The members of New York Metropolis’s infamous “5 Households” are recognized by many names: sensible guys, goodfellas, mates of ours. At the very least a dozen males with alleged ties to the Mafia can now add a brand new moniker to the combination: defendants in a federal investigation dubbed “Operation Royal Flush.”
The sprawling unlawful playing case introduced by federal officers this week names 34 defendants in whole — amongst them a dozen males the federal government says are members or associates of New York’s infamous Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno and Lucchese crime households. They’re accused of orchestrating a high-tech poker rigging scheme that duped unsuspecting gamblers and raked in hundreds of thousands of {dollars} over six years.
“This alleged scheme wreaked havoc throughout the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime households,” mentioned Christopher Raia, assistant director answerable for the FBI’s New York area workplace.
Right here’s what we all know in regards to the alleged Mafia leaders, members and associates on the heart of the explosive case.
Ernest Aiello
The U.S. authorities’s 22-page indictment identifies Aiello as a member of the Bonanno crime household. Prosecutors allege that organizers of a rigged sport on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan had been required to make funds to Aiello and his Bonanno associates.
Aiello, 46, has three prior felony convictions, in line with a authorities detention memorandum unsealed Thursday. He pleaded responsible in 2017 to selling playing within the first diploma and was sentenced to 2 to 4 years behind bars, in line with the memo. He additionally has prior convictions for tried felony possession of a loaded firearm within the third diploma and tried assault within the second diploma.
An lawyer listed for Aiello didn’t instantly reply to NBC Information’ request for remark.
Louis Apicella, aka ‘Lou Ap’
The indictment identifies Apicella as an affiliate of the Gambino household and a member of a “Dishonest Staff” that organized and took part in poker video games, in line with prosecutors.
Apicella, 50, has no felony historical past, in line with the detention memo, however “the federal government’s investigation revealed that Apicella has entry to firearms and has expressed a willingness to make use of violence for his personal achieve.”
The memo cites one textual content message change during which Apicella allegedly mentioned “cracking … heads open.”
Apicella’s lawyer, Sabrina Shroff, declined to remark.
Ammar Awawdeh, aka ‘Flapper Poker’ and ‘Flappy’
The indictment identifies Awawdeh, 34, as an affiliate of the Gambino crime household. Prosecutors say he organized and took part in a rigged sport at Washington Place in Manhattan and different places, together with the Hamptons, and was required to make funds to the mobsters backing the scheme.
Awawdeh can also be accused of committing gunpoint theft in September 2023 to steal a “particular mannequin” of rigged shuffling machine that he and different defendants wished to make use of at their video games.
He has one prior felony conviction for laundering the proceeds of managed substances and was sentenced to probation in 2020, in line with the detention memo.
Awawdeh’s attorneys, Mark Lesko and Matin Emouna, declined to remark.
Matthew Daddino, aka ‘Matty’ and ‘The Wrestler’
The indictment identifies Daddino, 43, as a member of the Genovese household. Prosecutors say he helped handle the Washington Place poker sport in Manhattan and acquired “proceeds” from the rigged video games.
Gerard M. Marrone, an lawyer for Daddino, mentioned his shopper “had no felony historical past in any way” and maintains his innocence. Evaluating the case to the 1919 Black Sox scandal, he mentioned Daddino and different Italian American defendants are “straightforward targets for the federal government” whereas the “actual criminals are being protected.”
Lee Fama
The indictment identifies Fama, 57, as a member of the Gambino household. He acquired a portion of the cash from the video games, in line with prosecutors.
Fama has three prior felony convictions, in line with the detention memo. He pleaded responsible to distribution of marijuana in 2012 and was sentenced to 6 months behind bars. He was beforehand convicted of assault in assist of racketeering and sentenced t0 58 months in jail. He was additionally convicted of felony sale of a managed substance within the second diploma.
Fama’s lawyer, Marissa Sherman, declined to remark.
John Gallo
The indictment identifies Gallo, 53, as an affiliate of the Gambino household. He was an organizer of the Washington Place sport and a member of a “Dishonest Staff” that rigged the matches, in line with prosecutors. He additionally acquired proceeds from the sport, the indictment says.
Gallo has one prior felony conviction, in line with the detention memo. In 2014, he pleaded responsible to tried enterprise corruption, tried felony usury and selling playing within the first diploma. He was sentenced to 1 yr in jail.
An lawyer listed for Gallo didn’t instantly reply to NBC Information’ request for remark.
