Crime
Feds Won’t Appeal Poker Pro Paul Phua Gambling Case After Rights Violation
Federal prosecutors have confirmed they will not be appealing a judge’s dismissal of an illegal gambling case against wealthy businessman Paul Phua. Daniel Bogden, Nevada U.S. Attorney, confirmed this news to the Las Vegas Review Journal on Thursday.
Philadelphia Mob Boss Set to Tell His Story in ‘Lost Lives and Forgotten Vows’
90’s Mob boss Ralph Natale will tell his story in “Lost Lives and Forgotten Vows”, due to be published in the Fall of 2016.
Natale ran the Philadelphia Mob during the mid-1990’s and would later serve 11 years behind bars for financing drug deals.
Witness Testifies Ex Blew Up Home That Killed Two to Pay Off Gambling Debts
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Associated Press) — An Indianapolis woman whose house exploded, killing two people, testified Wednesday during her former boyfriend's trial that he was determined to burn the home down for insurance money and became angry when the first two attempts failed.
Gambino Crime Family 'Made Man' Guilty in Murder of Miami Subs Founder
After two days of deliberations, jurors have found alleged Gambino Family mobster Anthony “Big Tony” Moscatiello guilty in the murder of South Florida businessman and Miami Subs restaurant franchise founder Gus Boulis.
Moscatiello was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He is facing the death penalty when sentenced on September 15.
Prosecutors claim that the Gambino Crime Family ordered Boulis killed over a dispute related to control over his SunCruz Casinos boat fleet.
Attorney Who Led $300 Million Gambling Ring Wants Case Thrown Out
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Associated Press) - An attorney convicted of leading a $300 million gambling ring that used a veterans charity as a front is asking an appeals court to throw out his 6-year prison sentence.
Sex, Drugs and Gambling: How to Pay for Your College Tuition
A shocking survey conducted by Save the Student revealed this week that one fifth of university students have had to resort to gambling, the drug trade and even prostitution to pay their skyrocketing tuition bills.
In Remembrance of Jonathan Duhamel’s Psychotic Ex-Girlfriend
With Jonathan Duhamel winning the 2015 WSOP High Roller for One Drop event and nearly $4 million to go along with yet another bracelet, we can only hope that the 2010 World Series of Poker champ invests in a better home security system.
Bitcoin Online Gambling Site Primedice Hacked for One Million Dollars
Bitcoin online gambling website Primedice.com claims it was hacked out of $1 million and has offered a reward to anyone who can locate the culprit and all stolen funds. The player reportedly exploited its random number generator last year. The site identified the alleged Bitcoin thief as one Hufflepuff. This individual was said to be betting upwards of $8,000 in bitcoin every second for hours.
“Our entire team was shocked that Hufflepuff continued to beat the house edge (1%) and stack up more and more profit over time,” a Primedice.com spokesperson said.
Phil Mickelson Implicated in Gambling Case: Won’t Face Charges
Golf great Phil Mickelson has been tied to a $2.75 million gambling case, according to ESPN. Mickelson has not been charged with any crime and is not under investigation.
From the San Diego Union Tribune:
Australian Politics Infiltrated by Italian Mafia, Investigation Suggests
In a shocking report published Monday, it was revealed that Italy’s Calabrian mafia, known as 'Ndrangheta, used a number of well-known donors to parties on both sides of the Australian political divide to legitimise its activities.
Billionaire Who Blew Millions Gambling Blames the Devil: Won’t Pay Casino
A billionaire who gambled away £2million at London’s Ritz Casino is now refusing to pay his debt, claiming the devil made him do it.
The 52-year-old business mogul Safa Abdulla Al Geabury made that claim to a psychiatrist and it was presented to the High Court.
The frenzied gambling spree occurred in February of last year. Mr. Al Geabury claims the urge to gamble was as if he had been possessed and that the casino should have stopped him instead of continuing to offer a £5million credit line.
