13 members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families were arrested in the gambling
Published by RawNews1st
The son of a legendary mafia capo, a newbie made man and a mobster who did time for an infamous Queens racial attack were among the 13 reputed mobsters busted alongside NBA stars in a sweeping historic gambling bust, according to a new federal indictment.
Among the most prominent of the gangsters who were dealt into the high-stakes scams is Angelo Ruggiero Jr, the son of the late Gambino captain Angelo “Quack Quack” Ruggiero Sr.
Ruggiero Jr’s father was close friends with notorious Gambino boss John Gotti, who helped plan the murder of Gambino leader Paul Castellano in 1985.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced over 30 people were indicted in two separate illegal gambling-related cases.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones were among those arrested and allegedly involved in one of the schemes.
Shortly after being asked to put his home up as collateral, Terry Rozier walked out of the Orlando courthouse of his own accord.
Rozier waived his right to have his future hearings in Florida, and his next expected court date will be in Brooklyn, New York, in December. He was ordered to surrender his passport to authorities by tomorrow afternoon.
The judge also ordered him not to gamble, “either in person or using an online device.”
Attorney Jim Trusty told reporters he thinks his client has a “great case” following Rozier’s initial hearing at a federal courthouse in Orlando, Florida, this afternoon.
The attorney denied that Rozier faked an injury in a game where he allegedly tipped off his childhood friend that he would be leaving early. Prosecutors said that friend later sold the information as part of a sports betting ring.
Rozier had a medical follow-up after leaving a game in March 2023, his attorney said.
“He had a bunch of people that he appropriately confided in, and he had an injury, and he didn’t play another game,” Trusty said.
He later added, “This is not Jontay Porter.”
Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter is mentioned in today’s sports betting indictment, but Porter himself is not named as a defendant in the scheme.
Porter pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud over a betting scandal that prompted the NBA to ban him. The former center gave tips to other men that he was going to exit two games early, allowing them or their relatives to place big bets, according to a complaint filed in his case.
During his plea hearing, Porter said he agreed to withdraw from games to clear his own gambling debts. An NBA investigation into Porter found that he also wagered on games that he didn’t play in, even betting against his own team at least once.
When Gotti became head of the crime family, he promoted Ruggiero, who later acted as a liaison for the family while Gotti stood trial for murder in 1992.
The gangster — who earned his ducky nickname because of his penchant for talking a lot and who did things like threaten to feed people to sharks — became infamous because the feds picked him up on wiretaps complaining about his mob bosses and used his comments in case against Castellano.
The younger Ruggiero, who is also a made man, now stands accused of receiving “proceeds” of the rigged poker games “on behalf of the Gambino crime family.”
A second wiseguy arrested for his alleged role in the FBI’s gambling and poker probe is Ernest “Ernie” Aiello — who made headlines for inquiring in court about how he can avoid mob ties and still eat at his favorite Italian bakery back in 2018.
