DA: organized crime gambling ring out of luck

Reputed Gambino organized crime family “capo” Nicholas Corozzo has admitted to operating a highly sophisticated illegal gambling enterprise in Queens and elsewhere that booked nearly $10 million in wagers over a two-year period on professional and college sports such as basketball, football, baseball, hockey and other sporting events.
Nicholas “Little Nicky” Corozzo, 68, of Bellmore, Long Island, appeared before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron and was arraigned on a 29-count indictment charging him — together with 25 other reputed members of the Gambino crime family — with promoting illegal sports betting in Queens County and elsewhere and with being involved in traditional gambling wire rooms located in Woodhaven, and non-traditional computerized wire rooms in Costa Rica.
Corozzo then pleaded guilty to the top count of the indictment - enterprise corruption. Kron set bail at $1 million and indicated that Corozzo likely faced a sentence of up to five to 15 years in prison. The next court date is December 1.
According to the DA, Corozzo had been named in the state indictment, as well as a federal indictment, in February of this year.
The federal indictment charges him — together with 61 other reputed organized crime family members — with racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, loan sharking and embezzlement. Corozzo specifically is charged with respect to a January 1996 double murder of an organized crime family associate and his friend in connection with a drug-related homicide. That case is presently pending.
The DA noted that Corozzo remained a fugitive from justice for approximately four months until his surrender to federal authorities on May 29, after his story was featured earlier in the month on the television show “America’s Most Wanted.”
Since his surrender, he has been held in federal custody without bail. He was returned to federal authorities following his appearance in state court.
Other reputed Gambino soldiers and associates who have also pleaded guilty in the state gambling case include reputed soldiers Blaise Corozzo (Nicholas Corozzo’s brother) and Louis Scida, and reputed associates Todd Segarra, Neil Allstatt, and Frank Mancini, all of whom have pleaded guilty to the crime of enterprise corruption. Altstatt and Scida are expected to be sentenced to one and one-third years to four years in prison and Segarra, Mancini and Blaise Corozzo are expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison.
Reputed soldier Michael Scarola pleaded guilty to first-degree promoting gambling and is expected to be sentenced to two to four years in prison.