Ex NYC Cop, Son Avoid Jail in Million Dollar Illegal Betting Operation

Posted on: October 25, 2017, 06:30h. 

Last updated on: October 25, 2017, 06:04h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

Ciro Barone is an ex-New York City police officer who found himself on the other end of the law. The 68-year-old Staten Island resident and his son, Paul, admitted their roles in an illegal betting operation that reportedly brought in an estimated $4 million in wagers.

Both will avoid jail time after pleading guilty in a deal with prosecutors on Tueday. Ciro Barone will accept one felony count of promoting gambling and a misdemeanor count of conspiracy.

He will receive three year’s probation and must forfeit $30,000 in assets. Paul Barone pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of attempting to promote gambling and received a conditional discharge.

His lawyer Mario F. Gallucci told SILive.com that his client’s role was minimal.

“Mr. Barone pled guilty to a reduced charge for his minor and short-lived role in this case,” he said.

Simple Venture

The two were part of five individuals that were indicted in February. The other three were Robert Rossi, Robert Glazewski, and another ex-NYC police officer Francisco Muro.

The first operation ran from January. 18, 2015, through January 3, 2016. The Barones were responsible for distributing  gambling accounts to bettors, while recruiting new clients and collecting wagers and doling out winnings, according to the indictment.

Rossi was in charge of bettor accounts from a wire room. One week ago he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of attempting to promote gambling, and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge.

Ciro Barone and Muro were part of another plot that mirrored the other scheme. The two recruited new clients, collected money from bettors and paid out winnings. In that scam, which ran from December 27, 2014, through January 12, 2016, Glazewski was working the wire room.

He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of conspiracy, with a promised sentence of two year’s probation and $30,000 in asset forfeiture.

“Would you say we’re lucky, or the customers are unlucky?” Barone asked Muro in a phone call that was tapped by authorities. 

No Mafia Ties

Prosecutors did not find any relationship with organized crime, unlike an earlier operation that was busted by New York authorities in December. In that system 13 individuals were indicted for operating a Mafia-connected online credit betting plan.

It was part of a sting called Operation Shark Bait, the investigation conducted jointly by the attorney general’s office and the NYC Police Department. Wiretapped conversations uncovered an illegal online bookmaking operation that handled millions of dollars’ worth of wagers, according to the indictment. It was based in Costa Rica and was available online via www.4Spades.org.

The alleged ringleader was Genovese member Salvatore DeMeo, who has claimed a heart condition. The 76-year-old career criminal escaped jail time and was sentenced in September to five years probation.