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A family affair
Just when you think you’re out of sports betting scandals, the La Cosa Nostra pulls you back in, as the Lucchese family takes a turn at the plate.
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced on Thursday that authorities charged Lucchese soldier Joseph “Little Joe” Perna, 55, and 13 others for their roles in a major illegal sports betting network that involved college athletes.
network of offshore website-using bookmakers
Attorney General Matt Platkin took to X with news of the charges against Perna and his gang for running a US-wide network of offshore website-using bookmakers to facilitate around $2m in bets:
AG Platkin said multiple college athletes ran sportsbooks under the auspices of Fairfield-based Perna’s outfit. According to ESPN, Platkin did not divulge under questioning what particular colleges or sports were linked to the betting ring.
A season of scandal
The latest scandal comes as Americans are currently undergoing a deep crisis of confidence in sports integrity, with a recent survey revealing over 80% of US sports bettors think professional athletes alter their play to affect the outcome of bets.
The survey came right after the FBI arrested Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups in an NBA betting scandal for the ages that also revealed the involvement of four of the notorious Five Families, namely the Gambino, Bonanno, Genovese, and Lucchese families.
Thursday’s indictment of Lucchese luminary Perna reveals La Cosa Nostra’s ties to US sports runs deeper than the NBA.
gambling offenses, money laundering, racketeering
According to the OAG press release, AG Platkin, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the New Jersey State Police NJSP announced gambling offenses, money laundering, racketeering, and conspiracy charges against Perna, his sons, stepson, nephews, and others.
The OAG stated that Perna’s alleged role was “financier,” while his son Joseph oversaw daily operations and facilitated dozens of sub-agents, including his brother Anthony, stepbrother Frank Zito, and cousins Dominic Perna and Michael Cetta.
Agent angle
Along with the Perna-linked clan, the OAG accused six other men of being “high-level agents” who ran their own sportsbooks under the scheme. One of those agents was named as Spencer Speziale.
According to ESPN, Speziale is a freshly certified agent for the National Basketball Players Association. The agent, Little Joe, and their fellow co-defendants have their first court appearance on Thursday.
The NCAA, which has delayed a sports betting rule amendment over backlash for allowing student athletes to bet on pro sports, “is aware of the charges and is looking into the case,” according to reports.
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