese guy who went to prison for love taping that guy in a restaurant , the debtor had zero fear of a the mob( maybe he did as he dropped the charges and paid the debt but he did testify against them )

as he went to the cops after being assaulted but later dropped the charges , so I guess being assaulted they end up paying the money back to avoid any more troubles

Good post Stroccos, I remember reading about that. Tell me if you disagree, but it seems the Mob - when it comes to things like bookmaking, loansharking - they prey on the idea of violence, the scent of it, while often being incredibly reluctant or unable to enforce it. The Thomas Scorscia case is the same thing; a lot of threats, a lot of sitting outside a restaurant and taking a photo of the debtor's car while they eat, but not much else aside from extreme circumstances.

And yeah, I guess when it comes to settlements, you can't draw blood from a stone. I think I understand that a bit better now, there's no point exposing yourself to prosecution for violence/extortion if you genuinely don't think the client can pay the money.

[Ivan]

Good post Stroccos, I remember reading about that. Tell me if you disagree, but it seems the Mob - when it comes to things like bookmaking, loansharking - they prey on the idea of violence, the scent of it, while often being incredibly reluctant or unable to enforce it.

You have to wonder how long they could get away with just kind of coasting on their past reputation of violence without losing credibility though.

[Wiseguy]

Good post Stroccos, I remember reading about that. Tell me if you disagree, but it seems the Mob - when it comes to things like bookmaking, loansharking - they prey on the idea of violence, the scent of it, while often being incredibly reluctant or unable to enforce it.

You have to wonder how long they could get away with just kind of coasting on their past reputation of violence without losing credibility though.

They've been doing it for a long time. It's a trade off, i.e. avoiding law enforcement scrutiny with less violence but also garnering less fear on the street. It's not that the mob isn't still capable of using violence on a limited, restricted basis but the days of it dropping bodies like it did in the 1970s and 1980s are obviously long gone.