Lucchese Mafia’s $2M Sports Betting Scandal

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Lucchese crime family soldier Joseph “Little Joe” Perna and thirteen family members have been charged with running a $2 million illegal sports betting empire that exploited student-athletes and undermined New Jersey’s legal gambling framework.

Story Highlights

Fourteen members of alleged Lucchese crime family operation charged with racketeering and money laundering
Multi-generational criminal enterprise handled $2 million in illegal bets between 2022-2024
Student-athletes recruited as agents in organized crime gambling network
Operation spanned multiple states despite New Jersey’s legal sports betting availability

Lucchese Crime Family’s Gambling Enterprise Exposed

Joseph “Little Joe” Perna, a 55-year-old alleged soldier in the Lucchese crime family, orchestrated a sophisticated illegal sports betting operation that generated millions in revenue for organized crime. The racketeering scheme operated between 2022 and 2024 across Essex and Bergen counties, handling approximately $2 million in illegal wagers. Perna delegated key operational roles to his sons Joseph R. Perna, 25, and Anthony Perna, 23, along with stepson Frank Zito, 23, creating a family-controlled criminal enterprise.

The operation’s hierarchical structure mirrored traditional organized crime methods, with Perna’s relatives serving as bookmakers and agents. His wife Kim Zito, 53, and ex-wife Rosanna Magno, 52, face additional charges beyond the gambling conspiracy. Cousins Dominic Perna, 23, and Michael Cetta, 23, also functioned as agents, demonstrating how deeply the criminal enterprise embedded itself within family networks to maintain operational security and loyalty.

Student-Athletes Exploited in Criminal Network

The gambling ring specifically targeted and recruited student-athletes as agents and participants in the illegal betting operation. This represents a particularly concerning aspect of organized crime’s adaptation to modern sports betting environments. The involvement of college-aged individuals in criminal gambling enterprises undermines the integrity of collegiate athletics and exposes young people to serious federal charges. Law enforcement officials emphasized that targeting students demonstrates organized crime’s willingness to corrupt America’s educational institutions for profit.

The multi-state operation extended beyond New Jersey to include defendants from Rhode Island and Florida, showing organized crime’s ability to adapt traditional gambling rackets to modern interstate commerce. Despite New Jersey’s legal sports betting framework, the criminal enterprise offered services unavailable through legitimate channels, including credit betting, anonymity for restricted individuals, and access for underage participants. This parallel illegal market undermines state regulatory efforts and generates untaxed revenue for criminal organizations.

Law Enforcement Strikes Back Against Organized Crime

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan announced the charges as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle organized crime’s gambling operations. The defendants face racketeering, conspiracy, gambling offenses, and money laundering charges that carry substantial prison sentences. This prosecution demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to protecting legitimate gambling markets from criminal infiltration and preserving the integrity of legal sports betting frameworks.

Organized crime member, relatives face racketeering charges in massive sports gambling schemehttps://t.co/GRW0S4L8sZ

— Spreading Fox News (@SpreadFoxnews) November 14, 2025

The November 2025 arrests represent a significant victory against the Lucchese crime family’s continued criminal activities. The prosecution sends a clear message that organized crime cannot operate illegal gambling enterprises parallel to legitimate markets without facing serious consequences. The case highlights the ongoing necessity of robust law enforcement action to prevent criminal organizations from undermining legal gambling frameworks and exploiting vulnerable populations like student-athletes for illegal profit.