Crime
DOJ, FBI Begin Investigation Into Daily Fantasy Sports
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the DOJ and FBI are in the early stages of investigating the explosive Daily Fantasy Sports sector.
‘Goodfellas’ Murder Scenes Cannot be Introduced During Mobster Trial
Prosecutors will be forbidden from introducing grizzly murder scenes from the film “Goodfellas” during the upcoming October 19 trial of Lufthansa heist mobster Vincent Asaro. The Bonanno crime figure is only facing one murder rap that is unrelated to the heist.
StarsDraft Pulls Out of Florida Amidst Indictment Fears
News of a grand jury convening in Florida to review possible violations by Daily Fantasy Sports companies has sent PokerStars-backed StarsDraft packing.
Chicago Area Gambling Raid Results in 13 Arrests: Luxury Cars Seized
12 men and one woman were arrested or ticketed Thursday and charged as part of a what authorities deemed to be an illegal gambling operation run from a Naperville strip mall.
Naperville is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.
Illinois State Police and agents of the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) assisted Naperville police in "a five-month-long investigation into an illegal gambling ring".
Police confiscated approximately $25,000 during the raid. They also seized a 2015 Lamborghini Huracan, a 2014 E63 AMG Mercedes and a 2011 Porsche Panamera.
Netflix New Series ‘Suburra’ Tells Story of Italian Mafia, Vatican and Gambling
Netflix has commissioned its first original series from Italy, “Suburra”, which tells the story of a “gruelling battle over a seaside town outside of Rome which is to be developed into a gambling paradise.”
Based on the book by Giancarlo De Cataldo and Carlo Bonini, Suburra, the series will comprise of ten episodes that follow release of a full feature film.
SportsBettingChamp.com Owner Sentenced This Week in Nevada
A Las Vegas man and so-called “betting expert” has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars for running an illegal gambling operation while hiding funds from the IRS.
Two Dealers Indicted in Bellagio Cheating Scheme
(Associated Press) - Two former casino dealers and two friends are accused of siphoning more than $1 million off craps tables over two years, using phantom bets at a posh Las Vegas Strip resort.
Evil Poker Players Part 3: Murderous Ernie Scherer Jr Killed Both His Parents
Indeed it is easy to see why the likes of an Ernie Scherer Jr. would be categorized as an “evil poker player”. For one, he killed both his parents in cold blood. That’s bound to land you on the Evil Poker Player list.
Reason Number 1: He Beat and Stabbed His Mom and Dad to Death
Ernest Scherer III, from Oakland, California, was convicted of two counts of first degree murder, committing multiple murders for financial gain and possession of a deadly weapon three years after the March 2008 massacre.
Unsolved Mysteries of Gambling Part 3: Did the Shrink Fake His Own Death?
The date was April 10, 2010, a Sunday--Easter Sunday, in fact.
That morning, rumors started appearing on the Internet, via sports betting posting forums and elsewhere, that a well-known figure in the sports betting world--Ken "The Shrink" Weitzner--had died.
Weitzner, who pretended to be a psychiatrist as his gimmick, created one of the first sports betting portals on the Internet--called The Prescription (www.therx.com)--and then sold it for $2 million and started a competing site, Eye on Gambling (www.eog.com).
AGA Says it has Proof of Ties Between Illegal Gambling and Organized Crime
The American Gaming Association (AGA) met with officials across the United States to discuss what it calls “groundbreaking new research showing the extent of illegal gambling and its ties to organized crimes”.
Ten People Shot in Gambling Dispute at Busy Events Center
Ten people were hit by gunfire during an early morning Sunday gambling dispute at a small West Georgia town. All the victims, five females and five males, were expected to survive.
The incident occurred at the Hill Haven Event Center in Greenville, about 60 miles southwest of Atlanta.
Man Who Killed Wife With Mallet Before Heading to Casino Sentenced to Life
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Associated Press) – A South Florida man has been sentenced to life in prison for beating his wife to death with a mallet.
A Broward County judge sentenced 68-year-old Robert Oulton on Thursday. He was convicted last month of second-degree murder.
Bookies Behaving Badly Part 6: Mark Del Popolo, Attorney at Flaw
He was a lawyer who thought he was above the law. In reality, though, he was an early e-scamster who gave both bookmaking and bunco a bad name.
He is Mark Del Popolo, a Syracuse, N.Y. attorney-turned-Internet bookie who dreamed of being a mobster and executed the first big online bookmaking scam of the 21st century.
Odlanor Spyware Allows Hackers to See Other Players Hands
The poker community is alarmed by the recent discovery of a new spyware called Odianor.
The Daily Mail was among the first to report on it a few days ago.
Their description:
Shocking Video Emerges of Bungling Machete and Scythe Waving Casino Bandits
Two men were jailed Monday for their role in a brazen casino robbery last October with every horrifying moment caught on video surveillance.
Wayne Marsh, 33, and Grant Walker, 24, are both seen in the video waving a scythe and machete in people’s faces while bundling banknotes into a bag. An accomplice Andrew Warley, 41, was also placed behind bars Monday.
The two men made a number of bungled missteps while attempting to flee the Walsall’s Grosvenor Casino in Bentley.
