$2.3 million in illegal bets during a four-month period

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- A member of the Patriarca crime family pleaded guilty Monday to running a $2,000-a-day gambling organization out of New Haven.

Anthony John Ascenzia Jr., 45, of New Haven, admitted bringing in $2.3 million in illegal bets during a four-month period. The Patriarca Family, which is also known as the New England Family, operated several gambling rings in Connecticut. Ascenzia, who is known as "Beaver," pleaded guilty to federal racketeering and tax charges as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

The plea ends an investigation that began in 1999 and included electronic surveillance that caught Ascenzia and others discussing the gambling business.

In addition to sports betting, Ascenzia's organization also ran an old-fashioned numbers racket in which street numbers were determined by races in New York or derivations on the Connecticut lottery numbers. Mob experts said that gambling remains the Mafia's most lucrative business.

Ascenzia faces 23 years in jail, three years probation and a $500,000 fine. He is forfeiting $103,500 seized from his home and $36,625 in property or proceeds from the racketeering activity. The joint FBI, state and local investigation has now netted 17 arrests on federal charges. Ascenzia was released on bail pending sentencing July 22.

Connecticut's most famous Patriarca member was underboss William "The Wild Guy" Grasso, who was found dead in 1989 by the Connecticut River in Wethersfield. The Patriarca name has slowly been removed from the Mafia organization. Raymond L.S. Patriarca is dead and his son, Raymond "Junior" Patriarca is in prison.

http://www.nbc30.com/news/3266435/detail.html

The late Raymond Patrioca.
----------------------------------------------

"Raymond" which is what everyone called him was well known in the city of Providence R.I. especially in the Federal Hill district. From a wood-frame, two-story building in Providence Patriarca ran his crime empire. The building, nicknamed “The Office,” housed the National Cigarette Service Company and Coin-O-Matic Distributors, a vending machine and pinball business, on Atwells Avenue in Federal Hill. Organized crime figures there were referred to as “members of the Office.” Vincent Teresa described Atwells Avenue as a noisy open-air market that was also an armed camp with “spotters” located everywhere. These “spotters” were area residents and vendors who kept an eye out for suspicious people – especially snoopy law enforcement officials. This set up was similar to other popular mob-run areas like Mulberry Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and Prince Street in Boston.

wil.

Providence is a big wiseguy town.

You just have to love how the Feds call a team-A bet of 100K vs a team-B bet of 100K..220K

No wonder they keep busting college bookie rings that take 50,000 per week action..yet have a mere $2,000 laying around.

A year or two ago the state did a raid on a bookie in my state......property was seized along with bank accounts and a safety deposit box filled with $300,000 stone cold cash....

Why would you keep a safety deposit box stocked like that KNOWING that if you get busted that this is fair game for authorities? Maybe he can plead the insanity defense...

300k buys a lot of security, but not if you put it where the government can seize it....

One of the locals here highly suggests keeping the cash in SDB's. I would be leary keeping money there, but I guess when you got so much, one doesn't care as much.