U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr. is seen on a screen as he speaks during a press conference related to arrests of NBA players and coaches for illegal gambling schemes, at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, New York, October 23, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Press conference about NBA players and coaches arrested for illegal gambling schemes, at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York
(New York, NY) – Seems like the mafia still has a few tricks up their sleeve. Federal prosecutors are laying out the twisted scheme of rigged games following a barrage of charges related to gambling. This past Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel listed out a litany of names connected to two separate gambling probes, one of them against illegal sports betting in New York tied to the mafia and involving NBA players and coaches. There are several defendants who are implicated in both cases as well, drawing a clear tie between the two prosecutions.
Bait and Switch
The case tied to the mafia involves a poker rigging scheme that drew players in on the presumption that it was a run-of-the-mill, albeit illegal, poker game. Mobsters would use notable figures such as NBA players like Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones as another alluring angle to pull players into the games. However, the players did not know they were playing against others colluding with the game organizers. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch says that when people refused to pay once they realized they had been cheated, the mafia resorted to their usual tactics of threats and violence.
All in the Family
Four major crime families are connected to this scheme of rigged poker games. All four are part of the notorious “Five Families” of New York organized crime: Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese crime families are implicated. A dozen total mafia associates took part in the scheme. Several defendants have already entered not guilty pleas – while others, like Gambino associate Angelo Ruggiero Jr, were taken into custody.
Supermodern Scheme
The mob is keeping up with the times and they have the tech to prove it. Investigators say the mob used x-ray poker tables to see the cards as they were facing down. Rigged shuffle machines were of course featured in the set up. They also used cards with specialized markings that when scanned by a camera, could determine who would win the game – no matter which way the cards were shuffled.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny appeared on Sid & Friends in the Morning, breaking down the two cases:
Read more from the Eastern District of New York in their press releases on both the poker rigging and sports betting cases.
