'Operation Delco Nostra' targets gambling operation; 13 busted

[clevfan]

'Operation Delco Nostra' targets gambling operation; 13 busted

By the Times Staff 07/22/2008

A six-year-long investigation of illegal gambling operations in Delaware County resulted in charges being filed against 13 people in what is being dubbed "Operation Delco Nostra" by state police.

Troopers held a press conference Tuesday morning to detail the charges involved in the multi-million dollar betting ring with ties to organized crime. The gambling operation is alleged to have cleared as much as generated more than $1 million a month, and was centered in Delaware County and Philadelphia, according to state police and the attorney general's office.


Officials say the probe, "Operation Delco Nostra," began taking shape in February 2002, when a man arrested on bookmaking charges in Montgomery County began cooperating with state police and the FBI.
A grand jury heard testimony and received evidence for a year, from April 2007 until April 2008.

Officials say the operation involved an illegal casino in Folsom, where poker games and other gambling activity such as illegal betting on horse racing occurred.

Authorities filed charges including bookmaking, loansharking, fencing and drug violations against a series of people, most of whom turned themselves in at Lima District court.

Police allege the operation was headed by Nicholas Cimino, also known as "Nicky the Hat." He's a South Philadelphia native who now lives in Wallingford. Cimino and his girlfriend both turned themselves in yesterday.

State police said that to get an idea of the size and scope of the ring, the suspects handled more than $220,000 in bets in just a one-week period from Dec. 23-29, 2004.

Information on the ring was developed through an investigating grand jury and involved wiretaps, surveillance and informers.

Many of those charged Tuesday are alleged to have ties to organized crime.

[clevfan]

Tue, Jul. 22, 2008


17 arrested in major mob-related bust
By Kathleen Brady Shea

Inquirer Staff Writer

After a four-year investigation, 17 people from Philadelphia and Delaware County were taken into custody today in connection with a large-scale bookmaking, gambling and loan-sharking organization with ties to Philadelphia organized crime, according to authorities.

More than $1 million a month was being generated by the activities, according to officials of the state police and the state attorney general's office at a morning news conference.

The probe began taking shape in February 2002, when an man arrested on bookmaking charges in Montgomery County began cooperating with state police and the FBI.

The informant told authorities that he had sizable bets with a bookmaker named Nicholas "Nicky the Hat" Cimino, who paid a monthly "tax" to Louis "Bent Finger Lou" Monacello, a figure associated with organized crime in Philadelphia, according to investigators.

The fee was for the right to operate an illegal casino on McDade Boulevard in Folsom, Delaware County, where poker games and other gambling activity such as illegal betting on horse-racing occurred, officials said.

A grand jury heard testimony and received evidence for about a year, from April 2007 until April 2008.

Cimino, Monacello and the 15 other defendants were to be transported today from the state police barracks in Media to the office of District Judge Walter Strohl for arraignment. All were expected to make bail.

Some of the people allegedly employed by Cimino to accept wages and money were Gregory "King" Triantafillou, Joseph Pizza, Daniel Diedrich, Victor Novelli and Spiro "Bart" Barbalois.

Gayle Hudson, Cimino's girlfriend, allegedy assisted him in maintaining debt and collection records and managing real estate holdings.

Authorities allege the Cimino attempted to hide his illegal income and received assistance from Ralph "Ralphie Head" Aberuzzi and Robert Beck, including using winning Pennsylvania state lottery tickets to appear to have a legitimate income source, according to the grand jury information.

The grand jury also alleged that an attorney named Gregory Quigley conspired to have a potential witness subpoenaed by the grand jury give false testimony concerning his knowledge of Monacello and Cimimo's illegal conduct.

Five others also arrested in the case and charged with a variety of offenses were Vincent Manzo, Frank Pierantozzi, Gary Battagliani, Andre Sims and Carmen DellaPolla Sr.

The list of charges among the 17 individuals also includes participating in a corrupt organization, dealing in proceeds of illegal activities, solicitation to commit aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit perjury, sale of illegal drugs and fencing stolen property.

[drunkguy]

Joseph Pizza

I wonder if he's Italian?



last couple years have not been a good time to be a bookie in Philly

[Mr Falcone]

17 arrested in major mob-related bust

So your name ends in a vowel, your Mob Related..............

