24 Indicted in Borgata Sports Betting Ring

This is a news story from The Star Ledger:

Indictments charge 24 in Borgata sports-betting case
by Rick Hepp
Thursday April 10, 2008, 5:22 PM

Two dozen people were indicted today on charges they took part in a sports betting ring run by a reputed Philadelphia mob associate and accepted more than $60 million in illegal wagers on two internet sites and the floor of an Atlantic City casino.

The ring was shut down last November following a 20-month State Police investigation that began with a tip that bets on college and professional football and basketball were being taken on the poker room floor of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

Further investigaiton by the State Police and state Division of Criminal Justice also found the ring was accepting bets at EaglesDP.com and justwagers.com. The Attorney General's Office announced the grand jury indictment today.

Prosecutors said the ring was run by Andrew Micali, 32, of Ventnor and Jack M. Buscemi Jr., 50, of Mullica Hill. Micali has been identified by law enforcement officials and news accounts as an associate of the Bruno crime family, a Philadelphia-based mob organization that has seen its hold over Atlantic City crime wither in the past few decades with increased enforcement.

Other alleged ring leaders include:
- Vincent Procopio, 42, of Philadelphia, charged with acting as Micali's right-hand man; he is identified as a reputed soldier of the Bruno family;
- Anthony Nicodemo, 36, of Philadelphia, who allegedly exercised leadership authority over the ring;
- Joseph Wishnick, 43, of Brigantine, a former Borgata poker room supervisor;
- and Jeffrey Ebert, 45, of Ventnor, a former Tropicana poker room supervisor.

All were indicted by a state grand jury today on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering and promoting gambling. Micali is charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and criminal usury. The remaining defendants face similar charges.

"Mr. Micali sought to attract high rollers by setting up shop in the Borgata poker room. He also attracted the attention of the New Jersey State Police," Attorney General Anne Milgram said. "With cooperation from the Borgata, our detectives worked skillfully to uncover the massive scope of this criminal enterprise and build the case we presented to the state grand jury."