What to Know
- Three men were arrested in connection to an alleged illegal gambling ring and money laundering operation in upstate NY, authorities say
- John Andriello, 65, Marco Minuto, 60, and Brian Levine, 48, were charged with enterprise corruption and promoting gambling, the DA says
- If convicted they each face up to 25 years in prison; Attorney information for the men was not immediately available
Three men were arrested in connection to an alleged illegal gambling ring and money laundering operation in upstate New York, authorities announced Monday.
John Andriello, 65 and of Pearl River, New York, Marco Minuto, 60 and of Old Tappan, New Jersey, and Brian Levine, 48 and of Garnerville, New York, were arrested Friday and charged with enterprise corruption and promoting gambling, according to acting Rockland County District Attorney Kevin Gilleece.
The district attorney says the men took in millions of dollars over the years by accepting wagers on sporting events, including pro and college football games, as part of an enterprise controlled by members of organized crime.
They each face 25 years in prison if convicted.
Attorney information for the men was not immediately available.
According to prosecutors the investigation leading to the arrests began years ago when the Rockland County District Attorney's Office Special Investigations Unit developed information about a mob-controlled gambling ring operating in Rockland County.
Local
A subsequent joint investigation with the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit, the FBI, Town of Clarkstown Police, Town of Orangetown Police, Village of Spring Valley Police, Village of Piermont Police, as well as the Bergen County and Cape May County Prosecutors Offices in New Jersey was launched.
Allegedly, Minuto and Andriello managed the ring's day-to-day operations, settling bettor disputes, authorizing and accounting the debts and payouts and supervising lower-ranking employees.
According to the district attorney's office, customers placed online bets, with runners responsible for “squaring up” or “settling up” with the bettors by collecting and paying out money owed. The cash collected was the allegedly given to the members running the enterprise.
“These arrests close down a highly lucrative gambling operation that benefitted organized crime with large amounts of money every year. Make no mistake: illegal sports betting is by no means a victimless crime. Its proceeds underwrite more insidious forms of corruption, such as racketeering, drug trafficking and loan sharking," Gillecee said in a statement.