Joey Pizza thats great

[Total Square]

Joey Pizza thats great

i hear his friends call him 'slice'

[Professional]

"A six-year-long investigation of illegal gambling operations .......... "

Bush/Cheney and his friends make billions with defense contracts and oil through the back door yet six years ( plus plus plus) of tax payers money is wasted on a gambling probe, go figure, a side show to keep some bureaucrats busy.

Oh and if the Bush FISA/NSA program somehow scans my post, lol, don't waste your time, I don't even carry heat, he he, I just see the irony of the situation from an objective view, free of blinders and double speak.

[StarnetGypsy]

Originally Posted by Professional

Bush/Cheney and his friends make billions with defense contracts and oil through the back door yet six years ( plus plus plus) of tax payers money is wasted on a gambling probe, go figure, a side show to keep some bureaucrats busy.

between them and Wall St, hard tellin who the bigger crooks of the two are ... but today's mob can't hold a candle to them.

[clevfan]

07/22/2008
Bookmaking, loan-shark probe lands more than a dozen arrests

By: Cindy Scharr
Delco Times


MIDDLETOWN - A Delaware County bookmaker with alleged ties to the Philadelphia mob was arrested Tuesday along with 12 others after an investigation into what authorities say was a large-scale bookmaking and loan-sharking operation headquartered in Ridley Township.
Dubbed "Operation Delco Nostra," the state police probe focused on Nicholas "Nicky the Hat" Cimino, 49, of Wallingford, the alleged leader of a lucrative organization operating across southeastern Pennsylvania.
Cimino, who sources say has financial ties to Lou Turk's, a strip club in Tinicum, allegedly operated an illegal casino from a nondescript building in the 400 block of MacDade Boulevard in Ridley.
Witnesses told investigators that during poker games and poker tournaments there, participants were required to either pay the "house" for the time they sat in on the game or the "house" would take a cut from the pot of each poker game at regular intervals, according to the charging document.
During the five-year probe, investigators utilized numerous tools, including wiretaps of Cimino and his associates' phones, video surveillance and the statewide investigative grand jury.
In the charging document, the grand jury linked Cimino with the Philadelphia mob, citing his close association with Louis "Bent Finger Louie" Monacello. Cimino allegedly paid Monacello, an alleged associate and enforcer for the Philadelphia organized crime family, a regular sum of money every month as a "tax" on his illegal casino in Ridley, according to the grand jury presentment. Monacello was also allegedly used by Cimino to collect gambling debts and payments on high-interest loans.
Cimino is alleged to have also employed a number of individuals, including Victor "Vic" Novelli, 28, of Clifton Heights, to accept sports bets, collect money from bettors' losses and to pay winning bets.
Cimino's girlfriend, Gayle Hudson, of Thornbury, Delaware County, assisted Cimino in managing his organization, maintaining some of his records and managing his real-estate holdings, according to the presentment.
On one occasion, Super Bowl Sunday 2005, Hudson allowed the organization to operate out of her home on West Forge Road.
The Thornbury address was also listed on a bank account, under the name of "Nick Cimino Construction," from which investigators seized more than $25,000, the charging document indicates.
The investigation into "Operation Delco Nostra" began in February 2002, when an individual arrested for bookmaking in Montgomery County became a confidential informant for the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI.
The informant told investigators Cimino introduced him to George Borgesi, identified by law enforcement authorities as acting consigliere, or adviser, to the Philadelphia mob. The informant said he had met Borgesi numerous occasions and that Borgesi instructed him to do whatever Cimino told him to do, according to the presentment.
When federal authorities arrested Borgesi, the informant was then told that "Bent Finger Louie" Monacello would be taking his place. The informant, who was afraid of Monacello, told authorities Monacello was linked directly to Joseph Ligambi, who has been identified by law enforcement sources as the "boss" of the Philadelphia mob, the charging document indicates.
In 2004, a state trooper working undercover began placing bets, ranging from $50 to $300, on various sporting events through the Cimino organization. The trooper calculated that during a one-week period in 2004, the Cimino bookmaking betting lines received a total of more than $220,000 in wagers.
According to the grand jury presentment, Cimino hid his illegal income by buying up a number of properties in Delaware County and by using individuals, including Robert "Bobby Beck" Beck, 43, of Morton, to purchase winning lottery tickets, which were cashed to show a legitimate source of income.
On March 8, 2007, investigators executed a search warrant at Cimino's residence in the 600 block of Niblick Lane, Wallingford, and on his 2003 Cadillac Escalade. Inside the Escalade, investigators allegedly found $90,000 in cash and five cell phones, along with various betting slips and owe sheets inside of a black shaving kit, similar to one Cimino was seen carrying numerous times.
In Cimino's home, investigators allegedly found booking paraphernalia, about $10,000 in cash, betting slips, owe sheets and a ledger containing loan values and payment schedules. There was also a photograph of Cimino and Ligambi on the wall, according to the charging documents.
Beginning in April 2007, more than 20 witnesses, many of them granted immunity, began providing testimony before the grand jury.
As the investigation widened, several other individuals were also caught up in the probe and charged with offenses unrelated to the Cimino organization. They include Carmen DellaPolla, 73, owner of DellaPolla's on MacDade Boulevard, Ridley; Vincent Manzo, 46, Frank Pierantozzi, 47; Gary Battaglini, 47; and Andre Sims, 37, all of Philadelphia.
All 13 defendants surrendered to state police at the Media Barracks Tuesday morning. One by one, state trooper brought the defendants to Lima District Court to be arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Walter A. Strohl.
Cimino is charged with corrupt organizations, bookmaking, gambling, conspiracy, criminal use of a communications facility, and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Monacello, 41, of Philadelphia, is charged with solicitation to commit aggravated assault, intimidation of a witness, obstructing administration of law, bookmaking, corrupt organizations and related offenses.
Hudson, 52, and Gregory "King" Triantafillou, 39, of Norristown, are charged with corrupt organizations, bookmaking, gambling, conspiracy and related offenses.
Also charged are Novelli, 28, of Clifton Heights; Beck, 43, of Morton; Joseph Pizza, 59, of Flourtown; Daniel Diedrich, 34, of Norristown; Spiro "Bart" Barbalios, 34, of Philadelphia; David "Fat Dave" Stroj, 36, of Chula Vista, Calif.; Ralph "Ralphie Head" Abbruzzi, 59, of Philadelphia, and Gregory Quigley, 37, of Philadelphia.
Cimino and Monacello were released on $200,000 unsecured bail. Bail was set at $100,000 unsecured for Hudson and Triantafillou and 10 percent of $200,000 for Stroj. The remainder of the defendants were released on either $75,000 or $50,000 unsecured bail.
After their brief court appearance, the defendants were driven back to the barracks. Free on bail, they were seen getting into their BMWs, Mercedes and other luxury vehicles and driving away.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Erik L. Olsen of the A.G.'s Organized Crime Section credited the Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime unit for their diligence and hard work on the case.
Olsen, who will be prosecuting the case, said that preliminary hearings for the 13 defendants, initially scheduled for next Tuesday, would likely be continued.

