A federal grand jury has recently given a verdict on a case of seven individuals being involved in running illegal gambling operations in Rochester, New York. The seven defendants have been found guilty of running illegal poker games at 565 Blossom Road and offering unlawful sports betting activities through a website titled sport700.com.
The seven were caught red-handed on April 17, 2021, when law enforcement arrived at 565 Blossom Road executing a search warrant. At the site, they discovered and interrupted an illegal card game. Some of the gamblers ran away, while eight were arrested. Investigators seize gambling ledgers, timestamped website printouts, other documents, and phones.
Facing Charges in Court
Two of the defendants are Louis P. Ferrari II and Dominic Sprague and they co-owned and ran the poker games, while Mr. Ferrari operated the sports book through the website. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire’s report, he generated US$2,241,172 in unlawful winnings, while Anthony Amato, who oversaw the website, generated US$8,945,629 in proceeds.
Ms. McGuire explained that Mr. Ferrari managed individual bettors and governed other people including Mr. Sprague who had his own book of bettors. Mr. Ferrari also collected payments from players’ gambling losses via his business, Ferrari Excavating on Steel Street and laundered the money through the business. Mr. Sprague collected cash from losses and paid winnings from his pawn shop on Stone Road in Greece.
Now, the two defendants and Tomasso Sessa are charged with counts of conspiracy, one count of transmission of wagering information, and two counts of running illegal gambling activities. Amato, Joseph Lombardo, Jeffrey Boscarino, and James Civiletti are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of transmission of wagering information, and one count of operating an illegal gambling business.
Court informed that Mr. Ferrari, Mr. Lombardo and Mr. Civiletti we prosecuted on Monday and were released on conditions. Meanwhile, Mr. Sprague, and Mr. Amato were arraigned on Tuesday, and Mr. Boscarino and Sessa will be on Wednesday. Additionally, an ex-New York state trooper was charged separately and previously convicted in relation to the case. His name is Thomas Loewke.
Past Cases of Unlawful Gambling
In the past, New York State has dealt with a fair share of illegal gambling operations. One instance of that was when the police busted a Mafia-owned betting parlour, at Sal’s Shoe Repair in Merrick, Long Island. The culprits were part of the Genovese and Bonanno families and they faced racketeering and unlawful gambling charges
Another example of illicit gaming activities includes Abduraman Iseni who sent sentenced to prison for running several illegal dens in Brooklyn, NY. US District Court Judge Andrew L. Carter ruled that the perpetrator was sentenced to 51 months of prison time for hosting the illegal gambling operations allegedly tied to the mafia in “Friendly Cafe,” “Oasis Cafe,” and “Sports Cafe.”
Source: “7 indicted in illegal gambling business case in Rochester” News10, July 10, 2023
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