$50M Internet sports betting ring busted
13 charged with multiple counts over regional bookmaking operation

By ROBERT GAVIN, Staff writer
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First published: Saturday, March 29, 2008

ALBANY -- Thirteen reputed members of an Internet sports betting ring that stretched from Albany to Syracuse were charged Friday in what investigators are calling one of the area's largest-scale gambling busts.

The round-up, which snared four members of a Capital Region family and a Syracuse man who uses a wheelchair, smashed an outfit reeling in more than $50 million in bets between September 2006 and March of this year, authorities said.

The 12 men and one woman were arrested early Friday on charges that range from money laundering to enterprise corruption, the latter carrying up to 25 years in prison if convicted. They were arraigned in state Supreme Court in Albany, many making bail.

"It's one of the largest operations we've seen," said Albany County Sheriff James Campbell.

The outfit, which law enforcement officials dubbed the Begidian-Carucci Bookmaking Operation, was based in the Veteran Friendship club in Latham, authorities said.

The alleged ringleaders were identified as George Bedigian, 63, of North McBridge Street in Syracuse, and Joseph "Oink" Carucci, 62, of Swatling Road, Latham. Both were charged with enterprise corruption, the state's version of the federal racketeering law.

The bust, which coincides with the NCAA college basketball Tournament, follows an 18-month probe into computer-generated bets on several sports, including professional and college basketball and football. It included the Albany County district attorney's office, the sheriff's department, State Police and Albany police.

Carucci's son, Joseph A. Carucci, 42, of Kenjack Terrace, was charged with money laundering, as was his grandson, Daniel Hayes of Lindbergh Avenue, Albany. His daughter, Tina Yanni, 37, of that same address, was charged with enterprise corruption.

The gray-haired Bedigian, who has more than two-dozen prior nonfelony arrests, used a wheelchair when he appeared before Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi. His attorney, David Primo, would only say he was bed-ridden when asked about his client's medical condition.

Also charged with enterprise corruption were Albert "Waldo" Lounello, 61, of Olympus Court, Albany; Steven Avery, 36, of Orchard Street, Rensselaer; Michael Romeo, 35, of Central Avenue, Albany; and Michael Losurdo, 41, of Lakeside Road, Syracuse.

Charged with fourth-degree money laundering, which carries up to four years in prison, were Joseph Aquillo, 43, of Gari Lane, Guilderland; Salvatore Tumino, 70, of N. Salinas Street in Syracuse; Joel "Penguin" Greenfield, 53, of Malta Gardens, Mechanicville; and Louis "Bindy" Margiasso, 66, of Pinehurst Avenue, Albany.

"I don't know what it's about," Margiasso said when asked about the case outside Teresi's courtroom. "I have no clue what it means."

The defendants, many older men, sat together on bench as family members arrived to lend support. Teresi called the accused one-by-one to appear before him, at times issuing higher bail than requested by even the prosecution. Assistant district attorneys Eric Galarneau and Francisco Calderon are handling the cases.

When facing the 70-year-old Tumino, the judge told the white-haired defendant he didn't mean to pre-judge him, then added, "You're a little old for this aren't you?"

All 13 defendants pleaded not guilty. Teresi scheduled them to appear in Town of Colonie court on Tuesday.

Robert Gavin can be reached at 434-2403 or by e-mail at rgavin@ timesunion.com.