Mafia leader, New Jersey council member among dozens facing illegal gambling charges, AG says

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, a town council member and more than three dozen others are facing racketeering and additional charges stemming from an illegal gambling ring, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said Friday.

George Zappola, who Platkin said was a top member of the Lucchese organized crime family, and Prospect Park councilmember Anand Shah are among 39 people charged in the sprawling, two-year investigation that officials said centered on illegal poker and sports betting operations.

An email message was left with Zappola’s attorney. A number listed for Shah said the voicemail box was full. An email to him was not immediately answered.

Officials uncovered four illegal poker clubs in Totowa, Garfield and Woodland Park as well as in Paterson, where gambling machines were stored, Plakin said.

Shah managed illegal poker games and an online sports book, according to law enforcement. He’s not facing official misconduct charges in connection with his public office.

Platkin said the gambling ring brought in more than $3 million in “criminal proceeds,” and included various shell corporations and other businesses used to conceal earnings from gambling.

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“Romanticized versions of organized crime have been the subject of countless movies and television shows, often set right here in the Garden State,” Platkin said. “But the reality isn’t romantic or cinematic. It’s about breaking the laws the rest of us follow.”

According to the criminal complaint, the operations included social clubs that had poker games and gambling machines, as well as an online sportsbook operated through websites based outside the country. High-level managers delegated day-to-day operations to managers who were present during poker games, officials said.

The managers collected “rent,” from poker hosts for permitting the games to occur and oversaw workers at the clubs.

New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan described the investigation as a massive undertaking that included federal and state officials.

“Everyone’s got to be held accountable who think that they are above the law and that they’re not going to get caught,” he said.