Posted: Wednesday, 14 November 2007 8:14PM
23 Charged in Illegal Gambling Ring Run Out of Borgata Poker Room
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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- An illegal sports gambling ring run out of a high-stakes poker room in a posh Atlantic City casino was busted Wednesday and 23 people were charged, including four with alleged mob ties and six casino employees.
1010 WINS AUDIO: Steve Sandberg Reports
Since March 2006, the ring took in $22 million in bets on college and professional football and basketball in the poker room of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, said New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram.
The off-the-books exchanges of cash and casino chips were only unraveled when an informant told authorities what to look for using the casino's eye-in-the-sky surveillance cameras, Milgram said.
The alleged ringleader of the operation, Andrew Micali, 32, of Ventnor, is a known associate of Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey'' Merlino, according to a New Jersey law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal complaints do not mention any reputed mob ties. He was charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and criminal usury.
Three associates of Micali also were arrested. Vincent Procopio, 41, of Brigantine, was charged with promoting gambling. Anthony Nicodemo, 36, and Michael Lancellotti, both of Philadelphia, were charged with conspiracy to promote gambling.
"They sought to escape detection by enlisting casino employees in their crimes,'' Milgram said. "I'm pleased to say they greatly underestimated our vigilance and determination to keep organized crime out of Atlantic City casinos.''
Milgram said they followed the money in the case from the casino to so-called "wire rooms'' in Philadelphia.
Most of the others were charged with promoting gambling or money laundering.
The ring was publicized mainly by word of mouth among illegal gamblers, who were advised who to see in the poker room to place their bets. Two wire rooms in Philadelphia were used to tally the bets and calculate winnings and payouts for the ring.
Authorities said the ring engaged in "massive money laundering'' facilitated by casino employees who would not record certain exchanges of cash and gambling chips. This is a common method of money laundering at casinos called "chip washing,'' Milgram said.
"It involves taking cash, turning it into chips, 'washing' the chips by betting and then turning them in, and taking cash out,'' she said.
Losing bettors were forced to take out loans from the ring at more than 50 percent interest to cover their losses, authorities said.
In executing search warrants Wednesday, authorities seized more than $40,000 worth of cash and Borgata chips from a safe deposit box Micali maintained at the casino. The state also obtained a court warrant freezing Micali's bank account with more than $200,000 in it.
Authorities said the Borgata cooperated with the investigation, which state police called ``Operation High Roller'' and let investigators use casino surveillance video.
Borgata spokesman Rob Stillwell said the casino did nothing wrong and assisted in the sting that led to Wednesday's arrests.
Stillwell said that the ring involved ``rogue employees'' and the integrity of the casino's operations were never compromised -- claims which were confirmed by law enforcement officials Wednesday.
The casino employees charged included poker room supervisors, dealers and a bartender at the Borgata and a supervisor at the Tropicana Casino and Resort.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is a subsidiary of Boyd Gaming Corp. and MGM Mirage.
The state Casino Control Commission was expected to take disciplinary action against the casino workers who were arrested, commission spokesman Daniel Heneghan said.
"I'm certain that any Borgata employees that were arrested, the Division of Gaming Enforcement will file complaints to revoke their licenses,'' he said.
The four men with alleged mob ties, along with Borgata supervisor Joseph Wishnick, 42, of Brigantine, were taken into custody Wednesday. Wishnick was charged with promoting gambling.
Bail was set at $100,000 for Micali and $50,000 for the others. Wishnick was in custody Wednesday at the Atlantic County Jail. It was not immediately clear whether any the others had posted bail or were waiting to be processed at the jail. None could be reached for comment by The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The state Attorney General's Office said lawyers had not come forward for any of the 23 suspects.
If the charges are proven, the ring would be among the most serious mob operations under the roof of an Atlantic City casino since the city's first casino opened in 1978.
Fear of organized crime prompted New Jersey to institute tight controls when legal gambling began, but regulations have been loosened over the years.
The anxieties were expressed in a now-famous speech by then-Gov. Brendan T. Byrne when he signed the law authorizing casinos on June 2, 1977: "I've said it before and I will repeat it again to organized crime: Keep your filthy hands off Atlantic City. Keep the hell out of our state!''
This is the second high-profile sports betting charge in New Jersey in the last two years. In 2006, a state trooper, NHL hockey coach Rick Tocchet and a third man were charged with running a sports gambling ring. All later pleaded guilty in the case.
Those facing charges in an illegal sports gambling ring that authorities say operated out of a poker room at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa:
Alleged ringleaders:
-- Andrew Micali, 32, of Ventnor, was the head of the gambling ring, authorities said. A law enforcement source speaking on the condition of anonymity says he has a relationship with Joseph "Skinny Joey'' Merlino, the former reputed leader of the Philadelphia mob. Micali is charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and criminal usury.
-- Vincent Procopio, 41, of Brigantine. Also identified by the law enforcement source as connected to Merlino. Charged with promoting gambling.
-- Michael Lancelotti, of Philadelphia, was identified as a suspect in two mob murders during the 2001 trial of Joey Merlino, then the reputed head of the Philadelphia mob. Lancelotti, who watched much of the trial, has denied the allegations and has never been charged. Charged Wednesday with conspiracy to promote gambling.
-- Anthony Nicodemo, 36, of Philadelphia, has been described as a former bodyguard for Merlino. According to news reports, he began a feud between Philadelphia mobsters and the Pagans by insulting members of the outlaw motorcycle gang at a bar in 1995. Charged Wednesday with conspiracy to promote gambling.
Borgata employees, all charged with promoting gambling:
-- Joseph Wishnick, 42, Brigantine, poker room supervisor.
-- Paul Parks, 31, Egg Harbor Township, poker room supervisor.
-- Austin Johnson-Brown, 35, Atlantic City, poker dealer.
-- Robert McEwen, 26, Edison, poker dealer.
-- Matthew Weyler, 26, Turnersville, bartender.
-- Jeffrey Ebert, 45, Ventnor, poker room supervisor. Also charged with criminal usury.
Others charged:
-- Jack M. Buscemi Jr., 50, Mullica Hill, promoting gambling.
-- Russell Brown, 44, Egg Harbor, promoting gambling.
-- Nicholas Caltabiano, 24, Brigantine, promoting gambling.
-- Fekre Tesgaye, 50, Atlantic City, money laundering.
-- Ian Blackman, 28, Mays Landing; promoting gambling, conspiracy to commit criminal usury.
-- William DePena, 39, Philadelphia, conspiracy to promote gambling.
-- Joseph Baldino, 22, Philadelphia, promoting gambling.
-- Frank Baldino, 21, Philadelphia, promoting gambling.
-- Mark Galasso, 23, Philadelphia, conspiracy to commit money laundering.
-- Steven Cassassanto, 37, Philadelphia and Margate, conspiracy to promote gambling.
-- Douglas Rubino, 30, Philadelphia, promoting gambling.
-- Matthew Zambaninni, 27, Bear, Del., promoting gambling.
-- Robert Mackie, 39, Staten Island, N.Y., promoting gambling
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