Crime
Van der Sloot Stabbed in Lima Prison, Seriously Injured
Convicted killer Joran van der Sloot has reportedly been stabbed in a Lima, Peru prison and is seriously injured.
The 27-year-old Van der Sloot is serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of a local girl he met at a Lima casino in 2010. At the time, van der Sloot was attending the Latin American Poker Tour. He was previously a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of an Alabama High School graduate who had been vacationing in Aruba.
Bookmaker Pleads Guilty: Claims Gambling Debt Tied to NHL Team, Thomas Vanek
A Rochester, New York area bookmaker plead guilty Thursday to laundering $230,000 in monies derived from gambling, a debt his attorney claims was made with a New York Islanders NHL team check.
Shocking Reveal in Phua Gambling Case: Feds Impersonated Computer Repairmen
In a shocking revelation Wednesday, the New York Post reports that federal agents dressed as computer repairmen in order to gain access to computers used by the father-son tandem of poker players Wei Seng Phua (AKA Paul Phua) and Darren Wai Kit Phua. Both are accused of operating an elaborate World Cup betting ring from their high priced villas in Las Vegas back in July.
Mobster Skinny Joey Merlino Will Surrender to Feds After Meeting With ‘Bad Guys’
Retired mobster “Skinny” Joey Merlino, 52, is set to head back to prison, at least for a brief time.
Offshore Gambling Kingpin Captured Snorting Heroin at NJ Rest Stop
Reputed Genovese crime family member Vincent Coppola was arrested this past week as part of a roundup of individuals tied to what New Jersey authorities call an elaborate racketeering operation.
Joey Merlino, Ex-Mob Boss, Gets 4 Months For Meeting Friend
PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press) — A reputed former mob boss was ordered back to prison Friday for violating parole, and his lawyer complained that the FBI would pursue his client "to the grave."
Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, the reputed head of Philadelphia's La Cosa Nostra in the 1990s, must serve four additional months for failing to report a meeting with a former co-defendant at a Boca Raton, Florida, cigar bar.
Romanian Princess Gets Probation in Cockfighting Case
PORTLAND, Ore. — (Associated Press) - A Romanian princess was sentenced Wednesday to probation after apologizing for her role in an Oregon cockfighting enterprise that she said brought shame to her and her family.
Ex-Palms Sportsbook Employee Charged in Bet-Rigging Gets Probation
LAS VEGAS — (Associated Press) - A former Las Vegas casino worker was sentenced in federal court to probation and must pay restitution for his role in what authorities say was an $800,000 betting fraud scheme.
Matthew Kidle, 31, apologized before sentencing Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
11 Reputed Mobsters Arrested, Reaped Millions From Sports Betting, Loansharking
11 reputed mobsters from the New Jersey/New York area were arrested on Tuesday, charged with loansharking, sports gambling, unlicensed check-cashing and money laundering.
All but one of the individuals resided in New Jersey. The other was arrested in New York City. Each of the individuals is alleged to have connections to the Genovese crime family.
Breaking News: 11 Reputed Mobsters in New Jersey Arrested for Sports Betting, More
NEWARK, New Jersey — Eleven reputed members and associates of a major New York-based organized crime family are facing charges in New Jersey.
Acting state Attorney General John Hoffman will announce details of the arrests during a news conference in Newark Tuesday.
The attorney general's office alleges the suspects reaped millions of dollars through loansharking, sports gambling, unlicensed check-cashing and money laundering.
The news conference was taking place at 11:30 a.m.
Man Charged for Telling Casino Worker He was ‘Gambling to Avoid Ebola-Stricken Wife’
A 60-year-old Cleveland man has been charged for telling a Horseshoe Casino employee that he was there gambling to avoid his wife for whom he claimed had the deadly Ebola disease.
From the Cleveland Plains Dealer:
AZ Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Ducey Comes From Mob Family: Uncle Ran WWTS
We’re not sure exactly what if any impact being born into an alleged Mafia family might have but this is the latest headliner coming out of the Arizona gubernatorial race involving Republican Doug Ducey.
His connections may be more interesting to long time diehard readers of Gambling911.com than the actual voters in Arizona.
Online Bookie Will Serve 2 Years Prison Time for Role in ‘Project Amethyst’
The head of an online sports betting ring has been sentenced to 2 years prison time in Ottawa.
Benedetto Manasseri, 50, took in $842,000 between February and July 2012, court documents claim.
Man Sentenced to Death for Double Murder had Gambling Addiction
An Indian man who committed a 2012 double murder in the US will be sentenced to death by the Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania.
The 28-year-old IT professional, Raghunandan Yandamuri, was convicted of killing his Satyavathi Venna, 61, and her 10-month-old granddaughter, Saanvi Venna, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Prosecutors claim the man plotted to kidnap the child for ransom to help pay for his gambling addiction.
