Police arrest brothers in suburban Philadelphia gambling ring

[clevfan]

Mon, Sep. 25, 2006

Mastronardo brothers plead guilty to bookmakingTwo brothers - one the son-in-law of the late Mayor Frank L. Rizzo, the other a former football star at Villanova University - have pleaded guilty to bookmaking and conspiracy in Montgomery County Court.

Joseph V. Mastronardo, 56, of Huntingdon Valley, and John Mastronardo, 50, of Blue Bell, pleaded Wednesday to the misdemeanors. Joseph Mastronardo's wife, Joanna, is Rizzo's daughter. John Mastronardo was drafted by the Eagles in the late 1970s.

In late May, prosecutors announced that they had seized $2.7 million from the Mastronardos, who were arrested after police learned of their sports-gambling operation through wiretaps. The brothers are free on bail. No sentencing date has been set.

[clevfan]

May. 01, 2007

Son-in-law of former Philly mayor sentenced in gambling ring

A son-in-law of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo was sentenced to house arrest and probation in connection with a multimillion-dollar sports gambling ring.
Joseph V. Mastronardo, of Huntingdon Valley, was sentenced to six months of house arrest, followed by more than six years of probation. His brother, John Mastronardo, of Blue Bell, was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison, followed by probation.

Joseph Mastronardo's wife, Joanna, is a daughter of the late Frank Rizzo, who served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia in the 1970s.

In the sentence handed down Monday, Montgomery County Judge William Furber also ordered the Mastronardo brothers each to pay $2,000 in fines, plus court costs. Each pleaded guilty last year to bookmaking and conspiracy, both misdemeanor charges.

Prosecutors announced last May that they had seized $2.7 million from the Mastronardos, who were arrested after police learned of their sports-gambling operation through wiretaps. The brothers took bets through a Web site, authorities said.