Fourteen people were charged for allegedly participating in taking $2 million of illegal sports bets in two New Jersey counties in a ring linked to the Italian mafia, New Jersey authorities announced Thursday.
Key Takeaways
- College athletes were said to have operated sportsbooks.
- “Little Joe” Perna bankrolled the operation.
- One of the arrestees was recently certified as an NBA player agent.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said multiple college athletes at unnamed colleges illegally accepted wagers on unspecified sports.
An NCAA spokesperson said its officials were looking into the case, according to ESPN’s David Purdum.
Perna, 55, resides in Fairfield, New Jersey. He and his sons, stepson, and nephews were among those charged with racketeering, conspiracy, gambling offenses, and money laundering, the New Jersey AG’s office said.
One of Perna’s sons, Joseph R. Perna, is said to have handled the day-to-day operations and coordinated actions with affiliates of the illegal ring.
“Little Joe” Perna allegedly bankrolled the operation.
How did ring operate?
Authorities said subagents who worked with Joseph R. Perna included brother Anthony Perna, stepbrother, Frank Zito, and cousins Dominic Perna and Michael Cetta.
Six unrelated men are also accused of operating sportsbooks, including Spencer Speziale, who was recently certified as an agent of the National Basketball Players Association. Speziale does not have any active clients, a source told ESPN.
“Despite the proliferation of legal betting of all kinds, gambling remains a mainstay of members and associates of organized crime,” Platkin said in a statement. “The locations and methods may have evolved, but illegal gambling – in this case, sports betting – remains a problem, and we will charge those who seek to profit from it.”
The 14 people who were charged all made their first appearances in court Thursday.
Additional hearings will be scheduled later, said Theresa Hilton, director of New Jersey's division of criminal justice.
Sports betting scandals pile up
It’s been a tough couple of months for college and professional sports, as numerous unrelated scandals have popped up at both levels.
In the NBA, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested for intentionally limiting his availability during games to allow prop bettors to cash tickets on his unders. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested for participating in an illegal poker event tied to the mafia and sharing privileged player information with a known sports bettor.
A gambling ring also repeatedly targeted small-conference college basketball teams, frequently betting against first-half spreads.
Last Friday, six former college basketball players were banned for sharing confidential information and helping manipulate the outcomes of games. Two of those players were offered money to underperform in the first half of a game.
