Queens bookmaking bust

[Wiseguy]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: QDA PRESS OFFICE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

SEVEN INDIVIDUALS INDICTED IN GAMBLING CRACKDOWN
Five Charged With Enterprise Corruption and Promoting Gambling As Part of Lucrative Sports
Betting Ring; Two Other Defendants Charged In Separate Gambling Operation

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, today announced that five individuals have been indicted on charges of unlawfully operating a sports betting enterprise in Queens County that annually took in hundreds of thousands of dollars in wagers on various sporting events – including professional and college basketball and football, professional baseball and hockey and other sporting events. Two other
defendants have been separately charged with promoting gambling though a related endeavor.

District Attorney Brown said, “It is alleged that this small operation was able to effectively compete for the illegal gambling dollars of bettors by availing themselves of modern technology. By taking advantage of toll-free numbers and Internet web sites as ‘wire rooms’ – where bets were accepted and gambling accounts were maintained – the defendants allegedly were able to reap huge profits through their unlawful gambling operation. Today’s indictments send a clear signal that when it comes to illegal gambling in Queens County, all bets are off.”

Commissioner Bratton said, “Illegal gambling rings, like the one announced in today’s indictments, profit by exploiting victims who are unable to pay their debts and often result with the victims owing large sums of money and facing threats of violence for not making payments on time. The efforts demonstrated by the investigators assigned to the NYPD’s Organized Crime Investigation Division, along with our colleagues at the Queens District Attorney’s Office, helped to identify and arrest these individuals who have alleged ties to this criminal operation.”

District Attorney Brown said that the principal defendants – Christopher Morrissey, Louis Cavalli, Mitchell Fusco, Sean Murtagh and Brian Hull – have been charged in a 34-count indictment charging 33 pattern acts with, among other crimes, Enterprise Corruption under New York State’s Organized Crime Control Act. They are accused of being members and associates of an organized criminal enterprise that operated in Queens County and elsewhere and that, between February 2013 and April 2014, promoted illegal sports betting in Queens County and elsewhere and that the defendants were involved in non-traditional computerized wire rooms.

A separate six-count indictment charges Luigi Caminiti and Mirsad Dedic with promoting gambling as part of a related gambling organization. (See Addendum for details on all defendants)

District Attorney Brown said that the investigation leading to today’s indictments began in February 2013 when the New York City Police Department’s Organized Crime Investigation Division shared information with the Queens County District Attorney’s Rackets and Organized Crime Bureau about an illegal sports betting operation. The investigation included physical surveillance, intelligence information and court-authorized electronic eavesdropping.

District Attorney Brown said that, according to the charges, the defendants conspired to make money illegally through the operation of an unlawful gambling operation that accepted bets on sporting events. It is alleged that Christopher Morrissey acted in the capacity of the ‘bookmaker’ and, as such, controlled and oversaw the entire operation and profited from each criminal pursuit by the other defendants. It is alleged that Morrissey employed Louis Cavalli as a “super agent” to run accounts and manage and collect money from sub-agents – such as Sean Murtagh and Brian Hull, who also worked, respectively, as a money collector and record keeper. Mitch Fusco allegedly worked as an “agent” of the operation, as well as a “record keeper” for Cavalli.

The enterprises allegedly handled thousands of wagers each month that generated thousands of dollars in monthly gross revenue. It is alleged to have relied on modern technology to generate its criminal proceeds, including toll-free telephone numbers and a gambling website – http://www.wagerstop.com (formerly known as http://www.wager4you.com) and http://www.mgmwager.com – which, in effect, served as computerized wire room through which the enterprises conducted much of its
illegal gambling activity.

In a separate indictment, Luigi Caminiti and Mirsad Dedic were charged with knowingly advancing or profiting from unlawful gambling activity on at least six occasions between November 4 -14, 2013, by engaging in bookmaking and receiving or accepting on a daily basis more than five bets totaling over $5,000.

The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Department’s Organized Crime Investigation Division – specifically, Detective Sean Macdonald, Sergeant James Baratta, Lieutenant Christopher Fasano, Captain John A. Dusanenko, Inspector John M. Denesopolis and Chief Thomas Purtell, Commanding Officer, Organized Crime Control Bureau. Detective William McCabe, of the NYPD’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, also assisted in the investigation along with
Detective Kathy Jackson, of the Technical Assistance Response Unit.

Assistant District Attorneys Michelle Witten and Bradley H. Chain, of the District Attorney’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, are prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Gerard A. Brave, Bureau Chief, Catherine C. Kane and Mark L. Katz, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations
Linda M. Cantoni.

