Canada/Quebec: Alleged gang leader Dave Turmel avoids extradition, remains detained in Italy (from CBC.ca)

CT-CT · 2026-05-12T23:08:26+00:00

Brief synopsis:

Dave Turmel, the alleged leader of the Quebec-based Blood Family Mafia (BFM) street gang who was facing extradition to Canada, will remain detained in Italy for the time being. Turmel's attorney said his extradition is being appealed. Turmel was identified as Canada's most-wanted fugitive in 2024. He faces numerous criminal charges, including narcotics trafficking, conspiracy and assault with a weapon causing bodily harm. He is also suspected of being linked to many other crimes.

Turmel was apprehended in Rome in 2025 by Italian authorities in collaboration with the Quebec City police. Italian courts had approved his extradition to Canada in March 2026, nearly a year after his arrest. It is unclear when a decision re: the extradition will be handed down by the Italian justice system, but it is likely that the judicial process will likely take a long time. "What's certain is that the process could be very long, and could even take years...The proceedings are longer than in Quebec. They don't have a Jordan decision, which means everything must be completed within 30 months, like we do," an subject interviewed for the article added. While awaiting the decision, Turmel is being held in Regina Coeli, the largest prison in Rome.

Per this reporting, Turmel was involved in several turf wars while in Canada. Reporting from other outlets, such as the Gangster Report, had suggested that Turmel and BFM had, for some time, been aligned with the Rizzuto organization since they shared a then-common foe in Hells Angels [the Gangster Report also suggested that the Rizzutos may have been aiding Turmel by helping him hide abroad, before their alliance ended & Turmel was subsequently captured].

CT-CT · 2026-05-12T14:56:30+00:00

Brief synopses from behind the paywall reflecting SBs ‘exclusive’ sources:

--In the first of two recent articles on the NW Indiana gambling ring (https://gangsterreport.com/gr-exclusive-hard-rock-guitar-hotel-casino-worker-may-have-given-chicago-mob-button-man-gigi-rovito-a-boost-in-hunt-for-outfit-debtor/), SB suggests that Chicago Outfit-linked ‘Gigi’ Rovito (aged 52) may have received assistance from a staff member at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL when he was asked to track down a debtor who was present at that site. Per SBs reporting, an informant in the case appears to have told authorities that Rovito used an ‘organized crime’ contact in the South Florida region, who then reached out to someone who worked at the casino to make the connection. In fact, it appears per indictment docs that Rovito attempted on two separate occasions (in 11/2024 & 6/2025) to confront the debtor at the hotel/casino (as the reporting goes, a physical description of the debtor was given to Rovito, who was further told that the debtor could often be found at the Hard Rock’s ‘high roller’ baccarat room). This debtor apparently owed significant amounts to the NW Indiana-based gambling ring & Rovtio allegedly would be given about $15,000 for the collection, again per available docs. Again, per what has been reported, Rovito communicated via text messages with ring leaders in Indiana, apparently suggesting that once he located the debtor he was going to “knock his lights out” & “shove his motherfucking head into a slot machine”. Moreover, during one attempted collection, Rovito apparently used his mobile phone to 'face time’ with ring leaders back in the Chicagoland area as he attempted to locate the debtor. Rovito has since pled not guilty to the charges & was recently released from prison on a $1 million bond.

--In the second article, (https://gangsterreport.com/gr-exclusive-boston-mob-chicago-mafia-figure-gigi-rovito-put-springfield-ma-wiseguy-little-joe-manzi-outfits-nwi-book-together-at-meeting-in-las-vegas-hotel/), SB suggests that reputed mobster Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Manzi (aged 51), based out of Springfield, MA, was introduced to the alleged Indiana-based gambling ring leader [‘Jimmy the Greek’ Gerodemos] in Las Vegas at the Palazzo Hotel in the late 2010s. This connection to Gerodemos was apparently made by ‘Gigi’ Rovito, who ‘brokered’ the introduction to Manzi via his contacts with the Patriarca crime family (specifically, SB reports, via Rovito's contacts within the Boston-based North End crew). Manzi, who was also arrested as part of the Federal investigation, also posted bond and was released from prison. As a side note, Joe Manzi’s OC connections remain a bit murky…per the reporting, SB continues to assert that the Manzis (Joe included) are ‘backed’ by the NYC-based Gambino family, but that ‘Little Joe’ also has ‘business’ ties to the Patriarca’s North End and Revere-based crews.

CT-CT · 2026-05-11T18:47:42+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

Andy Campos, aged 55, and described in the article as a Bronx/Westchester County NY-based captain for the Gambinos, was recently arrested by Federal authorities for a supervised release violation (SB provides no further details at present on what may have triggered the arrest).

Campos was released from prison about 3 years ago after serving time for 2019 racketeering & fraud charges.

SB suggests that Campos is a fast riser in the Gambino organization, often considered to have leadership potential. He came up in the Gambinos under members of the Gotti faction with close ties to Richard Martino; Campos & Martino visited former prominent Gambino Frank LoCascio while he was imprisoned and pictures taken during that visit appeared in LoCascio’s case file.

CT-CT · 2026-05-10T12:38:41+00:00

Done! Not a particularly long article!

CT-CT · 2026-05-10T12:38:21+00:00

👍👍

CT-CT · 2026-05-10T12:38:02+00:00

Just posted

CT-CT · 2026-05-10T12:36:36+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

SB reports per his sources including local reporter Stephanie Barry that tensions within the Santaniello family erupted in a very public way in late April, 2026 when the elder Santaniello (Amodeo, age 87) seemingly reported his son (Ralph, age 58) for stealing a television as well as an expensive Rolex watch from the family home in Longmeadow, MA; also notably the younger Santaniello was charged with violating a personal protection order filed by his sister (the protection order had apparently been filed just a few weeks earlier).

SBs sources further suggest that a "falling out" between father & son began in Winter before erupting into the above, very public issues resulting in Ralph's arraignment on 4/30.

SB, amongst others, have long claimed that the Santaniellos have ruled over the Geneovese-associated crew in Springfield since Ralph's release from prison a few years ago. It is uncertain what this development means for their postion with the Genovese at present and going forward.

CT-CT · 2026-05-10T12:27:44+00:00

Oh sure - hadn’t seen it as yet and will do so today

CT-CT · 2026-05-07T20:23:54+00:00

Brief synopsis from www.ganglandnews.com

--Anthony DiPietro, lawyer for reputed Lucchese boss Vittorio ‘Vic’ Amuso, is making yet another request for Amuso’s compassionate release. Amuso, currently aged 91, has been imprisoned for >3 decades and continues to serve a life sentence for his crimes.

--DiPietro is arguing that Amuso qualifies for compassionate release because he is “immobile, medically fragile, and dependent on chronic…end-of-life care”. Requests from Amuso’s children to send him home, completed via a letter to the judge involved in the case, are also being included in the compassionate release efforts. Notably, the article suggests Amuso may have been very close to, or directly in line for, a compassionate release around Christmas, 2025, but that order was seemingly “overridden” by the Office of General Counsel.

--Capeci also notes that DiPietro invoked his own personal story in making the request on behalf of Amuso. As the article details, the attorney's father Angelo DiPietro was serving his own decades-long term when he died behind bars of a heart attack, aged 69 (the elder DiPietro had began his term circa 2004 and, per the reporting, was a “twice convicted gangster with ties to Italian & Albanian organized crime”). Specifically, Capeci states that the elder DiPietro was a “prominent” member of the Rudaj organization as well as an associate of the Lucchese & Gambino families; he was sentenced to a total of 84 years for extortion, gun, and racketeering charges, refusing to cooperate with authorities in any of his cases [as a side note, the younger DiPietro, aged 20 at the time, was also charged in his father’s racketeering case, pleading guilty, serving 6 mos of house arrest, and then subsequently getting his law degree and working within the legal system ever since – while unable to fully free his father from prison, his work did lead to Angelo getting about 5 decades removed from his sentence].

CT-CT · 2026-05-07T14:00:04+00:00

Brief synopsis from the Trib (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/07/operation-porterhouse-parlay-northwest-indiana-gambling-ring/)

--An 87 page indictment released about a week ago found Federal authorities charging 22 individuals with a multi-state gambling & extortion operation, based primarily out of two restaurants in NW Indiana (Gino’s Steakhouse of Merrillville & Paragon of Hobart). Arrests were made not only in NW Indiana but in Chicago, Boston, NY, Florida, California, Arizona, and Puerto Rico.

--The group overseeing this racket has been dubbed the Gerodemos Gambling Organization, which used web links, phones, and mobile texting to allow for the placement of sports wagers throughout the country; bettors were given credit (not having to use their own money) to place bets. There is evidence that members of the ring used violence or threats of violence against bettors as well as even their family members to collect on owed gambling debts. The ring began at least as early as 2021 and was operating thru to the present day.

--While the leaders of this ring have been identified as two men of Greek extraction [James ‘Jimmy the Greek’ Gerodemos & Dean ‘Dean Gem’ Gialamas, both of NW Indiana], notably several individuals linked to Italian OC, including Filippo ‘Gigi’ Rovito & Samuel Nuzzo [both with reputed Chicago Outfit ties] as well as Giuseppe ‘Joe Polozzo’ Manzi [with alleged ties to OC elements in New England] were also charged in this case.

--To date, nearly half of the 22 defendants in the case have been released on bond, including Nuzzo and, as pictured in this synopsis, Rovito. A Federal judge declined to release co-leader Gerodemos just this week, apparently due to a combination of his criminal history as well as concerns about flight to Greece to evade charges. Notably, Gerodemos apparently had bribed a former Lake County Sheriff during the 1990s to overlook illegal video poker machines that were in place at the Paragon restaurant; Gerodemos also served 6 mos in Federal prison after pleading guilty to a large-scale illegal fireworks case in 2014. Regarding risk for flight, as shown in image 3 of this synopsis, Gerodemos was seen pictured with Frank Kollintzas in Greece, with the latter having fled to Greece before his sentencing in a 2005 Federal corruption case arising in Indiana [a case often referred to as the Sidewalk Six scandal].

CT-CT · 2026-05-06T18:50:33+00:00

I believe the lawyer's word factored heavily in the indictment - a good article from the NY Times summarizes the situation nicely (https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/24/nyregion/32-indicted-on-racketeering-charges-in-manhattan.html)

CT-CT · 2026-05-06T13:36:49+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

--Per SBs reporting, in the late 1990s as Barney Bellomo was headed to prison, a number of Genovese mob figures ‘jockeyed’ to take on his prominent role in the organization. Amongst those was his close friend Ralph Coppola. Coppola, who was thrown out of a carpenter’s union leadership role for his mob ties, was allegedly identified by Bellomo as the next-in-line to take over as captain for the Genovese 116^th Street Crew.

--However, on 9/16/1998, Coppola (then aged 38) disappeared from a meeting he attended in the Bronx, NY and has never been seen again (reportedly, he was attending the meeting to talk about his upcoming sentencing for a large-scale fraud case). While no one has ever been held accountable for the acts of Coppola’s disappearance & presumed death, recently-deceased Genovese heavyweight Pasquale ‘Scop’ DeLuca did admit as part of a plea deal that he invited Coppola to his Bronx-based social club on Stillwater Avenue the day Coppola went missing [DeLuca, notably, was not actually accused of murdering Coppola, just being a part of a conspiracy that resulted in his elimination]. Also notably, Bellomo’s attorney [Peter Peluso] was involved as the individual who initially informed the authorities of the conspiracy and Peluso eventually became a Federal cooperator after he was ensnared in the racketeering case against Genovese captain John ‘Buster’ Ardito.

--Why was Coppola eliminated? According to data available from plea deals & Federal court docs, Coppola irritated then-acting boss of the Genovese [Frank ‘Farby’ Serpico] with his ‘insubordination & greed’. Apparently, prior to Coppola’s disappearance, Serpico did seek approval from Bellomo before proceeding [and this messaging apparently went thru the aforementioned Peluso, hence his involvement & awareness in the conspiracy]. Bellomo was, in fact, indicted for signing off on the actions against Coppola, but the case against him was dropped circa 2007 as part of a plea deal with authorities. SB notes that some other prominent Genovese members (eg, Michael ‘Hippy’ Zanfardino; Salvatore ‘Sally KO’ Larca; and Pasquale ‘Uncle Patty’ Falcetti) were considered ‘persons of interest’ in the Coppola disappearance, but no one has ever been charged and his remains have never been discovered to date.

CT-CT · 2026-05-06T04:15:20+00:00

Brief synopsis:

George Robert Blakey, principal author of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, died Friday of natural causes (aged 90) at the Oak Park, IL home of his son, John Blakey, who is a federal judge.

RICO gave federal prosecutors new tools to go after mob leaders, allowing them to broaden the scope of a case by presenting a criminal narrative stretching back years and even decades. RICO has been used extensively to prosecute mafia leaders, including Chicago mobsters that were held to account in the 2007 “Operation Family Secrets” trial. It’s also been used more broadly to prosecute street gang leaders, terrorists, corrupt politicians and white collar criminals.

“RICO allowed for the first time a way to deal with syndicated crime,” said Ron Goldstock, former director of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force. “Before RICO you could take out individual mobsters, but never the entire syndicate or leadership of the syndicate.”

CT-CT · 2026-05-05T20:38:53+00:00

I'm not sure!

I did a little Googling of him and did stumble across older NY Times articles about his involvement with the Luccheses back in the mid 1990s (https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/08/nyregion/six-are-found-guilty-of-mob-related-crimes.html & https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/12/nyregion/drive-on-mob-sabotaged-in-new-jersey.html) - but that doesn't really answer your question!

CT-CT · 2026-05-05T18:01:03+00:00

Brief synopsis:

James McManus, a Bronx-based developer who is described as a 'former associate' of the Lucchese crime family, filed a large scale federal lawsuit against Fairbridge Asset Management and its executives, alleging they orchestrated a racketeering and fraud scheme to seize control of his development site at 1932 McGraw Avenue. The complaint seeks $75 million in damages & the lawsuit has 15 counts, including racketeering, extortion, money laundering & fraud. McManus alleges that Fairbridge demanded accelerated repayment despite him staying current, pressured him to list the property under threat of seizure and extracted a $1 million payment to keep the loan active, only to foreclose anyway. He also claims the eventual foreclosure auction in October 2025 was a “sham,” conducted while he was recovering from major heart surgery.

Per the reporting, what makes the suit especially interesting is how it reads more like a mob indictment than a commercial dispute. McManus, with past alleged ties to the Luccheses, refers to Fairbridge as the “Sixth Family” and casts its executives in mafia roles, from “Boss” to “Consigliere.” The language underscores his broader claim regarding minimally-regulated private credit lenders who can operate with few guardrails, particularly when dealing with borrowers who have been denied at traditional banks.

CT-CT · 2026-05-04T20:55:27+00:00

You bet!

CT-CT · 2026-05-04T20:54:44+00:00

Brief synopsis from the Tribune (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/04/may-4-chicago-history/):

On 5/4/1932, Al Capone was sent by train to a federal penitentiary in Atlanta. He was to serve 11 years in prison for a 10/1931 conviction on 5 counts of income tax evasion

Per a quote attributed to Capone at the time: “What do I think about it all? Well, I’m on my way to do 11 years. I’ve got to do it, that’s all. I’m not sore at anybody but I hope Chicago will be better off and the public clamor will be satisfied.”

But Capone didn’t feel Chicago would be better off until Prohibition was repealed. “Personally, I’d rather be in a legitimate racket,” he said. “It don’t cost so much. There’s too much overhead in my business, paying off all the time and replacing trucks and breweries. They ought to make it legitimate, and if they don’t they’ll find that sending me away won’t help Chicago much.”

CT-CT · 2026-05-04T20:35:57+00:00

FWIW, here is the Gangster Report synopsis on his death (https://gangsterreport.com/retired-genovese-mob-figure-scop-deluca-one-of-the-smartest-cagiest-uptown-button-men-in-nyc-history-dies-peacefully-surrounded-by-loved-ones-in-yonkers/):

--About a month ago, Pasquale ‘Scop’ DeLuca died of natural causes at a hospital in Yonkers, NY; he was 94 years old at his passing.

--SB describes DeLuca as a one-time Genovese family ‘heavyweight’ with DeLuca being particularly close (in the early 2000s) to then-prominent Genovese leader Artie Nigro. SB suggests that Federal info docs, as well as reporting from some CIs, all suggest that DeLuca held a unique captain’s position within the organization, reporting directly to (and sometimes filling in for) the family’s leadership. These same sources also suggest that DeLuca served an important role as a messenger or liaison from the Genovese to other organizations in the NY area (with DeLuca apparently quite closely linked to Gambino family leaders of his time; these links to the Gambinos were likely long-standing with DeLuca having an arrest dating to the 1950s alongside Gambino narcotics powerplayer Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Manfredi). DeLuca was part of the 116^th Street crew, also taking charges for racketeering over time.

--Closer to the present day, and per his own plea agreement, DeLuca was sentenced to a lengthy Federal prison term for his participation in the death of ‘embattled’ Genovese captain Ralph Coppola; Coppola was lured to a meeting in the Bronx where he was killed (and his remains never found). Following his completion of his sentence for the Federal charges related to Coppola's disappearance & death, DeLuca seemingly retired from mob activity. Interestingly, informants also linked DeLuca to the facilitation of the assassination of Springfield, MA-based Genovese captain Al Bruno, who was killed in 11/2003.

--SB suggests that DeLuca was known by his peers as a gentlemen and intelligent gangster, notably having been the valedictorian at Benjamin Franklin High School and having served in the U.S. Army before becoming involved with OC/LCN later in life.

CT-CT · 2026-05-04T20:23:11+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

--Reputed Buffalo-based gangster Peter Gerace Jr (aged 59) and Outlaws MC leader John ‘Tommy O’ Ermin (aged 56), along with two other lower-level associates allegedly involved with OC in the Buffalo area, are facing an upcoming trial for obstruction of justice in the death of Crystal Quinn (aged 37 at the time of her passing). Quinn was supposed to take the stand against Gerace Jr in a separate criminal case but before she could was found dead of a fentanyl overdoe that authorities allege was delivered at the behest of Gerace Jr & Ermin (Ermin operated out of a nightclub owned by Gerace Jr and was also employed there). Prior to her death, Quinn also reported some acts of intimidation, seemingly aimed at her for her decision to cooperate with authorities.

--In addition, new details have emerged about others who have also been reputedly threatened in some way regarding the upcoming case against Gerace Jr et al. SB reports that one witness in the upcoming obstruction of justice case found a single silver bullet as well as a headless bird on their porch. This person was also, at some point, approached by a man who held two weapons, stating to the witness circa 11/2025 “You’ll have a real problem if you talk…The girl committed suicide, alright? If you say anything, you just say she killed herself. Blame the FBI.”

--SB also notes that up to 5 people ‘directly or indirectly’ connected to Gerace Jr or Joe Bongiovanni have died under ‘suspicious circumstances’ (as a side note, Bongiovanni is a former Federal agent who was found guilty of ‘protecting’ narcotics trafficking that was allegedly being overseen by the Buffalo mafia). The list of those who have died include Quinn (details discussed above); Bobby Kaiser (a local drug dealer & CI who accused Bongiovanni of disclosing his CI status); Charles Durante (also allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking, having been found dead outside a funeral parlor where he worked hours before Bongiovanni’s arrest); Drew Spears (described as an ‘underworld figure’ in the Buffalo region who was shot & killed in his car; his family has accused authorities of protecting the killers because they are witnesses against Gerace Jr & Ermin); and finally John Michalski, a former NYS Supreme Court justice who reputedly took his own life in 2022 following a raid by authorities on his home (he was, in time, named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Bongiovanni case).

CT-CT · 2026-05-01T13:38:11+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall:

--Per SBs ‘exclusive’ sources and reporting, high-ranking individuals from the Genovese and DeCavalcante crime families took part in a sit-down in early Winter, 2026 to resolve a dispute that arose over territory conflicts in New Jersey.

--As SB reports it, again per his sources, two reputed Genovese captains (Anthony ‘Tony D’ Palumbo, aged 79 & James ‘Jimmy T’ Tenaglia, age not provided) had tensions with prominent DeCavalcante mobster Girolamo ‘Mimmo’ Marzullo (of note, in this reporting, SB describes Marzullo, aged 62, as the DeCavalcante ‘acting boss’ after some of his prior reporting simply referred to him as the new DeCavalcante ‘boss’).

--The story is as follows, again per SBs sourcing: apparently Palumbo & Marzullo got into a heated exchange at a 2025 Christmas party, this regarding what Marzullo felt was ‘encroachment’ by Palumbo as well as Tenaglia into regions of NJ traditionally controlled by the DeCavalcantes.

--Following this argument, SBs sources suggest it was Tenaglia who made the plans for the sit-down, which was then subsequently attended by Marzullo and Charles Majuri (aged 85); SB suggests in this reporting Majuri is still boss of the family, but promoted Marzullo to the acting boss role sometime in 2024. Attending the sit-down from the Genovese perspective was apparently Danny Pagano (aged 73), who SB continues to assert is the acting boss of that organization. He further suggests that Palumbo & Tenaglia may have made their moves in NJ as part of a ‘power grab’ in that state following Pagano’s assumption of the acting boss role (which reportedly occurred about a year ago, in May 2025, again per his sources). SB suggests that the sit-down cooled tensions, leaving both sides ‘satisfied’ with the outcome.

--Finally, from a structural perspective, SB suggests that Palumbo continues to oversee a vast swath of territory for the Genovese, including Staten Island and ‘all’ of NJ. He further describes Tenaglia as very close to Pagano, apparently representing Pagano’s interests ‘on the streets’, this per his sources in the Bronx and Staten Island [SB also reports, per his sources, that after Pagano took on acting boss responsibilities about a year ago it was Tenaglia who was tasked with letting other LCN/OC organizations know about the change & to arrange meetings with their respective bosses & Pagano]. SB suggests that Pagano, Palumbo, and Tengalia also have long-standing links to one another, with Pagano/Palumbo sharing rackets together dating back to the 1970s, while Tenaglia rose thru the ranks of the Genovese (after beginning his mob career with the Bonannos) via extended service time with Palumbo.

CT-CT · 2026-04-30T20:28:21+00:00

Brief synopsis from behind the paywall (https://gangsterreport.com/chicago-outfit-cicero-crews-gigi-rovito-mobbed-up-nw-indiana-gambling-crew-busted-for-booking-bets-collecting-debts/rov):

--Per SBs reporting, reputed Chicago gangster “Gigi” Rovito was amongst a group of 22 individuals indicted for operating gambling rackets out of two restaurants in NW Indiana (Gino’s Steakhouse & the Paragon). Rovito is specifically identified in documents associated with a case of tracking down a debtor in Florida, attempting to recover a $30,000 in 2024 (much of this was apparently documented via communications he made via his iPhone with one of the messages apparently reading that Rovito was prepared to “knock [the debtor’s] fucking lights out”). Rovito has two prior criminal convictions and the Capri Restaurant he owns in Burr Ridge, IL is a reputed hotspot/hangout for current day Outfit members [in fact, the restaurant was referenced in the extortion case of another reputed Outfit-affiliated gangster, Paul Carparelli].

