October 14, 2011
Essex County Man Pleads Guilty to Promoting Gambling in Racketeering Case Against Lucchese Crime Family
TRENTON – Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that an Essex County man pleaded guilty today to a charge of promoting gambling for his role in gambling activity controlled by the Lucchese crime family. The indictment alleges members of the crime family also engaged in acts of extortion, narcotics distribution, possession of weapons/explosives, money laundering, theft, and bribery of public officials, among other offenses. The gambling activity charged alleges the enterprise handled billions of dollars in illegal wagers on sporting events using a Web site, toll-free phone numbers, and an offshore wire room to facilitate the activity.
According to Director Taylor, Michael A. Maffucci, 25, of Cedar Grove, N.J., pleaded guilty to a third-degree charge of promoting gambling before Superior Court Judge David Ironson in Morris County. In pleading guilty, Maffucci admitted he conducted and assisted in operations of the gambling activity within the enterprise that was operated on behalf and for the benefit of the Lucchese crime family. Under the plea agreement, the State and Maffucci agreed he would be sentenced to three to five years in state prison. He must also provide truthful testimony in the ongoing prosecution.
Supervising Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades, Chief of the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, and Deputy Attorney General Christopher Romanyshyn took the guilty plea. Judge Ironson scheduled sentencing for Maffucci for Dec. 9.
The charge against Maffucci stems from Operation Heat, an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau that led to the indictment on May 14, 2010 of two ruling members of the Lucchese crime family and 32 other members and associates, including the alleged current and former top New Jersey capos, Ralph V. Perna and Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., on first-degree charges of racketeering and predicate offenses. Details of the indictment are provided in the May 14, 2010 press release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
A second defendant named in the indictment pleaded guilty on May 20, 2011 to promoting gambling and possession of gambling records. Gianni Iacovo, 35, of Elmwood Park, faces a sentence of probation, conditioned on his full cooperation in the ongoing case.
In addition, as a result of the investigation, Francine Hightower, 53, of Tinton Falls, pleaded guilty prior to the indictment to conspiring to launder money. She was charged in connection with a scheme in which a high-ranking member of the Nine Trey Gangsters set of the Bloods and a correction officer allegedly conspired with members of the Lucchese crime family to smuggle drugs and pre-paid cell phones into East Jersey State Prison.
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