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It didn’t take long for what’s left of La Cosa Nostra to start cashing in on the New York Mets’ blown saves and the number of Yankee dingers flying out of their new Bronx bandbox. What they didn’t know was that MLB and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office had front row seats for the action.
Today, authorities announced that members of the Genovese crime family — once headed by the late Vincent “Chin” Gigante — operated the ring using code names and passwords for customers who dialed up secret phone numbers or Web sites.
An employee of Aramark, the food vending giant, exchanged cash with members of the ring at both Yankee Stadium and Citifield, but the hidden bet trick was being watched by detectives and MLB security.
One of the 34 players picked off is named (no lie) Joseph DiMaggio of Garfield, NJ.
(There goes that streak.)
The wire room was in the usual location, Costa Rica, long popular for wiseguy wagering, said Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.
But the home field was North Jersey — an area as American as apple pie, hot dogs and pinkie rings.
Mendoza lines were being set from Fairfield to Belleville, with managers collecting proceeds in parking lots and diners before passing tribute up the aisle to mob brass, the prosecutor said.
They even huddled in the last hot corner you’d expect to find goodfellas — bookstores.
A series of Jeterian-sized raids occurred simultaneously in Bergen, Essex, Somerset and Monmouth counties, capping a probe that began months ago as an investigation into money laundering, Molinelli said.
Undercover officers got into the wheelhouse, sidling up to Genovese managers Thomas Conforti and John “Blue” DeFroscia.
After that, it became a can of corn: The investigators were quickly penciled into the lineup of runners going station-to-station for the bosses, collecting packages of wagers, delivering them to the managers and getting a commission for their work.
One of the accused bookies, a U.S. Postal Service worker, chalked up his assists by “passing an envelope through a mail truck window as if it were ordinary mail,” Molinelli said.
Molinelli said another slid his package through — say it ain’t so — Racioppi’s Kitchen, on Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield. For those who don’t know: It’s got the best taralles this side of Bay Ridge.
Speaking of dough: Investigators seized $1.2 million during raids that began last night. That’s a lot of blown saves.
Needless to say, those charged, if convicted, could be looking at long…. um…. stretches in prison.
The following list of those charged was provided this morning by Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli, who noted that all defendants are presumed innocent.
THOMAS CONFORTI, 44, of Fairfield
Charges: Racketeering, Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Premio in Hawthorne
JOHN “BLUE” DEFROSCIA, 48, of Warren
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Clark Printing in Saddle Brook
LAWRENCE ACKERMAN, 46, Old Tappan
Charges: Racketeering, Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Atlantic Agency in Fort Lee
WILLIAM BUDD, 47, of Fort Lee
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Federal Express in New York City
JOSEPH DIMAGGIO, 37, of Garfield
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
SAMUEL ERIK, 29, of New Milford
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Erik Jewelry in Paramus
EUGENE LEE, 33, of Cliffside Park
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: RFA in New York City
NURI SAYILIK, 45, of New Milford
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Isabella Jewelry in Wayne
ROBERT WALSH, 44, of Fort Lee
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling, Money Laundering
Employment: Atlantic Agency in Fort Lee
ANTHONY BOGOSIAN, 44, of Paramus
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling, Money Laundering
Employment: Unemployed
DULO BOLIJEVIC, 36, of Dover
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Villa Pizza in Rockaway
COSMO BRONGO, 45, of Nutley
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Merrill Lynch in Short Hills
JOHN CAMIDGE, 50, of Belmar
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Redball Parking in New York City
GERARDO CIANCI, 46, of Bloomfield
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
BIAGGINO CIRCELLI, 49, of Summit
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Schering-Plough in Kenilworth
MICHAEL CIRELLI, 49, of Nutley
Charges: Racketeering, Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Ideal Plating in Belleville
PATRICK CUOMO, 55, of Congers, N.Y. (Remains At-Large)
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
DAVID GREEN, 48, of New York, N.Y.
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
CHRISTOPHER HANSEN, 46, of Glen Oaks, N.Y. (Remains At-Large)
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
ANTHONY LOMBARDO, 50, of Bronx, N.Y. (Remains At-Large)
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
VINCENT MARCHELLO, 43, of Belleville (Remains At-Large)
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
MICHAEL McNAMARA, 64, of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Remains At-Large)
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
PABLO NAPOLITANO, 29, of Caldwell
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Nino’s Repair in Orange
GERALD “JAY” NAPOLITANO, 60, of Belleville
Charges: Racketeering, Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: La Pasteria in Summit
FRANK “RAVEN” NISTA, 56, of Bayside, N.Y.
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
LOUIS ORANGEO, 41, of Newark
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: United States Postal Carrier
AGOSTINO “NINO” PETRILLO, Jr., 39, of Livingston
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Nino’s Repair in Orange
NICHOLAS “PIGEON” RESTAINO, 56, of Bloomfield
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Raccioppi’s in Bloomfield
RICHARD “FROSTY’ ROSENBLUM, 53, of Bronx, N.Y. (Remains At-Large)
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
CORNELIUS O’SULLIVAN, 40, of Nyack, N.Y.
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
PAUL “SHORTLINE” WEBER, 40, of New Rochelle, N.Y.
Charge: Racketeering, Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Aramark in Philadelphia, PA
JOHN VENEZIA, 46, of North Caldwell
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: Cornerstone Contracting in Roselle
PATRICK NUFIIO, 48, of Cedar Grove
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
ROBERT CAPRIO, 53, of Belleville
Charges: Promoting Gambling, Conspiracy to Promote Gambling
Employment: n/a
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