Officials introduced costs in opposition to 14 individuals – together with reputed members and associates of the Mafia in addition to student athletes — for his or her alleged roles in a multimillion-dollar unlawful sports betting ring in New Jersey.
In January 2024, members of the New Jersey State Police Port Investigation Unit started investigating an unlawful sports betting enterprise that was working out of Essex and Bergen counties, officers stated. Between 2022 and 2024, the group used offshore playing web sites to systemically entice individuals to make bets as a part of a classy playing operation, in accordance with investigators.
Officials stated the enterprise transferred roughly $2 million in suspected playing transactions.
The group – which included student athletes who operated the sportsbooks in addition to a nationwide net of bookmakers – was led by 55-year-old Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna, a soldier in the Lucchese crime household, in accordance with investigators. Perna was the “financier” whereas his son, Joseph R. Perna, 25, of Oakland, New Jersey, performed the each day operations of the sportsbook, officers stated.
Other members of the group included “Little Joe” Perna’s different son, Anthony R. Perna, 23, additionally of Oakland, his stepson, Frank Zito, 23, of Fairfield, New Jersey, and his nephews, Dominic Perna, 23, of Newark, New Jersey, and Michael Cetta, 23, of North Haledon, New Jersey, in accordance with officers.
Officials recognized the opposite co-defendants as Tyler Schnorrbusch, 23, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, Nicholas Raimo, 25, of East Hanover, New Jersey, Joseph Janish, 23, of North Caldwell, New Jersey, William Medeiros, 22, of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Spencer Speziale, 22, of Wyckoff, and Devon Shuster, 28, of Gainesville, Florida.
Investigators additionally stated Joseph M. Perna’s spouse and Frank Zito’s mom, Kim Zito, 53, of Fairfield, New Jersey, obtained a number of funds from Frank Zito that have been derived from the unlawful playing in November and December 2023.
Investigators additionally stated Joseph Perna’s ex-wife Rosanna Magno, 52, of Oakland, New Jersey, tried to hide playing ledgers from police throughout a cease in April 2025.
While investigators stated the operation included present and former school athletes, they didn’t specify which colleges have been concerned or what sports the bets have been positioned on.
The announcement comes lower than a month after dozens of defendants – including former NBA players and Mafia members – were named in two separate indictments on an illegal sports betting scheme and rigged poker games.
“We may all think that the portrayal of organized crime we remember from movies and television shows and books no longer exists, but we are announcing charges today that allege it still does,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated. “Despite the proliferation of legal betting of all kinds, gambling remains a mainstay of members and associates of organized crime. The locations and methods may have evolved, but illegal gambling – in this case, sports betting – remains a problem, and we will charge those who seek to profit from it.”
NBC10 reached out to the attorneys for Dominic Perna, Joseph R. Perna, Zito, Cetta, Schnorrbusch, and Janish. We will embody their statements as soon as we obtain them.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office didn’t present the names of the attorneys for the opposite defendants.