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Eight defendants with ties to a crime family pleaded guilty to their role in a New Jersey gambling business
42 individuals were indicted in April 2025
The charges were primarily connected to social clubs and hosted live poker games
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General said in a press release that eight defendants pleaded guilty to charges related to racketeering, gambling and money laundering.
The defendants were among 42 people who have been indicted since the initial arrests in April 2025 following a two-year investigation into illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion, and money laundering tied to the Lucchese crime family.
According to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, investigators identified approximately $4.79 million in suspected criminal proceeds generated through illegal gambling, racketeering, and money laundering activities tied to the enterprise.
The charges were primarily connected to social clubs that hosted live poker games and also included gambling machines.
“The guilty pleas we accepted today represent another important step in dismantling this criminal enterprise and holding the individuals involved accountable,” said Attorney General Davenport. “Organized crime has no place in New Jersey. For decades, the Attorney General’s Office has been a leader in rooting out organized crime in New Jersey, and we continue to play that important role to keep New Jersey safe.”
“We remain dedicated to pursuing justice and protecting the public by disrupting criminal enterprises wherever they operate,” said DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “The pleas in this case mark significant progress, but our work will continue as the remaining cases move through the judicial process.”
Three of the defendants prosecutors claim are members of the Lucchese crime family, George Zappola, Joseph R. Perna and John G. Perna, pleaded guilty to racketeering and had recommended seven-year sentences as part of the plea deal.
Wayne D. Cross, Michael P. Frasso, Frank Imparato, Joseph Gossweiler and Peter Norcia also pleaded guilty to various charges related to the investigation.
Three companies pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and are now subject to $250,000 in penalties.
Those companies include:
Café Gio, which prosecutors said was used by Imparato to facilitate illegal gambling activities. That company pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy with a recommended penalty of $250,000
Frasso Trucking was allegedly used by Michael and Gerard Frasso to conceal proceeds from the illegal gambling enterprise.
The company pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy for anti-money laundering profiteering. The recommended penalty here was also $250,000.
CJW Development and Consulting was allegedly used to conceal criminal proceeds through anti-money laundering activities.
The company pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy for anti-money laundering profiteering with a recommended penalty of $250,000.
“The guilty pleas we accepted today represent another important step in dismantling this criminal enterprise and holding the individuals involved accountable,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. “Organized crime has no place in New Jersey."
- Sourabh Patel, Gambling911.com