‘Black Mass’ The Whitey Bulger Story in Theatres Friday
Shakespeare had his tortured Hamlet, his ambitious Macbeth, his malevolent Iago, his warring Montagues and Capulets.
Death Penalty Sought for Mobster Who Murdered Gambling Ship Fleet Owner
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Associated Press) -- Anthony "Big Tony" Moscatiello deserves the death penalty for coldly ordering the mob-style slaying of a South Florida businessman to protect his share of a lucrative stream of gambling profits, a prosecutor told a jury Wednesday.
Details of ‘Secret’ Gambling Probe, Informants Identities Published on City Website
The City of West Palm Beach made a massive blunder Friday morning, as revealed exclusively by Gossip Extra.
ACR DoS Attacks Create Huge Overlay for Million Dollar Sundays: CEO Explains
In conjunction with the start of the new NFL season, Americas Cardroom hosted yet another Million Dollar Sundays event. But Internet menaces had other plans.
A series of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks Sunday morning prevented many from entering the 3 pm EST tournament, thus creating a huge overlay that will result in a $300,000 loss, admits Americas Cardroom CEO Phil Nagy. The attackers were demanding a large sum of money to be paid in Bitcoin, Nagy confirmed. Mr. Nagy was appearing on Twitch live Sunday afternoon to discuss. You can watch below.
New DFS911.com Series ‘Daily Fantasy F***ed’ to Focus on Seedy Side of Sector
You’ve asked for it and DFS911.com in conjunction with sister site Gambling911.com have heard you loud and clear. Introducing “Daily Fantasy F***ed”, a new series of articles that will focus on the seedy side of the Daily Fantasy Sports world.
Chinese Celebrity Guo Meimei Sentenced to Five Years for Running Illegal Casino
(Reuters) - Chinese celebrity Guo Meimei who gained notoriety for flaunting a jet-set lifestyle, apparently while working for a charity, was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for running a casino, the Xinhua state news agency reported.
Guo hit the headlines in 2011 after posting photos online showing her in a Maserati sports car and carrying expensive handbags.
At the time, she said she was general manager of an organization under the Red Cross Society of China, a state-backed charity. The charity denied any link to her.
Rochester Man Sentenced for Running Illegal Gambling Biz Tied to Hockey Player
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Associated Press) - A Rochester businessman convicted of running an illegal gambling operation that involved a professional hockey player has been sentenced.
Unsolved Mysteries of Gambling Part 2: What Really Happened at Gary Austin’s Sportsbook
The year was 1979 and a new cable television channel called the Enterntainment and Sports Programming Network--ESPN for short--was debuting.
Evil Poker Players Part I: The Annie Duke Edition
Welcome to our new series here at Gambling911.com, a combined effort between two of Gambling911.com’s intrepid reporters, Thomas Somach and Jagajeet Chiba. Great minds don’t always think alike, however. Our first selection for the series, Annie Duke, had Somach and Chiba butting heads a bit. Be sure to check out our "Evil Poker Players" sponsor AmericasCardroom and learn how to enter to win a guaranteed piece of a sweet $5 million
Mobster Son-In-Law of John Gotti $100K Bond Continued
CLEVELAND, Ohio — (Associated Press) - A $100,000 bond was continued today for a reputed mob associate and former son-in-law of mob boss John Gotti who faces charges related to what authorities say is a multi-million dollar scam involving scrap metal and stolen cars.
Fifty-six-year-old Carmine "The Bull" Agnello of Bentleyville was arraigned Friday morning. He's been free on a personal bond since July 17 — two days after his arrest by Cleveland police.
14 Arrested in Phoenix for Running Illegal Gambling Business
PHOENIX — (Associated Press) - Authorities say 14 people have been arrested after two search warrants were served at illegal gambling businesses in Phoenix.
Hockey Player Gets Home Confinement for Role in Illegal Sports Betting Ring
Rochester, N.Y. — Grand Rapids Griffins player Nathan Paetsch has sentenced to eight months of home confinement for being part of an illegal sports betting business that took wagers from other players.
Paetsch (paytch) also must perform 400 hours of community service and spend five years on probation following his sentencing Friday in federal court in Rochester.
Bookies Behaving Badly Part 5: Shill Edition
When it comes to bookies behaving badly, few were as slimy or sleazy as the one nicknamed "The Shill"--Steve Schillinger.
The nickname was of twofold origin--"Shill" of course was short for Schillinger and was a nickname since youth, but shill is what he did as a bookie and so became just as relevant.
Jimmy Snuka Charged in Girlfriend’s Murder 32 Years Later: Odds on His Fate?
Oddsmakers may be tempted to pull the trigger on this one. There is definitely a demand for Court outcome wagering though sportsbooks over the years have shown a reluctance to offer bets that have any tie to murder.
Good Lord: Priest Charged With Stealing $151K for Gambling Addiction
WICHITA — (Associated Press) - A Kansas priest has been charged with alleging stealing nearly $151,000 from his two parishes and the Catholic Diocese to fund his extensive gambling.
A criminal information filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Kansas charges Father Thomas H. Leland with bank fraud. The court issued a summons for a Sept. 23 initial appearance.