Thomas Gelardo, aka ‘Juice’
The indictment recognized Gelardo, 42, as an affiliate of the Bonanno household who later turned affiliated with the Genovese household. Prosecutors say he acquired proceeds from the unlawful video games.
Gelardo can also be accused of extorting an unnamed individual to “safe the reimbursement of debt
from unlawful poker video games” between November 2022 and September 2023.
He has a number of prior felony convictions for violent crimes, together with assaults and weapons possession, in line with the detention memo. Gelardo was convicted of assault within the second diploma in 2002 and sentenced to a yr in jail. Three years later, he was convicted of assault within the second diploma and given a suspended five-year sentence.
Then, in 2008, he was convicted of felony possession of a weapon within the third diploma and sentenced to 2 to 4 years behind bars.
An lawyer listed for Gelardo didn’t instantly reply to NBC Information’ request for remark.
Joseph Lanni
The indictment identifies Lanni, 54, as a member and an alleged captain of the Gambino household. He additionally acquired proceeds from the unlawful video games, in line with prosecutors.
He has a number of prior felony convictions, in line with the sentencing memo. He was convicted of securities fraud in 1999 and sentenced to 30 months behind bars. He was convicted of selling playing within the first diploma in 2014 and sentenced to 1 yr in jail.
Lanni pleaded responsible to racketeering conspiracy associated to his management function within the Gambino household.
Frederick Sosinsky, an lawyer for Lanni, mentioned in a press release that his shopper has “been compliant with the entire circumstances of launch” from the racketeering conspiracy case to which he pleaded responsible final week. Sosinsky mentioned the courtroom agreed to launch Lanni on related bail circumstances so he can defend himself within the new case.
“In contrast to many of the different people who’re accused on this week’s indictment of fraud, extortion, theft or cash laundering, Mr. Lanni has been charged solely with one way or the other being concerned within the operation of a playing enterprise — what the federal government itself phrases a ‘straight’ poker sport the place not one of the elaborate technique of high-tech dishonest is even alleged to have taken place,” Sosinsky mentioned. “Mr. Lanni denies participation in that ‘straight’ or unfixed poker enterprise and appears ahead to his subsequent courtroom date.”
Nicholas Minucci
The indictment identifies Minucci, 39, as an affiliate of the Gambino household and a member of the “Dishonest Staff,” in line with prosecutors. Prosecutors allege he took half in a September 2023 gunpoint theft revolving across the rigged shuffling machine.
Minucci has a “felony historical past,” in line with the detention memo. He was convicted on varied counts of theft as a hate crime associated to an incident during which he beat a Black man within the head with a baseball bat and, utilizing the N-word, instructed the sufferer to not enter his “predominantly Italian-American” neighborhood, the memo says.
He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars and launched to parole supervision in 2018.
An lawyer listed for Minucci didn’t instantly reply to NBC Information’ request for remark.
Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
The indictment identifies Ruggiero, 53, as a member of the Gambino household who acquired “proceeds” from the underground video games. Prosecutors describe him as having a “lengthy historical past of committing critical crimes — together with witness tampering.”
In 2008, he pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit homicide in assist of racketeering and was sentenced to 84 months in jail.
Whereas serving that sentence, he was convicted of witness tampering for intimidating a possible trial witness, reportedly forming his hand into “the form of a gun” and saying, “You understand how we care for rats, we get up-close and private.”
He acquired a further 36-month sentence.
Ruggiero’s lawyer, James R. Froccaro, declined to remark.
Seth Trustman
The indictment identifies Trustman, 43, as an affiliate of the Lucchese household — the one alleged member of that clan named within the case. Trustman organized unlawful video games on Lexington Avenue and different places, making funds to Aiello and Gelardo, the indictment says. He’s additionally accused of extorting an unnamed individual to gather playing money owed in 2023.
Trustman has two prior felony convictions, in line with the detention memo. He was sentenced to 22 months in jail in 2010 after pleading responsible to racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and two counts of unlawful playing. 9 years later, he was convicted of felony usury and enterprise corruption, then sentenced to 3 years in jail.
Contact data for attorneys representing Trustman was not instantly out there, and NBC Information couldn’t attain them for remark.
Julius Ziliani, aka ‘Jay’
The indictment identifies Ziliani, 54, as a member of the Bonanno household who acquired a share of the video games’ proceeds. Prosecutors allege he and co-defendant Gelardo extorted a person to gather playing money owed between November 2022 and February 2023.
Ziliani’s lawyer, Marco A. Laracca, mentioned his shopper “denies all allegations in opposition to him and appears ahead to his day in courtroom.”
