Eight Admit Ties to Lucchese-Run Gambling Operation That Moved Almost $5 Million

Eight men admitted their role this week in a wide-ranging racketeering, gambling, and money laundering operation tied to the Lucchese crime family. This marks the latest chapter in the New Jersey organized crime case that began with a wave of arrests in the spring of 2025.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, the state Division of Criminal Justice, and the New Jersey State Police announced the guilty pleas on June 23.

The defendants entered their pleas before Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Mattia and admitted their part in an enterprise that prosecutors say ran illegal poker clubs and an offshore online sportsbook, funneling millions of dollars through shell companies and illegal businesses.

In a statement, Davenport said that the guilty pleas were “another important step in dismantling this criminal enterprise and holding the individuals involved accountable.” She added that “organized crime has no place in New Jersey.”

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Luccese Gambling Case Dates Back to April 2025

The eight defendants formed part of a larger group of 42 people indicted since the initial arrests in April 2025. Investigators spent two years examining illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion, and money laundering before they made those arrests. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the takedown on April 11, 2025, when prosecutors originally charged 39 defendants, and the case grew as it moved through the courts.

The 2025 raids hit a dozen locations across Northern New Jersey. Investigators searched four poker clubs in Woodland Park, Garfield, and Totowa, and two of those clubs operated behind functioning restaurants.

Investigators also raided a business in Paterson that stored gambling machines, along with seven residences linked to people accused of managing the gambling activity.

Anand Shah stood out as one of the most prominent people arrested, as he was then a two-term Prospect Park councilman. Prosecutors accused him of managing illegal poker games and an online sportsbook in association with the Lucchese crime family.

When he announced the original charges, Platkin targeted the organized image of the mob in the Garden State and said that criminals remain driven by greed and power. This week’s pleas connect to a separate order of indictment announced last October.

Specifics of the Mob, Poker Operations

According to court documents and statements made in court, the gambling enterprise included social clubs that housed poker games and gaming machines, as well as an extensive multi-website online sportsbook based outside the U.S.

Prosecutors described a tiered structure similar to traditional organized crime gambling rings. High-level managers ran each poker club and delegated daily operations to on-site managers. These managers collected entry dues from poker hosts in exchange for allowing the games and supervised the employees. The hosts recruited their own players, supplied food and drink, and profited from rake taken from every hand.

The online sportsbook operated in parallel, with agents and sub-agents managing groups of bettors and passing shares of the profits to higher-level managers. Prosecutors allege that the leadership of the Lucchese family’s New Jersey-based faction oversaw these gambling activities. Investigators identified $4.79 million in suspected criminal proceeds generated through the operation.

Notable Names Among the Guilty Pleas

Authorities described three of the defendants as high-level managers and alleged members of the Lucchese crime family. John G. Perna, Joseph R. Perna, and George Zappola each pleaded guilty to second-degree racketeering in exchange for recommended seven-year sentences in state prison.

The Perna name is well known in New Jersey organized crime circles. It featured prominently in a previous state investigation dubbed Operation Heat, which led to guilty pleas from Ralph Perna, who prosecutors claimed was the longtime head of the Lucchese family’s New Jersey faction.

That particular internet gambling enterprise handled billions of dollars in sports bets. The others who entered pleas included Lucchese associate Wayne Cross, sportsbook agents Michael Frasso and Peter Norcia, poker club manager Frank Impartato, and sportsbook sub-agent and poker club manager Joseph Gossweiler.

This week’s pleas bring the total number of guilty pleas in the case to 35. The 27 other defendants previously admitted between October 2025 and June 2026 to conduct connected to the gambling enterprise. Prosecutors continue to pursue charges against the seven remaining defendants.

New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton said that the pleas showcase significant progress, but she also admitted that the work has not finished. Her office remains committed to disrupting criminal enterprises.

Image credit: Robert Solywoda/Wikimedia Commons (license)

Andrew O'Malley

Editor

Andrew O’Malley has been involved in the gambling industry for more than a decade. With a background in math and finance, he brings a unique perspective to gambling journalism. He covers everything from the latest prediction market litigation to sports betting scandals and iGaming legislation for publications like Gambling Insider and Gaming America. As a gambling journalist, Andrew closely follows breaking stories while also producing in-depth analysis pieces. He frequently speaks with experts in their respective fields to provide unique and informed perspectives.