Seals With Clubs Bitcoin Poker Site Owner Pleads Guilty
An individual who ran the now shuttered Bitcoin-only online poker room Seals With Clubs from his Las Vegas home, Bryan Micon, has plead guilty to running what authorities say was an illegal and unlicensed site.
It was the first time that action had been taken against a Bitcoin operator in the Internet gambling space.
Macau Gambling Junket Operator Accused in Money Laundering Probe
(Reuters) - A storied Macau junket operator, who has been the focus of a lengthy police investigation, has been accused of laundering HKD1.8 billion (USD232 million) through bank accounts in Hong Kong, according to court documents released this week.
Cheung Chi-tai, a former major shareholder of one of Macau's biggest junket operators the Neptune Group, is facing three separate charges of money laundering.
In November last year, the Hong Kong police launched a money-laundering investigation related to Cheung and had frozen his assets.
‘Goodfellas’ Stars Demanded Cash Payments Confesses Film’s Writer
(Gambling911.com News Wire) – During a Q&A session this past week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film release “Goodfellas”, that movie’s writer Nick Pileggi told audience members that many of the actors demanded cash payments in lieu of checks.
“They were paid out of petty cash,” Pileggi told audience members at a Film Forum on West Houston Street in Manhattan Tuesday night.
Doyle Brunson Twitter Account Returns: FBI Could Be On The Case
82-year-old Poker icon Doyle Brunson apologized on Friday for the hacking of his Twitter account this past week. Twitter finally temporarily suspended the account but not until after Brunson’s hacker(s) had offended African Americans, the LGBT community and women.
Amaya Silent Over Insider Trading Investigation at Annual Meeting
MONTREAL – (Canadian Press) - Although Amaya is at the centre of an insider trading investigation of a US$4.9 billion acquisition, you wouldn't know it at the online gaming company's annual meeting Monday.
The subject was not broached by management and no shareholder raised a question about it to its chairman and CEO David Baazov, who is among those being investigated by Quebec's securities regulator.
Baazov later told reporters that the investigation makes great headlines but hasn't spooked investors or distracted Amaya officials.
Man Arrested for Urinating in Slot Machine Same Time ‘Slot Crapper” Caught on Cam
A 53-year-old Manalapan, New Jersey man has been identified as the individual caught urinating inside the coin tray of a slot machine.
The incident took place at the Parx Casino in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. William Robert Compton was also charged with resisting arrest.
Elderly Mobster Sent Back to Prison for Meeting With Gangster Pals
(Gambling911.com News Wire) – A Brooklyn federal judge has sentenced Jack Palazzolo, 77, to a year and a day behind bars after meeting with fellow mobsters when he was ordered not to as part of his probation arrangement.
“The court is extremely concerned about the behavior that brings us to this day,” Judge Nicholas Garaufis said in a lecture to the geriatric mobster. “It’s rather astonishing that a person in your medical condition, Mr. Palazzolo, would be engaged in meeting with persons who are maybe involved in organized criminal activities.”
Seven Arrested in Match Fixing Scheme
(Reuters) - Catania football club president Antonino Pulvirenti and six others were arrested on Tuesday (Wednesday NZT) on suspicion of fixing matches this year to keep the club from being relegated from Serie B, Italy's second division, investigators said.
Those arrested including Pulvirenti, who also owns dozens of supermarkets and an airline, are accused of sporting fraud and match-fixing, Catania police said in a statement.
Former NHL Player Pleads Guilty in Wagering Case
A former Buffalo Sabre player, Nathan Paetsch, has plead guilty Monday in a U.S. District Court in Rochester to transmitting wagering information and structuring transactions in such a way to evade reporting requirements. He had been facing up to seven years in prison.
Per the plea agreement, Paetsch will serve probation that involves eight months of home confinement and 400 hours of community service. Paetsch has also agreed to forfeit assets such as a $76,941 BMW X5 and $265,000 cash.
