Five charged in illegal gambling operation allegedly run by infamous New York crime family
Federal authorities have charged five people with operating an illegal and long-established gambling business with suspected ties to the Lucchese crime family, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday. The charges were outlined in an indictment that was unsealed in Brooklyn federal court, as four defendants were arrested at their homes in New York, and another in West Palm Beach, Florida.
In a news release, the Justice Department alleged that one person arrested in the scheme, identified as 57-year-old Anthony Villani, is a direct associate of the notorious Mafia clan that has historically played a significant part in New York's organized crime. Also charged in the scheme are James Coumoutsos, 59; Dennis Filizzola, 58; Michael Praino, 44; and Louis Tucci, Jr., 59, according to the Justice Department. Coumoutsos, Praino and Tucci were also identified by their nicknames — "Quick," "Platinum" and "Tooch," respectively.
Villani is facing racketeering charges — for illegal gambling, money laundering and attempted extortion — for his alleged connection to a fraudulent online gambling enterprise called Rhino Sports, which, authorities said, collected illegal sports bets and reaped millions in profits over the course of at least 15 years. Allegedly operated under the protection of the Lucchese family, the site used web hosting servers based in Costa Rica and regularly accepted between 400 and 1,300 bets per week. It employed dozens of bookmakers to pay and collect winnings in cash, according to the Justice Department.
Villani is accused of overseeing what the department describes as a "large-scale" illegal scheme at the helm of Rhino Sports' business dealings. He allegedly contracted Filizzola and Tucci as runners while "regularly" employing members of prominent Italian-American crime families, including the Lucchese family, to work as bookmakers.
The Justice Department alleged that Villani himself received more than $1 million annually from Rhino Sports. When federal agents searched his residences in 2020 during a probe, they recovered more than $400,000 in cash as well as brass knuckles and gambling ledgers.
"As alleged, this conduct demonstrates how members of La Cosa Nostra continue to engage in illegal gambling operations and money laundering money-marking schemes that lead to threats of violence against anyone who stands in their way and has resulted in millions of dollars in profits to the Luchese crime family," said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement included in the Justice Department's Wednesday announcement. "These charges illustrate this Office's continued commitment to rooting La Cosa Nostra out of New York."
La Costa Nostra refers to an organized crime syndicate composed of several "families" known for their associations with the Sicilian mafia. Back in August, nine people were arrested and charged for their alleged connections to a mob-affiliated illegal gambling circuit.