Lucchese Arrests NJ State Case - April 2025

[Wiseguy]

Press conference video (starts around the 12 min mark)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIYlj6udMko

[SonnyBlackstein]

https://nypost.com/2025/04/11/us-news/n ... ling-ring/

Post has the story

[Wiseguy]

Not sure why Cross is labeled a soldier. Historically, state and local agencies haven't been as careful about identification as the feds, and maybe they're just using that term loosely given his upper level role in the operation. As others have pointed out, he goes back years with the Luccheses (including a case in 2001) but has always been identified as an associate. Given his surname, I'd be shocked if he was actually made, even if he had some Italian heritage in his background. Whether he does or doesn't, I have no idea.

[moneyman]

Wonder if the Indian councilman will flip

[Uncle Pete]

So is it right that this a multiple year long, multiple agency and multiple million dollar investigation for a glorified gambling bust with no violent crimes charged?

Seems like a giant waste of time and resources unless you are a lobbyist for BetMGM or Draftkings

[NJShore4Life]

Here’s a better article with pictures and everyone listed that doesn’t focus on the stinky Indian Councilman:

https://patch.com/new-jersey/across-nj/ ... ime-family

The fuzz won’t leave Johnny P alone, they are relentlessly stalking him, he may have the most heat on him out of anybody in the life.

-Dante

[Cheech]

So is it right that this a multiple year long, multiple agency and multiple million dollar investigation for a glorified gambling bust with no violent crimes charged?

Seems like a giant waste of time and resources unless you are a lobbyist for BetMGM or Draftkings

I predicted this with friends a few years back. State gambling hasn’t brought in what they thought. They are getting rid of the competition. No other way to explain this amount of money that is spent on an investigation like this…costs a lot of money for this level of indictment.

[johnny_scootch]

Not sure why Cross is labeled a soldier. Historically, state and local agencies haven't been as careful about identification as the feds, and maybe they're just using that term loosely given his upper level role in the operation. As others have pointed out, he goes back years with the Luccheses (including a case in 2001) but has always been identified as an associate. Given his surname, I'd be shocked if he was actually made, even if he had some Italian heritage in his background. Whether he does or doesn't, I have no idea.

If law enforcement labels him as a soldier and he’s not his lawyers could use that to their advantage right? Maybe somewhere along the line his family name got changed and for all we know he’s a full blood Italian although ‘Wayne’ as a first name doesn’t scream ‘hey I’m really a guinea’ either.

Here’s a better article with pictures and everyone listed that doesn’t focus on the stinky Indian Councilman:

https://patch.com/new-jersey/across-nj/ ... ime-family

That’s a much much better article, thanks for posting Dante.

[Pogo The Clown]

Not sure why Cross is labeled a soldier. Historically, state and local agencies haven't been as careful about identification as the feds, and maybe they're just using that term loosely given his upper level role in the operation. As others have pointed out, he goes back years with the Luccheses (including a case in 2001) but has always been identified as an associate. Given his surname, I'd be shocked if he was actually made, even if he had some Italian heritage in his background. Whether he does or doesn't, I have no idea.

If law enforcement labels him as a soldier and he’s not his lawyers could use that to their advantage right? Maybe somewhere along the line his family name got changed and for all we know he’s a full blood Italian although ‘Wayne’ as a first name doesn’t scream ‘hey I’m really a guinea’ either.

He has grand children named Luciana, Antonio and Taormina so who knows.


https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/star ... d=54032621

[peteyboxcars]

0

[aray22]

Here’s a better article with pictures and everyone listed that doesn’t focus on the stinky Indian Councilman:

https://patch.com/new-jersey/across-nj/ ... ime-family

The fuzz won’t leave Johnny P alone, they are relentlessly stalking him, he may have the most heat on him out of anybody in the life.

-Dante

For you east coasters, what % of these "soccer clubs", Italian cafe's, etc. in NY/NJ do you think are just new age social clubs that are mob ran for gambling purposes. We saw several of these storefront types in the Bonanno Genovese bust on Long Island. I can only imagine how many of them are in the area.

[TallGuy19]

Is Joseph R. Perna an acting capo then?

[johnny_scootch]

If law enforcement labels him as a soldier and he’s not his lawyers could use that to their advantage right? Maybe somewhere along the line his family name got changed and for all we know he’s a full blood Italian although ‘Wayne’ as a first name doesn’t scream ‘hey I’m really a guinea’ either.

He has grand children named Luciana, Antonio and Taormina so who knows.


https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/star ... d=54032621

Well those are certainly names that say I’m Italian. I’d bet he actually is a Lucchese soldier and part of the Jersey crew.

[Wiseguy]

Is Joseph R. Perna an acting capo then?

Seems he's the captain of the crew. I'm guessing Zappola captain of the Brooklyn/Staten Island crew and on the ruling panel.

[OcSleeper]

I'd assume Cross Jr married an Italian.

Is Joseph R. Perna an acting capo then?

He's the Jersey captain. Joseph M. Perna is Joseph R Perna's acting captain. Zappola is the Brooklyn captain/ruling panel member,