Guilderland Murders: First Motivation Passion, Second Gambling
Authorities continue to investigate last week’s quadruple murder of a family in their Guilderland, New York residence, alluding to the idea Monday that illegal gambling could have been a motive.
Gambling May be at Center of Guilderland New York Quadruple Murder
Wednesday’s quadruple murder in Guilderland, New York may be tied to illegal gambling, authorities said this weekend.
7,162 Chinese Officials Punished for Gambling Offenses
7162 Chinese government officials from more than 30 cities have been punished for offenses stemming from illegal gambling activities since the middle of 2013. East China’s Zhejiang and Guangdong in the south have reported the most cases, according to the Shanghai Daily.
Mass Regulators See No Wrongdoing in Wynn Land Deal With Alleged Mobsters
BOSTON (Associated Press) — State gambling regulators say they see no wrongdoing by Wynn Resorts following last week’s arrests of three owners of land the company wants to develop into a casino.
The casino company ‘‘clearly’’ had no role in the wrongdoing, acting Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman James McHugh said Thursday following a briefing by the commission’s investigative staff and state police.
Michael Phelps Suspended From USA Swim Team After DUI, 8-Hour Gambling Spree
US gold-medalist swimmer Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps was suspended by the national team for 6 months following last week’s arrest for Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
The 18-time Olympic champion also lost six months of funding from the sport’s national governing body as a result of his second DUI. A previous arrest was made in 2004.
Phil Ivey vs. The Mob: Who Will Come Out on Top
Tuesday night (October 7, 2014) is a poker and sports betting fanatic’s dream when it comes to what’s on television.
‘Playing for the Mob’ Review: ‘A First Class Effort by ESPN’ Says Herald
The Boston Herald seemingly has given “Playing for the Mob” two thumbs up.
The ESPN docu-drama is narrated by Ray Liotta, chronicling the Boston College point-shaving scandal of the late 1970s, carried out by mobster Henry Hill, Liotta's "Goodfellas" character, and his various associates.
‘Son of Sam’ Laws Could be Applied to ‘Real Housewives’ Sentencing
“Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Joe and Teresa Giudice could be forced to give up any profits derived from their appearances on the popular reality series as well as any future book deals.
Both are heading to prison for fraudulently obtaining millions in loans and for hiding income and assets in their 2009 bankruptcy filing.
Two Get Jail Sentences for Illegal Poker Game in New Jersey
TRENTON – (Associated Press) - Two southern New Jersey men have received jail terms for running an illegal poker club inside a storefront.
Feds: Owners of Wynn Land Concealed Mob Ties, Three Men Charged
BOSTON — (Associated Press) - Owners of the heavily polluted waterfront property that Wynn Resorts plans to develop into a $1.6 billion resort casino attempted to conceal the fact that a convicted felon and known mob associate was profiting from the land deal, according to federal and state grand jury indictments unsealed Thursday.
Former NFL Player Reche Caldwell Faces Up to 20 Years Prison in Gambling Probe
Former NFL player Reche Caldwell could face up to 20 years in prison for running an illegal gambling business. But that’s not all he’s in trouble for.
Caldwell, 35, was also charged in a scheme to distribute the drug “Molly”.
Molly’s Game Poker Animation Video
Look who’s coming to the party this Halloween. It’s Spiderman, Batman and Dan Bilzerian.
The new book Molly's Game lifts the lid on the high stakes games played in Hollywood by the likes of Tobey Maquire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and A-Rod.
Molly Bloom (AKA the Poker Princess) hosted underground high stakes poker games in Hollywood that had ties to the Russian mafia.
You can also see Phil Ivey and Dan Bilzerian in action as part of this video produced by the folks at PokerStrategy.com.
We May Now Know Who Killed Mobster Bugsy Siegel
The mystery behind mobster Bugsy Siegel’s 1947 murder may finally have been solved. Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel was shot dead in his girlfriend's home in June of that year.
The family of Siegel’s former best friend, Moe Sedway, has stepped forward claiming to know who was behind the murder and why they did it.
Equity Poker Network Quick to Shut Down Fraud Foursome: 5Dimes Player Chip Dumping
Curacao, Netherlands Antilles - Some quick action from the Fraud and Security Team at Equity Poker Network (EPN) has successfully shut down an isolated incidence of collusion between four Network player account holders. The Team identified the suspicious conduct between the four players, who more specifically have been caught engaged in the fraudulent activity of “Chip Dumping”.
Indiana State University Shooting Connected to Gambling, Man Arrested
A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a weekend shooting at Indiana State University that left another individual wounded in his buttock.
Calvin McCauley of Indianapolis has been charged with attempted murder. Police say he and the victim knew each other.
Fortune Five Biggest Organized Crime Families in the World Revealed
The Fortune Five largest organized crime families have been revealed and, while cyber crime is all over the news these days, these organizations still practice the tried and true trades of sex, drugs, gambling and extortion.
From Fortune.com:
