New York Paralegal Blog

Justice has been served! Anthony Villani, a powerful captain in the notorious Luchese organized crime family, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for his role in a massive, illegal online gambling operation. This wasn't just some small-time bookie; Villani's "Rhino Sports" raked in at least $35 million in illicit profits over nearly two decades, all under the "protection" of the Luchese family. And as part of his sentence, he's been ordered to pay a staggering $4 million in forfeiture! This outcome is a huge win for law enforcement, sending a clear message to organized crime: your illegal enterprises and lavish lifestyles funded by criminal activity will be shut down, and you will be held accountable. Unmasking "Rhino Sports": A Deep Dive into the Illegal Empire Villani’s illegal gambling business, operating since the early 2000s, was a sophisticated setup. It used offshore servers in Costa Rica, employing local bookmakers to...

OKLAHOMA CITY—Today, an 81-count federal indictment was unsealed charging 10 defendants with crimes involving an illegal gambling operation and the money laundering of proceeds derived from that operation, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma; Jim Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Andrea D. Whelan, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 13, 2010) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the guilty pleas of New York City Department of Sanitation Deputy Chief Frederick Grimaldi on bribery charges related to a bid rigging scheme, and William “Billy” Cosidente, Jr. on extortion charges for his role as the “muscle” for a financially lucrative sports betting operation closely controlled by organized crime operating in Richmond County and elsewhere in New York City. Grimaldi, 44, of Marlboro, New Jersey and Cosidente, 45, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty today before Richmond County Supreme Court Justice Leonard Rienzi. They were indicted in November on charges resulting from a long-term joint investigation dubbed "Operation Pure Luck" by the Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force and the New York City Police Department's Vice Enforcement Bureau.

19 Individuals Charged in Connection With Illegal Gambling Enterprise that Bribed Undercover NYPD Offficers Arrests Include Several Members of Luchese Crime Family NEW YORK, NY (October 1, 2009) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, along with Southern District of New York United States Attorney Preet Bharara, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, and Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore, today announced the indictment of 19 individuals on charges relating to an illegal gambling, sports betting and loan sharking enterprise controlled by the Luchese Organized Crime Family. This morning’s raids capped a two-year investigation dubbed “Operation Crooked House,” which uncovered that members of the Luchese enterprise bribed undercover members of the NYPD for protection of their illegal card clubs. In total, 19 individuals were indicted on federal felony charges filed in the Southern District of New York. Twelve of them were charged in the federal indictment with pa...