DA: alleged Genovese soldier sentenced

Last week, the District Attorney announced that reputed Genovese organized crime family soldier Victor Colletti has been sentenced to up to three years in state prison for having headed up a Queens-based illegal gambling enterprise allegedly controlled jointly by the Genovese and Bonanno organized crime families.
“As a result of this prosecution we have closed down a highly lucrative gambling operation that benefitted not one but two crime families working together by accepting illegal wagers involving horse-racing, numbers and college and professional sports contests, including bets on the Final Four NCAA basketball tournament, an event second only to the Super Bowl in bettor popularity,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
Colletti, 72, of Middle Village, was convicted of enterprise corruption on July 17, 2008, following a 10-day jury trial. Queens Supreme Court Arthur J. Cooperman recently imposed the indeterminate sentence of one to three years in prison.
A 24-count Enterprise Corruption indictment filed in Queens County Supreme Court in April 2005 charged that Colletti and 16 other individuals were members of a mob-run gambling ring that operated out of at least three Queens bars, as well as other locations in Bronx, Kings and Westchester Counties. The criminal enterprise handled illegal betting action of nearly $200,000 a week totaling about $12.5 million over the 15-month span covered by the indictment.
All but one case has now been concluded, according to the DA. Of the 16 cases completed to date, all but one has resulted in a felony conviction.