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Reputed Genovese associate Thomas Poli has been ordered to serve a mere 22 months in prison for racketeering and must also pay a fine of $200,000. Under federal guidelines, the minimal sentence is typically 33 months, thus Poli got off quite easy.
Poli plead guilty in September to threatening people who didn't pay their gambling debts.
“I just yelled at people and threatened them,” the wiseguy told the judge back in September.
The 66-year-old mobster also had links to disgraced Bronx County Clerk Luis Diaz. The Bronx Democratic submitted a letter to the court falsely claiming that he’d performed volunteer work for a now-defunct homeless services provider.
He admitted to being part of a Bronx-based bookkeeping operation that included five other Genovese mobsters. They included Poli's own son.
Poli’s son, Michael, headed the illegal gambling operation and used his father to collect debts, Assistant US Attorney Celia Cohen said at the plea hearing last autumn.
Poli, Michael and five other Genovese mobsters were arrested last August.
“I just want to apologize to my family and the court,” Poli said before the sentencing.
One of the reasons for the leniency likely had to do with Poli caring for his autistic grandson.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
