Alleged bookies were Donaghy's classmates

[clevfan]

Rogue ref's bookies old HS chums


BY MIKE JACCARINO in Harverton, Pa.,
and JOHN MARZULLI and BILL HUTCHINSON in New York
NY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Exclusive

Thursday, July 26th 2007




Two catholic high school chums of disgraced referee Tim Donaghy have been identified as the bookies in a gambling scandal rocking the NBA, the Daily News has learned.

But the two bet-takers apparently exaggerated their Mafia connections. "They're nobodies," a law enforcement source said.

The mob wanna-bes attended Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Pa., with Donaghy, who was a varsity standout on the school's basketball and baseball teams. Donaghy, 40, has become the focus of the federal investigation into bets he allegedly made on NBA games, including some he officiated.

The veteran referee, who earned $260,000 a year for whistling fouls on the hardwood, allegedly gave the bookies advance word on officiating crews of games they planned to take action on, the source said.

Donaghy is expected to surrender to the FBI by next week to plead guilty to gambling charges, federal sources have told The News. An educator at Cardinal O'Hara, who requested anonymity, confirmed the feds have identified two alums of the school as the bookies. He said both men graduated a couple of years ahead of Donaghy.

One of the men named by the school source refused to comment when contacted yesterday by The News.

"I'm not talking about anything," the man said. "Don't come on my property at all."

Donaghy has been holed up inside his two-story home in Bradenton, Fla., refusing to make any statements and claiming to be "the butler" when reporters knock on his door.

Known as a hothead, he apparently turned his lawn sprinklers on a freelance photographer for The New York Times yesterday, drenching the shutterbug for getting too close to the hedges outside his house.

With Tamer El-Ghobashy

[jjgold]

This guy is a jerkoff, just a loser compulsive gambler

He will be betting again when everything settles because he is sick.

[clevfan]

Here's what I don't understand....if these guys are just wanna be's and not mob, then how is it that there is a story saying the fed's found out due to wiretap's? Maybe that is bs also.

[Oddessa]

crazy story here

It will be intresting to see what kind of lifestyle these pretend 'mob' guys live....

[Minnow]

Looks like they are leaning more towards a "he gave them a little early info on the line-up, big deal" defense rather than admitting he <allegedly> shaved points by calling fouls improperly.

[(sportman)]

This gets more hysterical by each story.

[Dell Dude]

Originally Posted by (sportman)

This gets more hysterical by each story.

Donaghy has been holed up inside his two-story home in Bradenton, Fla., refusing to make any statements and claiming to be "the butler" when reporters knock on his door.

I tend to agree with sporty spice. The butler, huh? The butler must have did it!

[shoebox]

Just because the "real" mob doesnt appear to be involved, doesnt mean there werent wiretaps and they didnt shave points. AZST hoops scandal didnt involve the Mob(although the feds always try to make that connection), they did shave points and they did make a boatload of cash, it will all come out soon enough.

[luke m.]

These guys were his trusted money movers. Every big name has to keep their name clean, so they usually use a close friend or their drug dealers to move money for them.

[Don Eagleston]

Having grown up in the Philly burbs, I can tell you that Havertown is a decent, middle clause suburb filled with Irish who tended to have many kids a generation ago. In my day, the Catholic school was Msg. Bonner and they played some of the best high school basketball in the nation. Guys who couldn't make the Bonner team were subs at Villanova. Cardinal O'Hara opened in the late 60s as a result of the exploding Catholic population. I don't know whether the classmates were bookies or players, but believe me word gets around when a referee is involved. The tapes are hearsay unless there is some exception (there are many) warranting inclusion of the evidence.

[Rookies]

Did this guy need to pass a Wonderlic ?

Could he have been any more f-ing stupid ?

Here's 3 words... " Cover your tracks " you moron...