MINEOLA, N.Y. — Five men have been indicted for allegedly running an illegal gambling operation in Nassau County, involving a sophisticated online sportsbook and illegal loansharking activities, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced on Thursday. The indictments follow a 14-month investigation by the DA’s office, which utilized wiretaps and covert surveillance.
Prosecutors allege that Anthony Frascone, 75, of East Meadow, and Anthony Pellegrino, 59, of Merrick, led the operation, which ran from September 2023 to April 2024. According to the indictment, the scheme involved runners who accepted bets from gamblers, managed accounts through a website, and collected debts in person.
Joseph Pietaro, 57, a former New York City Police Officer from West Islip, along with Philip Carucci, 59, of Levittown, and Frank LoNigro, 51, of Merrick, are accused of serving as runners. Prosecutors say they recruited bettors, provided account access, and settled winnings and debts offline. Frascone and Pellegrino allegedly split profits with associates in Nassau County and the Bronx.
“These five individuals allegedly operated a sophisticated online sports betting operation in Nassau County, profiting off of hundreds of bets,” said DA Donnelly. “One bettor alone owed more than $150,000 in debt to this alleged operation, showing the breadth of this illegal book.”
In addition to the gambling charges, prosecutors allege that Frascone and Pellegrino engaged in loansharking, charging an annual interest rate of 156% on at least one loan. Frascone is accused of receiving a portion of the usurious interest payments.
All five defendants were arraigned on Wednesday before Judge Robert Schwartz and pleaded not guilty to various charges, including promoting gambling, criminal usury, possession of gambling records, and conspiracy. Frascone and Pellegrino face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Pietaro, Carucci, and LoNigro face lesser sentences of up to three years.
The case, led by the DA’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, is ongoing, and investigators are continuing to examine the operation’s full scope.
Prosecutors vow to continue cracking down on illegal gambling networks, which they say undermine state-regulated sportsbooks and exploit bettors and borrowers.
