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TRENTON – Attorney General
Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director
Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced that two
men were sentenced today in Atlantic County
for acting as agents for a sports bookmaking
ring that operated in the Borgata Hotel Casino
poker room.
According to Director Gramiccioni,
Superior Court Judge Michael A. Donio ordered
Joseph Wishnick, 44, of Brigantine, a former
Borgata poker room supervisor, to serve 270
days in county jail as a condition of a three-year
term of probation. He also ordered Wishnick
to pay a $3,000 fine. The judge ordered Robert
Mackie, 40, of Staten Island, N.Y., to serve
two years of probation and pay a $3,000 fine.
Wishnick and Mackie each pleaded
guilty in December to third-degree promoting
gambling for taking in bets as agents of the
ring.
The charges stem from Operation
High Roller, an investigation led by the State
Police and the Division of Criminal Justice
which involved the assistance of 11 other
law enforcement agencies in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania. Deputy Attorney General Kerry
DiJoseph is prosecuting the case for the Division
of Criminal Justice Major Crimes Bureau -
Casino Prosecutions Unit.
The investigation revealed
that Jack Buscemi Jr., 51, of Mullica Hill,
was the boss of the ring, and Andrew Micali,
33, of Ventnor, controlled day-to-day operations.
The ring took in more than $60 million in
bets in 20 months. The ring was shut down
in November 2007, when more than 20 people
were arrested. Twenty-four defendants were
indicted on April 10, 2008.
On Dec. 15, Buscemi pleaded
guilty to second-degree conspiracy to commit
money laundering, and Micali pleaded guilty
to second-degree criminal usury. The state
will recommend that each man be sentenced
to five years in state prison. Micali also
must forfeit $125,000 in cash seized in the
investigation, and Buscemi must pay a total
of $50,000 in fines and forfeited money. They
are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27.
Thirteen other defendants
are awaiting sentencing. Anthony Nicodemo,
37, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on Jan.
6. to second-degree conspiracy to promote
gambling and launder money. He faces three
years in prison under his plea agreement.
In addition, 12 defendants
pleaded guilty to third-degree promoting gambling
for acting as agents of the ring. They face
jail terms as a condition of probation. They
are Nicholas Caltibiano, 25, of Brigantine;
Matthew Zambanini, 29, of Hockessin, Delaware;
Ian Blackman, 29, of Mays Landing; Douglas
Rubino, 31, of Philadelphia; John Findaly,
32, of Philadelphia; Bernard Malseed, 65,
of Philadelphia; Dominick Grande, 29, of Philadelphia;
Russell Brown, 45, of Egg Harbor; William
DePena, 40, of Philadelphia; Joseph Baldino,
Jr., 24, of Philadelphia; Frank Baldino, 22,
of Philadelphia; and Michael Connelly, 60,
of Parkville, Maryland.
The investigation, which began
in March 2006, revealed that Micali relied
on a network of agents to take in millions
of dollars in bets on college and professional
football and basketball. Micali, and Buscemi
received a percentage of the gambling proceeds
collected by the agents.
The investigation further
determined that Wishnick and other casino
employees ignored exchanges of cash and casino
chips made by the ring to avoid filing financial
reports that are required whenever a transaction
exceeds $10,000 or is suspicious in any way.
Some losers were forced to accept loans to
cover their losses at an annual interest rate
exceeding 50 percent, in violation of New
Jersey’s criminal usury statute.
The investigation was led
by State Police Detective David Feldstein
and his unit, the State Police Casino Unit.
The lead investigator for the Division of
Criminal Justice was Sgt. Ronald Rozwadowski.
The Division of Gaming Enforcement also assisted.
Attorney General Milgram
credited these agencies for conducting and
assisting the investigation:
• New Jersey State Police Casino Unit
• New Jersey State Police Organized
Crime Control Bureau South
• New Jersey State Police Digital Technology
Investigation Unit
• New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
• New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
• Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney
General - Organized Crime Section
• Ventnor City P.D.
• Margate P.D.
• Harrison Township P.D.
• Sea Isle City P.D.
• Galloway Township P.D.
• Brigantine P.D.
• Egg Harbor Township P.D.
• Franklin Township P.D.
• Philadelphia Bureau of Narcotics Investigation
• Borgata Security Department
• Borgata Surveillance Department
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