Broward deputies help to crack multimillion-dollar racketeering network
Author: Andrea Torres,
Pasquale "Patsy" Capolongo is obsessed with gambling. From horses to professional football, basketball, baseball and college sports -- he has bet on it all.
The grandfather -- who is accused of being linked to the infamous Genovese crime family -- ran out of luck. After a failed illegal gambling business, he moved from White Plains to West Palm Beach. And now the 66-year-old is behind bars again.
Investigators of the multi-state operation took a $4 million bite out of a multimillion-dollar sports betting ring operation -- including $1.2 million linked to the venture in South Florida, police said.
“Criminal networks like these may not seem dangerous to the public," Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said in a statement. "But it is activity such as this that leads to violence and fuels organized crime throughout the country."
The sports betting ring used off-shore sports betting web sites and hand-to-hand cash transactions in Broward and Palm Beach, Broward Sheriff's Office deputies said Friday.
To disrupt the gambling ring, there were 10 law enforcement agencies involved including the Federal Bureau of Investigation's criminal division in New York. There were also about 60 search warrants served in Florida, New Jersey and New York in an operation that started in 2013, according to authorities.
Sgt. Dan Fitzpatrick, of BSO's organized crime unit, was involved in the investigation in South Florida, which involved undercover officers, wire taps, surveillance work and a Feb. 5th raid.
According to police, the others arrested in South Florida include Allan Klein, of Margate, and his son Darren Klein, of Coral Springs. Also Michael Dangelo, of Pompano Beach, and Erik Bishop, of Parkland. And from Boca Raton, Thomas Cuce, Joseph Petrolino and Devon Shaimi.
Klein, 71, was facing racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, 16 counts of bookmaking, conspiracy to commit bookmaking, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, records show.
Klein, 36, was facing racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit bookmaking, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, records show.
Dangelo, 58, was facing racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, five counts of bookmaking, conspiracy to commit bookmaking, money laundering and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, records show.
Bishop, 35, was facing racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, five counts of bookmaking, conspiracy to commit bookmaking and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, records show.
Petrolino, Cuce, 32, and Shaimi, 30, were facing charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, bookmaking, conspiracy to commit bookmaking and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
There were related arrests in New York City, Rockland County, Bergen County and New Jersey. The investigation is ongoing with several more arrests anticipated in the coming weeks,a BSO Friday the 13th statement said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that she applauded her office and BSO for their "hard work in shutting down" the scheme in South Florida.
In New York, one of the biggest fishes caught was Daniel Pagano, 61, the son of the late Joseph Luco Pagano -- former Genovese family leader.
Other related arrests in New York include: Jonathan Klein, Michael Palazzolo, Robert Aulicino, Williams Robbins, James Hayman, Gerardo Dimatteo, Benjamin Reiss, Frank Giordano, Carmine Potenza, Harry Floershiem, Thoma Feeney, Brian Kelly, Richard Simko, Richard Lacava, Eric Wachter, John Tognino, and Robert Wisiak.