Five members and associates of the Lucchese crime family admitted to running an illegal online betting operation that made nearly $25 million in profits over the past 25 years, officials announced. The operation, called “Rhino Sports,” had been active since the early 2000s and was a reminder that traditional organized crime groups like La Cosa Nostra are still involved in illegal activities today.
According to U.S. Attorney John J. Durham, illegal gambling businesses often require protection from rivals, which can involve violence. “These types of businesses have a constant threat of violence,” Durham said. He added that while the media doesn’t focus on organized crime as much as in the past, cases like this show that mafia groups are still deeply involved in criminal activities.
The FBI’s New York office also warned the public not to underestimate the dangers posed by organized crime, even if it’s less visible in the headlines these days. James E. Dennehy, assistant director of the New York field office, emphasized that the guilty pleas from the five defendants demonstrate the continuing presence and criminal activity of traditional mafia groups.
One of the defendants, Anthony Villani, a member of the Lucchese family, pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering, money laundering, and illegal gambling. As part of his plea deal, Villani agreed to forfeit $4 million and faces up to 20 years in prison. Villani, 60, from Elmsford, New York, ran Rhino Sports, an online betting business that employed mafia figures as local bookmakers. The operation, based in the Bronx and Westchester County, made over $1 million a year, taking bets from between 400 and 1,300 people weekly.
Other members of the operation took money from the gambling business and used fake names to purchase money orders. These money orders were made to look like legitimate payments to Villani’s property companies, which prosecutors say helped cover up the illegal activities.
While these five defendants are waiting for sentencing, one more person involved in the case is still on the run.
