Key Highlights
- Dozens of people were arrested in a gambling scandal involving rigged poker games.
- The Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Genovese mafia families are accused of running the illegal scheme.
- High-profile NBA figures like Damon Jones and Chauncey Billups were allegedly involved as participants or beneficiaries.
- This collaboration among multiple mafia families suggests their ongoing power and influence in New York City.
New York’s Mafia Families Tangled in High-Stakes Gambling Scandal
The New York mafia, long believed to be on the decline, is once again making headlines. According to federal officials, several prominent members of four of the city’s five major crime families—Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Genovese—are now facing charges in a massive gambling scandal that has netted tens of millions of dollars.
Rigged Poker Games and Mafia Involvement
Prosecutors allege that illegal poker games were run using special shuffling machines and high-tech sunglasses to cheat participants out of nearly $7 million. These games took place in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, Kips Bay neighborhoods, as well as the Hamptons, Miami, and Las Vegas. The scandal implicated not just low-level criminals but also high-profile NBA figures like former player and coach Damon Jones and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.
Historical Context of Mafia in New York
The involvement of multiple mafia families highlights the enduring power of these groups. According to Daniel DellaPosta, a professor at Pennsylvania State University who studies criminal networks between mafia families, the modern era of organized crime in New York City began after the Castellammarese War in the 1930s. This conflict led to the formation of what is known as the Five Families, which continue to dominate the city’s underworld.
Despite being once a force with significant influence over unions and small businesses, these families have seen their power wane since the 1980s due to corporate takeovers and numerous prosecutions. However, the alleged involvement of multiple families in this scheme suggests they are still capable of orchestrating complex criminal activities.
Industry Expert Perspectives
“Whenever you see multi-families involved,” Louis Ferrante, a former member of the Gambino mafia family who was released from prison in 2003 after serving nearly nine years, says, “you know it’s a big racket with big money.” Ferrante notes that while the families once controlled vast networks, including construction unions, their influence has diminished due to corporate takeovers. Today, he suggests they rely more on small-scale schemes like gambling rings.
Federico Varese, a professor at Sciences Po who specializes in mafias, agrees: “The general point is that they’re very weak, and there is not much evidence that they are particularly able to control big markets.” Varese adds that the collaboration among multiple families involved in this gambling scheme indicates a high degree of cooperation, which is unusual for these groups.
Implications for the Future
This case could have significant implications for how we understand organized crime in New York. It suggests that while the mafia’s influence has waned, they remain capable of orchestrating sophisticated criminal activities involving high-profile figures from outside their usual domains. The involvement of NBA players and coaches adds a new dimension to the ongoing saga of the city’s underworld.
For now, federal investigators are working to unravel the complex web of connections that tie together multiple mafia families and high-profile participants in this scandal. As the investigation continues, it promises to shed light on the current state and future prospects of organized crime in one of America’s most storied cities.
