Fourteen people, including a former Rutgers University wrestler, were charged Thursday with running an illegal online sports betting scheme in New Jersey with ties to the mob , officials said.
Members of the ring operated a multi-million dollar online sports betting operation that included members of the Lucchese crime family, according to the state Attorney General’s office.
Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna, of Fairfield, and a soldier in the Lucchese crime family was the leader of the organization.
Several former and current college athletes were involved in the operation, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.
“Despite the wide availability of legal sports betting, illegal gambling remains among members and associates of organized crime today,” said Platkin, who described the operation as using offshore gambling websites to “systematically entice people to place bets as part of a sophisticated gambling operation.”
Perhaps most shockingly was the dependence on college-age kids, with Platkin saying the operation relied on “GenZ gamblers and a network of subagents recruited from among Perna’s sons, high school and college friends.”
Former Rutgers University wrestlers, Michael Cetta and Nicholas Raimo were among those charged.
Officials declined to name the schools where athletes attended, but noted that many of the of those charged were childhood friends and acquaintances.
The ring was apparently unrelated to the charges unveiled last month involving point shaving, which saw Garden State residents were arrested as part of the criminal case that involved members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families.
The operation revealed on Thursday was lucrative, according to Platkin. He said approximately $2 million was trafficked between 2022 and 2025.
Charges were filed in Essex and Bergen County after a two-year investigation that began in the state’s port area, officials said.
Joseph R. Perna, Little Joe’s son, managed the day-to-day operations, according to Platkin.
Perna’s family was deeply involved including his sons, nephews, wife and ex-wife, he added.
Several of those charged appeared in court Thursday afternoon. Many of them lived together, prosecutors said in court.
Nicholas Raimo, Tyler Schnorbusch, Devon Shuster, Frank Zito and Spencer Speziale also appeared in court and were released pending further court appearances.
Cetta, Joseph R. Perna and Dominic Perna were released Thursday pending further court proceedings.
An attorney for Cetta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Attorneys for the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