‘Mafia 3’ Release Tease Comes Via Twitter
(Gambling911.com News Wire) – “Mafia 3” from 2K Games is coming, this according to voice actor Rick Pasqualone. He took to Twitter over the weekend to make the announcement. It has been a long time coming.
From the Master Herald:
Paper Wants ‘Insane’ Indicted ‘Sports Tout to the Stars’ Secret Defense Unsealed
Indicted sports betting tout, Adam Meyer, reportedly has a secret he does not want revealed and the Court will maintain this secrecy, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Kahnawake Indians to Take Control of Sports Interaction Amidst Political Torpor
The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake earlier this month announced its intention to begin operating its first online gambling licensee, Sports Interaction. That company was originally founded in Dublin, Ireland and operated for a brief period in the Dominican Republic before relocating to the Kahnawake Reserve in Quebec, Canada.
Two NYC Police Officers Attacked, Injured Trying to Break Up Gambling Party
(Gambling911.com News Wire) - Three individuals were arrested in the Bronx on charges of felony assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after attacking two police officers early Saturday morning.
The attack occurred at an illegal gambling party. Police responded just before 1 am to break up the event. Upon their arrival, they saw three men gambling and drinking open bottles of Hennessy.
Russian Bot Ring Wins $1.5 Million at PokerStars, Maybe More
In a shocking report filed by PokerNews.com last week, it was revealed that a bot ring originating from both Russia and Kazakhstan may have infiltrated PokerStars.com, winning an estimated $1.5 million playing Pot-Limit Omaha.
Clinton Portis Facing Six-Figure Tax and Gambling Debts
(Gambling911.com News Wire) - Former NFL running back Clinton Portis is facing a serious tax fine and potentially jail time should he fail to enter into an installment agreement with the IRS. Portis allegedly failed to pay $401,432.18 in federal income taxes in 2006, and he allegedly failed to pay $57,187.61 in federal income taxes in 2010.
The colorful one-time Redskins player also allegedly incurred a debt to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas of $287,178.56 last month. That’s not exactly going to help with paying off these tax fines.
UGA Bookies Are Finance, Economics Majors: Felony Warrants Issued in Athens
(Gambling911 News Wire) – Two University of Georgia students have been charged with running a lucrative commercial bookie business on the campus. Authorities issued felony warrants following an investigation that started in November when UGA police received a hot tip.
Named in the warrants are Max Richard Braun, 22, and Brad Kirschner, 21, neither of whom were arrested as of Friday morning. Braun is also wanted for alleged cocaine possession.
Mob Hitman Among Those Guilty in ‘Operation Heat’ $2 Bil Gambling Case
A Mob hitman currently serving life-plus-10 years in a New Jersey state prison has now pleaded guilty to another racketeering case authorities termed “Operation Heat”.
Martin Taccetta was charged in a 1993 Mob hit involving the golf club beating death of a Toms River, New Jersey car dealer, Vincent J. “Jimmy Sinatra” Craparotta. Taccetta is among six Lucchese crime family members who pleaded guilty Wednesday to running an illegal sports wagering outfit that took in at least $2.2 billion in bets.
Six Lucchese Crime Family Members Plead Guilty in Sports Betting Ring
Six men tied to New York City’s Lucchese crime family entered guilty pleas Thursday morning in connection with running a multi-billion dollar gambling enterprise.
The men were indicted in 2010 following a 15-month investigation that uncovered the ring, revealing an estimated $2.2 billion in wagers had been placed over that period.
David Simon Creating New Series About The Mafia, 70’s Porn Scene
(G911 News Wire) - The Mafia and porn. Sounds titillating. Both will take center stage in a new series being developed by David Simon (“The Wire”, “Treme”). It is being billed as a show about 1970’s Time Square before it got taken over by Disney. Back then it was one of the seediest places on Earth. Porn was everywhere. The Mob often controlled it. Simon is teaming up with his writing partner from both aforementioned shows, George Pelecanos. An air time is not yet known.
