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Complains of defense fund 'contributions'
By JIM SMITH
A Drexel University grad, a business major, class of 1993, Mark Tashie seemed uncomfortable in the witness box in federal court at the mob racketeering trial.
He sighed heavily at times, a breathing technique Tashie, an ex-college wrestler, might have learned on the mats, or maybe it was just nerves or embarrassment.
Unlike most of his Drexel classmates, Tashie, a native of Springfield, Delaware County, had chosen an unusual line of work.
For several years, he ran an illegal bookmaking operation based in Overbrook, one that took bets from gamblers on sporting events involving both professional and college teams.
It was a trade he had learned in his undergraduate days at Drexel, when he wasn't studying.
And he'd done well at bookmaking since graduating from college - by 1997 he had more than 100 bettors calling his phone lines.
Some weekends his "book" won about $60,000, he testified.
His book closed in 1999, when the Pennsylvania State Police shut him down.
Now Tashie, 31, is selling concrete for a living, and testifying against the mob for the FBI in hopes of avoiding a prison term for running his illegal gambling business.
Yesterday he was in the witness box, casually dressed, facing down reputed mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino and six co-defendants, on trial for acts of racketeering, such as murder, extortion and illegal gambling.
Unaware his words were being recorded by the state police in 1999, Tashie had predicted the mob's downfall, complained they were hitting him up for money for attorneys fees.
He even seemed to gloat that the defendants were headed for prison. "Those guys aren't going to be around to hassle anybody," he told an associate. "Believe me, they're f-----' runnin' scared. . .
I'm starting my own little f-----'' ring. . .Yep. Quiet though."
Questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D'Aguanno, Tashie told the jury of his relationship with two of the defendants, George Borgesi, the mob's reputed "acting consiglieri" or Merlino's top adviser, and Angelo "Fat Ange" Lutz, a mob associate.
About 1995, at Borgesi's suggestion, Tashie testified, he began sharing bets with a mob-associated bookie as a way of ensuring that Tashie's own bookmaking operation didn't sustain potentially heavy losses when many bettors were wagering on the same team.
In the bookmaking trade, this is called "edging off."
When he owed Borgesi money on these bets, Tashie said he always gave the money to Lutz.
Tashie also told the jury that he had given Lutz "Christmas packages," namely $2,000 to $3,000 a year, to give to Borgesi. "Angelo informed me, they're looking for a package," Tashie said, explaining the Christmas tradition.
When Borgesi demanded money for legal fees in 1999, in anticipation of being indicted in the racketeering case, Tashie asked Lutz to give Borgesi $2,000 - money that Lutz owed Tashie at the time. "Send it Georgie's way," he said he told Lutz.
On tape, he'd complained about Borgesi's asking for contributions to his defense fund. "F--- 'em all, Jim," Tashie said of Borgesi and other mobsters.
"Why pay the mob?" the prosecutor wondered.
"Because you had to, in order to do business," Tashie replied.
Cross-examined by Lutz's attorney, Christopher D. Warren, the ex-bookie acknowledged that no one had ever threatened him in any way or used force to collect money from him.
"That was never brought up," Tashie said.
The trial enters its 60th day today and prosecutors hope to rest their case early next week.
Defense attorneys have asked U.S. District Judge Herbert J. Hutton for a recess of about two days before they begin calling defense witnesses. *
By JIM SMITH
A Drexel University grad, a business major, class of 1993, Mark Tashie seemed uncomfortable in the witness box in federal court at the mob racketeering trial.
He sighed heavily at times, a breathing technique Tashie, an ex-college wrestler, might have learned on the mats, or maybe it was just nerves or embarrassment.
Unlike most of his Drexel classmates, Tashie, a native of Springfield, Delaware County, had chosen an unusual line of work.
For several years, he ran an illegal bookmaking operation based in Overbrook, one that took bets from gamblers on sporting events involving both professional and college teams.
It was a trade he had learned in his undergraduate days at Drexel, when he wasn't studying.
And he'd done well at bookmaking since graduating from college - by 1997 he had more than 100 bettors calling his phone lines.
Some weekends his "book" won about $60,000, he testified.
His book closed in 1999, when the Pennsylvania State Police shut him down.
Now Tashie, 31, is selling concrete for a living, and testifying against the mob for the FBI in hopes of avoiding a prison term for running his illegal gambling business.
Yesterday he was in the witness box, casually dressed, facing down reputed mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino and six co-defendants, on trial for acts of racketeering, such as murder, extortion and illegal gambling.
Unaware his words were being recorded by the state police in 1999, Tashie had predicted the mob's downfall, complained they were hitting him up for money for attorneys fees.
He even seemed to gloat that the defendants were headed for prison. "Those guys aren't going to be around to hassle anybody," he told an associate. "Believe me, they're f-----' runnin' scared. . .
I'm starting my own little f-----'' ring. . .Yep. Quiet though."
Questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D'Aguanno, Tashie told the jury of his relationship with two of the defendants, George Borgesi, the mob's reputed "acting consiglieri" or Merlino's top adviser, and Angelo "Fat Ange" Lutz, a mob associate.
About 1995, at Borgesi's suggestion, Tashie testified, he began sharing bets with a mob-associated bookie as a way of ensuring that Tashie's own bookmaking operation didn't sustain potentially heavy losses when many bettors were wagering on the same team.
In the bookmaking trade, this is called "edging off."
When he owed Borgesi money on these bets, Tashie said he always gave the money to Lutz.
Tashie also told the jury that he had given Lutz "Christmas packages," namely $2,000 to $3,000 a year, to give to Borgesi. "Angelo informed me, they're looking for a package," Tashie said, explaining the Christmas tradition.
When Borgesi demanded money for legal fees in 1999, in anticipation of being indicted in the racketeering case, Tashie asked Lutz to give Borgesi $2,000 - money that Lutz owed Tashie at the time. "Send it Georgie's way," he said he told Lutz.
On tape, he'd complained about Borgesi's asking for contributions to his defense fund. "F--- 'em all, Jim," Tashie said of Borgesi and other mobsters.
"Why pay the mob?" the prosecutor wondered.
"Because you had to, in order to do business," Tashie replied.
Cross-examined by Lutz's attorney, Christopher D. Warren, the ex-bookie acknowledged that no one had ever threatened him in any way or used force to collect money from him.
"That was never brought up," Tashie said.
The trial enters its 60th day today and prosecutors hope to rest their case early next week.
Defense attorneys have asked U.S. District Judge Herbert J. Hutton for a recess of about two days before they begin calling defense witnesses. *
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