X-Nico

unusual facts about illegal gambling



Frank Lastorino

Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Lastorino soon joined the Lucchese crime family under Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling operations during the 1970s, and was recognized as one of the most notorious hitmen from the Brooklyn faction of the crime family.

Frank Polizzi

Involved in loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling and especially narcotics activities, Polizzi continued to operate in the Newark faction of the family throughout the 1960s, but as Sam DeCavalcante took over the family in 1965, Polizzi was passed over of being promoted, as Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi was made captain of DeCavalcante's crew.

Frank Scarabino

At the time, Scarabino's criminal activities were labor and construction racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and murder, as he reportedly conspired to murder Daniel Annunziatta and even former Acting boss and captain, Gaetano "Corky" Vastola, in the early 1990s on the orders of John D'Amato, who had been recruited by John Gotti into take over the DeCavalcante crime family after the imprisonment of Riggi in 1990.

Louis LaRasso

After Sam DeCavalcante and LaRasso were sent to prison due to federal authorities monitoring conversations between DeCavalcante and LaRasso discussing illegal gambling operations worth more than $20 million a year, Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi, LaRasso's rival, stepped up as Acting boss while DeCavalcante and LaRasso were imprisoned for 5 years.


see also

1944 in organized crime

Benjamin Zuckerman "Zookie the Bookie", Chicago syndicate mobster involved in illegal gambling

Benjamin "Zookie the Bookie" Zuckerman, a member of the Chicago syndicate involved in illegal gambling, is killed.

Capitão Guimarães

According to judge Denise Frossard and public prosecutor Antônio Carlos Biscaia, the bicheiros built an association (known as the cupola do bicho), that controlled the illegal gambling business and shielded it from prosecution by corrupting authorities and police.

Federico Sandoval II

Sandoval engaged in opposition against illegal gambling, which not only includes clandestine local operations of jueteng, but also government authorized national ventures like jai-alai and On-Line Bingo.

Frank Rosenthal

Despite his frequent arrests for illegal gambling and bookmaking, Rosenthal was convicted only once, after pleading no contest in 1963, for allegedly bribing a New York University player to shave points for a college basketball game in North Carolina.

Frazier Reams

Reams was most well known for leading the prosecution of Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli, who controlled bootlegging and illegal gambling operations in Detroit, Michigan and Toledo.

Michael James Genovese

Under Genovese's reign, the Pittsburgh family dominated illegal gambling in Western Pennsylvania, the West Virginia Panhandle, and Eastern Ohio.

Peter Milano

After graduating from high school, Milano became a part of Mickey Cohen's syndicate and was involved in illegal gambling.

Punchboard

The feature film The Flim-Flam Man starring George C. Scott involved the use of illegal gambling through punchboards.

Robert Maestri

Maestri and the Longites had reached a deal with mobster Frank Costello whereby the city would ignore slot-machine laws in exchange for a cut of the proceeds, so prostitution and illegal gambling flourished in New Orleans under Maestri’s tenure.

Vito Rizzuto

According to law enforcement officials Rizzuto oversaw a criminal empire that imported and distributed tonnes of heroin, cocaine and hashish in Canada, laundered hundreds of millions of dollars, lent out millions more through loansharking operations and profited handsomely from illegal gambling, fraud and contract killings.

William Busteed

Busteed and Gideon were among the first men convicted during the Nassau County's seven-month campaign against illegal gambling known as the "John Doe inquiry".