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A Bonanno mobster from Staten Island, Anthony “Skinny” Santoro has plead guilty to attempted criminal enterprise just days before a trial was set to take place. He will be sentenced to four to eight years. Santoro’s incarceration since 2013 will count towards his sentence.
As part of the plea deal, has also waived an appeal and will pay approximately $45,900 in forfeiture.
Santoro and his three co-defendants -- Vito Badamo, Nicholas Santoro and Ernest Aiello -- enterprise corruption activities included loansharking, gambling and drug dealing following a July 2013 bust.
The quartet was also charged with attempted grand larceny in the second degree.
"I did what I did. I took responsibility for what I did," Anthony "Skinny" Santoro told the judge during his sentencing Monday in a Manhattan court. "I want to get on with my life, what's left of it."
Santoro acted as an “agent” in the illegal gambling operation. In that role he collected and paid out on losing/winning wagers while monitoring online gambling accounts.
The Stamford-based Internet gambling operation is alleged to have taken in nearly $1.7 million from October 2010 to June 2011
Santoro could also be a tough guy when it came to collecting.
"He made threats to debtors and possessed seven firearms with hundreds of rounds of ammunition," said prosecutor David Stuart. "This defendant was involved in all the criminal activities."
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