[clevfan]

County worker suspended as a result of 'Delco Nostra'

By: Cindy Scharr,
delcotimes.com 07/23/2008

An employee of the Delaware County Domestic Relations Department was suspended from his post one day after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in a bookmaking and loan-shark organization reputedly linked to the Philadelphia mob.
Daniel Jude Diedrich, of Clifton Heights, was among 16 others rounded up Tuesday as a result of the state police probe dubbed "Operation Delco Nostra."
The alleged leader of the lucrative gambling, bookmaking and loan-sharking organization, Nicholas Cimino of Wallingford, employed Diedrich to accept sports wagers, collect money from bettors' losses and to pay bettors for winning bets, according to charging documents.
On Wednesday, the day after the 34-year-old financial supervisor's arrest, he was suspended from his county job.
Diedrich was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal charges, according to Delaware County Legal AudioVisual Director John LaRosa. He had been employed by the county since March 1999.
According to the statewide grand jury presentment made public on Tuesday, Diedrich worked for Cimino from 2002 through February 2008, while at the same time collecting a county paycheck.
According to the findings of the grand jury, undercover troopers placed sports wagers with Cimino's organization through Diedrich and others. The bets, which ranged from $50 to $300, involved primarily professional and college football games.
Diedrich was also identified by grand jury witnesses as having worked at Cimino's alleged illegal casino on MacDade Boulevard in Ridley Township.
It is unknown if Diedrich has an attorney. He could not be reached for comment.
Diedrich is charged with bookmaking, gambling, conspiracy, criminal use of a communication facility and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
He is free on bail pending a preliminary hearing in Lima District Court.