Editor
One of the world’s most infamous crime family syndicates has now made headlines in the poker world. A recent investigation found that the Lucchese crime family, one of the “five families” of Italian American Mafia families operating in the New York/New Jersey Area, were charged with running illegal poker games in New Jersey.
This illegal poker operation sting comes on the heels of another recent similar situation in Florida.
New Jersey law enforcement investigated the illegal gambling operations that were suspected to be tied to the Lucchese family. Most of these investigations occurred in New Jersey at twelve locations throughout the state.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin gave a descriptive quote regarding the situation.
“Romanticized versions of organized crime have been the subject of countless movies and television shows, often set right here in the Garden State,” said Platkin. “But the reality isn’t romantic or cinematic. It’s about breaking the laws the rest of us follow and, ultimately, it’s about money, control, and the threat of violence. My office is bringing every resource available to crack down on violent criminals – including organized crime – and will root it out in all of its forms. And that is exactly what we have done.”
Platkin described the activities, including social clubs that housed live poker games and gambling machines. The poker clubs were operated by high-level managers who delegated operations to various other managers to make it harder to track.
The host of these poker games, known as the house, profited from them when the dealers took a percentage of the money, “the rake.” Of course, taking a rake is highly illegal in the states of New Jersey and New York.
Patrick Callahan, New Jersey state police superintendent, gave plaudits to the detectives involved in the investigations.
“Criminal enterprises like this pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our communities, driving illegal gambling, money laundering, and racketeering operations that value profit over people. Thanks to our detectives’ tireless work and unwavering commitment, this operation was successfully dismantled — sending a strong message that we will not tolerate this kind of criminal activity in New Jersey.”
