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14 people charged in mob-tied sports betting ring in New Jersey
New Jersey officials announced arrests of 14 people in connection with an illegal gambling ring in North Jersey.
TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey officials have charged 14 people, including a member of the Lucchese crime family and his sons, with operating an illegal sports gambling ring.
The alleged gambling ring is suspected of transferring millions of dollars over the last several years, and allegedly had several college student athletes operating as bookies.
NJ sports betting ring with mob ties
What we know:
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced the arrests and charges at a press conference Thursday. Platkin's office has charged Joseph "Little Joe" Perna, with financing and backing the operation, and his son, Joseph R. Perna, with running the day-to-day operations.
Twelve others, including several of Perna's other sons and nephews his, wife and ex-wife, have been charged as part of the organization, which allegedly operated out of Essex and Bergen counties in Northern New Jersey.
"This was truly a family affair," Platkin said.
Fourteen people charged in connection with an illegal sports betting ring in New Jersey (Credit: NJ Office of the Attorney General)
The charges allege that "Little Joe" Perna used offshore gambling websites to rope people in, and that Joseph R. Perna recruited people, including multiple college athletes, to operate local sports books across the country.
Officials said the investigation into this alleged gambling ring began in January 2024. The operation is accused of overseeing approximately $2 million of transactions between 2022 and 2024 alone.
"What started as a local inquiry into suspicious gambling activity at the ports quickly uncovered a far-reaching nationwide network of illegal bookmakers, tied to organized crime," said Theresa Hilton, the director of the office's Division of Criminal Justice.
The following people were charged as part of the alleged operation:
- Joseph M. "Little Joe" Perna
- Joseph R. Perna
- Anthony M. Perna
- Tyler Schnorrbusch
- Frank Zito
- Michael Cetta
- Dominic Perna
- Nicholas Raimo
- Joseph Janish
- William Madeiros
- Spencer Speziale
- Devon Shuster
- Kimberly Zito
- Rosanna Magno
Charges range from racketeering and money laundering, to conspiracy, promoting gambling by bookmaking and possessing gambling records.
Dig deeper:
Sports betting has been legal in New Jersey since 2018. Online sports betting specifically made the state more than $22 million last year alone.
"Responsible gaming…helps protect people," Platkin said. "So I want to give to any college student listening, if you're of age, yes you can gamble on your phones if you're in the state of New Jersey. You should not be gambling in a mob-backed operation. That's free parental advice."
The Source: Information in this story is from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.