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Two former Rutgers University wrestlers and a newly certified NBA agent were among 14 individuals charged in New Jersey on Thursday for allegedly running an illegal Mafia-backed sports betting scheme with college and high school friends.
According to complaints filed by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin in Bergen and Essex Counties, members of the Lucchese crime family were involved in the $2 million online sports betting operation. Charges include racketeering, money laundering and bookmaking.
One alleged Lucchese soldier, Joseph 'Little Joe' Perna, is accused of acting as a financier supporting the operation with the help of sons, Joseph R. Perna and Anthony Perna, their cousin Dominic, and a number of college-age acquaintances. The elder Perna's wife, Kim, her son Frank, and Perna'z ex-wife Rosanna Magno were also charges by Platkin's office.
'Despite the wide availability of legal sports betting, illegal gambling remains among members and associates of organized crime today,' Platkin said at a news conference, as quoted by NJ.com.
The charges in New Jersey come after the FBI made 30 arrests in recent weeks in an ongoing investigation into Mafia-linked poker games and an illegal betting scheme, both of which allegedly involved NBA figures. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and ex-NBA guard and assistant coach Damon Jones were all arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. All three have denied the accusations.
But while those alleged schemes are said to have involved Mafia figures tied to the Lucchese crime family, among others, Platkin did not make any connection between the DOJ's cases and his own on Thursday.
Former Rutgers wrestlers Michael Cetta (left) and Nicholas Raimo (right) were charged as part of the alleged scheme after impressive high school and college careers in New Jersey
According to complaints filed in Bergen and Essex Counties, members of the Lucchese crime family were involved in the $2 million online sports betting operation
Instead, Platkin said the New Jersey gambling ring relied on offshore websites to 'systematically entice people to place bets as part of a sophisticated gambling operation.' Furthermore, Platkin said the scheme was caried out by 'GenZ gamblers and a network of subagents recruited from among Perna's sons, high school and college friends.'
Included in that group, according to Platkin, is former Rutgers wrestlers Michael Cetta and Nicholas Raimo, the latter of whom was a two-time New Jersey state wrestling champion in high school. Co-defendant Spencer Speziale, meanwhile, is an agent newly certified by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
It's not clear if Speziale currently represents any NBA players.
In addition to seeking comment from Speziale and the NBPA, Daily Mail also reached out to attorneys for co-defendants Joseph and Dominic Perna, Zito, Michael J. Cetta and Joseph Janish.
An attorney for Joseph Perna's son and namesake offered a comment to NJ.com on the charges facing his client.
'Joseph looks forward to confronting the false allegations against him in a court of law,' Anthony Iacullo told NJ.com. 'We look forward to analyzing the case in more detail once the facts are made available to the defense.'
Raimo's attorney Keith Biedelberg also told NJ.com his client was 'innocent of the charges' and looking 'forward to his day in court.'
Cetta's lawyer declined to comment and Perna's representative denied the allegations.
Raimo, Schnorbusch, Shuster, Zito and Speziale have been released after appearing in court Thursday, according to NJ.com. Cetta, Joseph R. Perna and Dominic Perna were also expected to be released.
Any potential detention hearings will be scheduled at a later date, Theresa Hilton, director of New Jersey's division of criminal justice, told ESPN.