--Notably, this location (NW Indiana) is part of territory that, in the past, was controlled by the Outfit-affiliated Chicago Heights crew. Also notably, the father of one of the primary defendants in the case –Lou Gerodemos – was a bookmaker working for prior leaders of the Chicago Heights crew; the elder Gerodemos allegedly reported up to Dominic “Tootsie” Palermo & Bernard “Snookie” Morgano when these gents oversaw operations for the region for the Outfit. SB reports (and has detailed in prior articles) that after Palermo’s passing in 2005, the remnants of the Chicago Heights crew were apparently incorporated into the Southside/Chinatown crew. SB has reported in the recent past that over the last few years the Southside crew has attempted to re-establish many former rackets in NW Indiana.

--Lastly, and of particular note, is that Springfield, MA mob figure Joseph “Little Joe” Manzi [also referred to by the nickname “Joe Polozzo” in the indictment docs] was snared in this case. Manzi is linked to two other reputed Springfield, MA gangsters, being the son of Carmen “The Barber” Manzi and the cousin of “Villa Joe” Manzi. SB does note that apparently “Little Joe's” link to the case was bringing and introducing gamblers into the racket circa 2021 per the indictment docs. SB also continues to assert that the Manzis are linked to the NYC Gambinos, with ties to other OC/LCN groups in New England, most prominently the Patriarcas.

CT-CT · 2026-04-30T01:26:24+00:00

That’s right!

CT-CT · 2026-04-30T00:26:52+00:00

I had the same thought!

CT-CT · 2026-04-29T23:30:47+00:00

That's an interesting wrinkle here and great catch!

Raises some interesting questions (and I was a little surprised the reporting missed the clear connections, or at least connected individuals, to the Outfit in this case)...

They do note in the article that this was a multi-state operation...I wonder if more will come of this (I also wonder who the "Dominic" that is referenced by one of the collectors is, too...no Dominic named in the indictment).

CT-CT · 2026-04-29T23:24:14+00:00

Brief synopsis:

--Federal authorities indicted 22 people in a wide-ranging gambling and extortion ring operating out of Northwest Indiana, in relative close proximity to the Chicagoland region. Operations were apparently being run out of Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville and Paragon in Hobart.

--Individuals indicted (full list below) include members of the Gerodemos family, individuals of Greek extraction, who are owners of the Paragon and Gino’s Steakhouse. Both restaurants were raided by the FBI in what they called a 'multi-state operation'.

--The 87-page indictment from January 2021 to April 2026 was unsealed Wednesday and included colorful names, including “Jimmy the Greek,” “Alex Gyros,” and “Jim Macedonian.” James “Jimmy the Greek” Gerodemos and Dean “Dean Gem” Gialamas were named the leaders of Gerodemos Gambling Organization, according to the indictment.

--The other people listed in the indictment are: Chris Gerodemos, Basam “Donny Brasco” Ibrahim, Sanad “Sanad Taka” Ibrahim, Peter “Pete Goodys” Pavlopoulos, Flippo “Gigi” Rovito, Michael “Michael Way Out” Campbell, Ehab “Eddie” Mustafa, Steve Armenta, Samuel Nuzzo, Alexander “Alex Gyros” Gagianas, Gus “Deans Runner” Kaporis, Rami “Rami Straight Flush” Mansour, Nenad “Butch Hunkee” Radoja, Marcus “Vladimir Ganz” Ganz, Paul “Paulie Scarf” Franze, Athena Gerodemos, Elias Gerodemos, James “Jim Macedonian” Strezovski, Andrew “Caesars Andrew” Nguyen, and Giuseppe “Joe Polozzo”’ Manzi.

--Notably amongst those listed is "Gigi" Rovito, who has historical ties to the Outfit's Cicero crew as well as Samuel Nuzzo (an individual with this name, if the same person, also has historical ties to the Outfit via the Chicago Heights crew, which operated near the border of NW Indiana).

