A suspected mafia member and several family members in New Jersey are among 14 people charged Thursday in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar illegal gambling ring involving student athletes.
Joseph M. "Little Joe" Perna, 55, an alleged member of the Lucchese crime family, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy, gambling offenses, and money laundering, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said in a statement.
Police and prosecutors allege that a "nationwide web" of bookmakers was directed by Joseph M. Perna, under the daily direction of his son, Joseph R. Perna, 25, who is charged with running dozens of what authorities called "subordinate agents."
Several of those alleged agents were also charged, including another of Joseph Perna’s sons, Anthony R. Perna, 23; Perna’s stepson Frank Zito, 23; Perna’s nephews Dominic Perna, 23 and Michael Cetta, 23.
"Today we are alleging that a member and associates of the Lucchese crime family were running a sophisticated sports betting operation,” said New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice director Theresa L. Hilton in a statement.
Betting operations allegedly run by student athletes, as well as offshore gambling websites, "systematically enticed individuals to place bets" totaling $2 million between 2022 and 2024, which was distributed throughout the criminal network, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
"Despite the proliferation of legal betting of all kinds, gambling remains a mainstay of members and associates of organized crime,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. “The locations and methods may have evolved, but illegal gambling — in this case, sports betting — remains a problem, and we will charge those who seek to profit from it."
The charges come after alleged associates of the Lucchese, alongside other crime families, were named in a federal indictment last month in connection with multimillion-dollar rigged poker games. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA journeyman Damon Jones were also charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
Billups' attorney denied his client's involvement in the criminal scheme; Rozier denies any involvement, and his attorney said he "looks forward" to fighting the case, while Jones pleaded not guilty in court last week.
Earlier this month, charges were separately brought against MLB pitchers Luis Ortiz and his Cleveland Guardians teammate Emmanuel Clase for allegedly taking bribes linked to gambling — both men deny the charges.
"Little Joe" is allegedly part of the Luchese crime family and acted as the head and "financier" of the operation, authorities say. The criminal complaint against him listed six charges.
NBC News has contacted attorneys for six of the accused for whom defense counsel details are available.
Joseph M. Perna's attorney, Thomas Cataldo, told NBC Philadelphia: "On behalf of my client, he denies all the allegations set forth in the Complaint. I don’t have enough information yet to comment on the evidence, other than to say he’s not guilty."
An attorney for Joseph R. Perna said that his client "looks forward to confronting the false allegations against him in a court of law."
An attorney for Cetta declined to comment.
Joseph M. Perna's wife, Kim Zito, 53, is charged with allegedly receiving multiple payments from the scheme. Joseph M. Perna's ex-wife, Rosanna Magno, 52, is accused of allegedly trying to conceal gambling ledgers from police during a traffic stop. Both were charged independently of the alleged racketeering scheme.
The charges are so complex that the attorney general's office provided a five-page chart to help reporters understand them.
New Jersey State Police began their investigation in January 2024 into alleged illegal gambling in Essex and Bergen counties.
"These racketeering operations exploit vulnerable individuals and communities, and today’s charges send a clear message — we will continue to protect victims and pursue justice wherever organized crime takes root," Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a statement.
