New Jersey authorities announced on Thursday, alleging that Joseph “Little Joe” Perna of the Lucchese crime family ran a network of bookies “who used offshore websites to facilitate approximately $2 million in bets between 2022 and 2024,” per ESPN.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said several college athletes operated sportsbooks at the direction of Perna’s organization. Platkin did not answer questions regarding which colleges or sports were involved in the alleged betting ring.
Perna, 55, of Fairfield, New Jersey, is charged along with his sons, stepson, nephews and others, with racketeering, conspiracy, gambling offenses and money laundering, the New Jersey attorney general’s office said. Perna allegedly acted as the ‘financier,’ while his son Joseph R. Perna conducted the daily operations and facilitated dozens of subordinate agents.
A spokesperson for the NCAA said they are aware of the charges and will monitor the investigation.
According to USA Today, the 14 people charged also included “former Rutgers wrestlers Michael Cetta and Nicholas Raimo.”
“The 23-year-old Cetta, who earned at-large selection to the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships, wrapped up his career earlier this year,” noted USA Today. “The 25-year-old Raimo, who began his career at Arizona State, last competed for the school in 2023. Both have been charged with racketeering, conspiracy, promoting gambling by bookmaking, possession of gambling records, and money laundering.”
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement that the charges help to show the American people the activities of organized crime.
“We may all think that the portrayal of organized crime we remember from movies, television shows, and books no longer exists, but we are announcing charges today that allege it still does,” Platkin said. “Despite the proliferation of legal betting of all kinds, gambling remains a mainstay of members and associates of organized crime. The locations and methods may have evolved, but illegal gambling – in this case, sports betting – remains a problem, and we will charge those who seek to profit from it.”
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