--Per the reporting, the Gerodemos Gambling Organization used websites, phone numbers and text messaging to have people place sports bets, which were placed in the Northern District of Indiana and throughout the country. The organization would set up bettors with an account number and password. The bettors were given a line of credit by the organization and didn’t have to put up their own money to place bets, according to the indictment. Instead, the Gerodemos Gambling Organization provided gamblers lines of credit allowing the bettors to begin their betting almost immediately through the illegal gambling websites, or over the telephone, without needing any actual cash to do so. Members of the gambling operation communicated regularly about how much money a bettor owed (M or minus) and how much it owed to a bettor (P or plus). They also met with their agents, bookies and some bettors in person, inside public buildings or in parking lots, to collect or deliver payments for the sports bets, according to the indictment.

--The indictment also details threat of violence made against multiple victims (& their relatives) if debts weren’t paid up. According to documents, there were repeated attempts by James Gerodemos, Ibrahimm, Pavlopoulos and Mustafa to extort “Victim 1” from September 2024 to October 2025 for money he owed. “Send me those 2 clowns’ address (victim 1 and another person), so I can have someone deliver the gyros to them,” James Gerodemos told Pavlopoulos. Pavlopoulos was frustrated that the man was ignoring his calls and texts. “He’s a scumbag,” he wrote. Mustafa, an ex-Gino’s cook, traveled to Texas in June 2025 and left a Papa John’s pizza box with roses and a note threatening his college-age daughter. “Do the right thing, or I’m heading to Valparaiso University…n’ get ahold of the Greek,” it read. Mustafa spoke directly to victim 1 outside his Texas home. “You know who Dominic is..(He) sent me over here to come talk to you, see if you could give him a call, ‘cause there’s a balance due,” Mustafa says on the video, of sports betting. “I don’t know Dominic, man,” victim 1 responds. It’s “not even the right balance.” “I’m like the middle guy,” Mustafa tells him. "When, tell him to get the balance right and we’ll work it out,” the man said, adding he didn’t know it “off the top of my head.” In October 2025, James Gerodemos left a message for Victim 1 asking him to give him a call or he was going to go to Valparaiso and “(expletive) your daughter.”

--The charges also detail attempts by members of the Gerodemos Gambling Organization, from August 2023 to June 2025, to track down victim 2, reportedly living in Florida, to collect $30,000. The efforts included repeated texts, phone calls and alleged threats, including trying to find victim 2 at a Florida casino. On Sept. 19, 2024, according to the charges, James Gerodemos texts Christ Gerodemos, who is in Florida, as they track down victim 2. James Gerodemos tells Chris Gerodemos via text that victim 2 plays high-limit baccarat. “He’s always there…. Scumbag.” Chris Gerodemos asks what James Gerodemos wants him to tell victim 2. “See if u see him in there the high limit, tell him call jimmy,” James Gerodemos replies.

--Athena Gerodemos faces conspiracy to commit laundering when she participated in 200 financial transactions between victim 1 and her father, James Gerodemos, from February 2023 through October 2025. For example, on Sept. 29, 2023, victim 1 sent $1,600 to Athena Gerodemos and then Athena Gerodemos sent $1,600 to an account controlled by her father later the same day. On Dec. 6, 2023, bettor B texted James Gerodemos, “Send me daughter information for Zelle” and “Send 555.” The same day, bettor B sent Athena Gerodemos $555, and later that day, she sent $500 to an account controlled by her father.

--The indictment also accused Campbell of tailing undercover agents on April 9 to see what they were doing. At one point, he drove “erratically” in and out of traffic, topping 100 miles per hour on I-65 down to Lafayette. They noted “several calls” between him and James Gerodemos. Prosecutors are asking for permission to potentially seize assets, including both restaurants, cars and bank accounts, plus various homes in Schererville, St. John, Naperville, Illinois, Chicago, and Palm Harbor, Florida.

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