It should be noted that an indictment is merely an accusation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


ADDENDUM
Indictment No. 3093/2014

Alleged Bookmaker
Christopher Morrissey, 42, of 78 Boxwood Road, Yonkers, New York, is charged with enterprise corruption, second-, third- and fourth-degree money laundering, first-degree promoting gambling and fifth-degree conspiracy. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

Alleged Super Agent/Runner
Louis “Louie” Cavalli, 56, of 73 Cerrone Avenue, Yonkers, New York, is charged with enterprise corruption, third- and fourth-degree money laundering, first-degree promoting gambling and fifthdegree conspiracy. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

Alleged Agent/Record Keeper
Mitch Fusco, 51, of 13 Shoreview Drive, Yonkers, New York, is charged with enterprise corruption, third-degree money laundering, first-degree promoting gambling and fifth-degree conspiracy. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

Alleged Sub-Agent/Runner
Sean Murtagh, 42, of 32 East Devonia Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York, is charged with enterprise corruption, third-degree money laundering, first-degree promoting gambling and fifth-degree conspiracy. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

Alleged Sub-Agent/Record Keeper
Brian Hull, 37, of 83 East 236th Street, Bronx, New York, is charged with enterprise corruption, firstdegree promoting gambling and fifth-degree conspiracy. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.


Indictment No. 3093/2014

Alleged Agent
Luigi Caminiti, 34, of 20-16 149th Street, Whitestone, Queens, is charged with six counts of firstdegree promoting gambling. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.

Alleged Sub-Agent
Mirsad “Miro” Dedic, of 28-04 44th Street, Astoria, Queens, is charged with six counts of first-degree promoting gambling. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.

http://www.queensda.org/newpressrelease ... 15_ind.pdf

[East Bronx]

25 years??

Reminds me of one of Greg DePalma's arraignments. The prosecutor was saying that he faced a "maximum of 200 years," or something equally ridiculous. He just grunted, "Oh, get the fuck outta here."

[Rocco]

Does the "Super Agent" have super powers or something? Lol Does he wear a fuckin cape? He's a fuckin runner. 25yrs for taking bets..get the fuck outta here..

[Cheech]

Only means he can "see all"...if you were joking my apologies.

[Bruno187]

Interesting that most of them are from lower Westchester/northern Bronx. They always trot out some kind of "enormous gambling ring" the week before the Super Bowl.
In the early 90's the NYPD OCCB came with about 40 agents and raided a coffee shop I was in in the Bronx. They grabbed a couple of machines, and took the guy behind the counter, but it was obvious overkill. Turned out they were looking to hit a wire room around the block that was in a tenement building but mistakenly followed the wires into this club. Kept us there for 3 hours while they took all of our licenses, brought them to the precinct to run everybody for warrants. Looked like bozos in the end when they got one arrest for joker poker machines for 40 cops.

[East Bronx]

Interesting that most of them are from lower Westchester/northern Bronx. They always trot out some kind of "enormous gambling ring" the week before the Super Bowl.

Yeah, Yonkers, Fleetwood and Woodlawn. They grabbed this kid from 236th and Van Cortlandt, like there aren't a HUNDRED Irish bookmakers in the bars on Katonah .

In the early 90's the NYPD OCCB came with about 40 agents and raided a coffee shop I was in in the Bronx. They grabbed a couple of machines, and took the guy behind the counter, but it was obvious overkill. Turned out they were looking to hit a wire room around the block that was in a tenement building but mistakenly followed the wires into this club. Kept us there for 3 hours while they took all of our licenses, brought them to the precinct to run everybody for warrants. Looked like bozos in the end when they got one arrest for joker poker machines for 40 cops.

I remember that. I think it was right before Mark Rypien won his Super Bowl with the 'Skins.

[Rocco]

Only means he can "see all"...if you were joking my apologies.

I know lol

[Cheech]

best part is all those sites are still up and running. waste of tax payer money. those same people are still playing just paying someone new.

[Rocco]

best part is all those sites are still up and running. waste of tax payer money. those same people are still playing just paying someone new.

So true. You can't stop people from betting. The people betting into this book will simple have their bets puy threw another book after the bust. They don't really skip a beat. The PR from LE on gambling arrests are a little over the top. 25yrs in prison...its a bit much. Not sure how they even say that with a straight face..lol

[willychichi]

Aqueduct is still raking in the cash.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/gam ... -1.2103206

[East Bronx]

Aqueduct is still raking in the cash.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/gam ... -1.2103206

The video casinos have saved every track from Yonkers to Aqueduct. It pains me to say it but racing is a dead sport in America. I personally don't see the appeal in these virtual table games. You can't beat a computer. But they must be doing something right because they're making a fortune.

[Rocco]

Aqueduct is still raking in the cash.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/gam ... -1.2103206

The video casinos have saved every track from Yonkers to Aqueduct. It pains me to say it but racing is a dead sport in America. I personally don't see the appeal in these virtual table games. You can't beat a computer. But they must be doing something right because they're making a fortune.

I know guys that have lost thousands on online poker ! You gotta be nutts its programmed for you too loose.

[HairyKnuckles]

I know guys that have lost thousands on online poker ! You gotta be nutts its programmed for you too loose.

Avoid on line poker. Don´t mess around with that shit. The dealer is programmed to give out good cards to multiple players in same hand, encouraging them to go all in/bet big. The cards are not dealt randomly. The bigger the pot, the better the rake for the sites. And that´s what it´s all about with these on line poker sites, that´s how they make their money. If you want to play poker, play it live.