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Alleged mob ties in NBA scandal recall La Cosa Nostra’s long shadow over sports

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Alleged mob ties in NBA scandal recall La Cosa Nostra’s long shadow over sports


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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrest of 34 individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones, as part of a widespread investigation into an illegal gambling scheme.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed at a news conference in New York on Thursday that the investigation was tied to a probe involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families focused on an illegal gambling operation and sports-rigging operations that “spanned the course of years.”

“Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families.”

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“It takes courageous prosecutors to stand before you and say, we will not allow this kind of illicit activity to happen, not only at the national sporting level, but also where it hides in La Cosa Nostra,” Patel added. “And when these two collided together, they perpetrated a fraud that is historic in terms of not just money, but the scheme and the deceit that they utilize to steal and swindle people from money to include crypto fraud.”

NBA coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in illegal gambling. Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and member of the NBA Hall of Fame, was arrested in connection with rigged illegal poker games tied to the Mafia, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Rozier and a former NBA player, Damon Jones, were arrested in a sports betting case, Patel said at a press conference in New York.  (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella clarified that two indictments were announced Thursday, both involving fraud. The first focused on sports betting, and the second involved illegal gambling connected to “rigged poker games.”

“These defendants, which include former professional athletes, used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed,” Nocella said. “The games in the New York area were backed by the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families of La Cosa Nostra.”

The games were alleged to have taken place in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. Nocella alleged that Billups and Jones were used as “face cards” to draw in targeted victims, known as “fish,” looking to play alongside former professional athletes.

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“What the victims, the fish, didn’t know is that everybody else at the poker game, from the dealer to the players, including the face cards, were in on the scam.”

Nocella said the crime families became involved as a result of having “preexisting control over non-rigged illegal poker games” in New York. Of the 34 defendants, 13 are alleged members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families, including high-ranking “capos and soldiers from these families.”

La Cosa Nostra

According to the FBI, the La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime families evolved from the Sicilian Mafia and are a New York-based network consisting of five “families”: Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese. Its prevalence in the United States dates back to the 1920s.

Other cities with active LCN ties include Philadelphia, Detroit, and Chicago, and the New England area.

Among the alleged crimes these organizations are said to be involved in, several notable cases have involved major sports scandals. In the United States, there is a long history of sports betting and match-fixing crimes that have been tied to organized crime, both directly and indirectly. 

Boxing 1950s-1960s

Boxing manager Frank Carbo

American gangster and boxing manager Frank Carbo leaving the Beach Street police station in New York after receiving a 10-point indictment over irregularities in his professional boxing affairs on Aug. 7, 1959.    (Neal Boenzi/New York Times Co./Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Frank “Frankie” Carbo, a known Lucchese soldier, and his longtime partner Frank “Blinky” Palermo were convicted in 1961 of extortion and conspiracy after using threats and intimidation to control world welterweight champion Don Jordan. The case exposed the mob’s control over the sport at the time, highlighted by Carbo and Palermo’s influence over fighters and promotions. The convictions were later upheld, and the case exposed deep corruption that, decades later, helped spur reform movements culminating in the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.

HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI SPORTS BETTING PROBE

1951 college basketball point-shaving scandal

Al Roth and Ed Warner walked by detectives

Two city college basketball stars, Al Roth (foreground) and Ed Warner (with hat) are escorted by detectives into the Elizabeth Street Station House for booking on charges of bribery. Police said that the two Beaver stars, along with teammate Ed Roman and three other men, had confessed their parts in a new basketball fix scandal, involving the “throwing” of several city games this season.  (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York uncovered a widespread point-shaving scheme involving players from several major programs, including City College of New York (CCNY) and Long Island University (LIU), who accepted bribes connected to organized crime gambling syndicates in New York. The investigation resulted in more than 30 indictments and led to prison time for key figures and lifetime bans from the NBA for players involved. No specific crime family was ever formally charged in the case, but one of the main fixers, Salvatore T. Sollazzo, was reported to have known ties to New York’s underworld gambling network.

Boston College men’s basketball point-shaving scandal

Rick Kuhn Boston College

Rick Kuhn (#35) during Boston College men’s basketball’s 1978-1979 season.  (Joe Dennehy/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

One of the clearest examples of La Cosa Nostra’s reach in sports was the 1978-79 scandal involving Boston College and two associates of the Lucchese crime family. The two associates, Henry Hill and James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke, paid players thousands of dollars to manipulate game scores for betting profits during that season with the help of Pittsburgh bookmaker Paul Mazzei. The FBI’s investigation and federal prosecution led to multiple convictions, including Boston College player Rick Kuhn, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Burke was sentenced to 12 years, but Hill avoided direct prosecution for the scandal in exchange for his cooperation with authorities.

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Several other illegal sports betting and gambling operations linked to crime families in New York have been prosecuted over the years. This year, five members and associates of the Lucchese crime family pleaded guilty to running an illegal online betting operation that collected an estimated $1 million annually over several years of operation. In 2024, 17 individuals tied to the Gambino family were indicted for a sports gambling operation that handled over $22 million in illegal bets, the Office of the New York State Attorney General announced at the time.

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Transfer rumors, news: Man City, Man United in for Anderson

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Transfer rumors, news: Man City, Man United in for Anderson


Local rivals Manchester City and Manchester United are set for a battle to sign Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson this summer, while Liverpool‘s Curtis Jones is a target for Serie A leader Inter Milan. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades

TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester City and Manchester United are vying to sign Elliot Anderson this summer, the Daily Mirror reports. According to the outlet, the Nottingham Forest midfielder is a top target for both clubs after establishing himself as a key player in the England national team. Anderson, 23, is valued at around the £75 million mark, although a bidding war could see that rise. Should Forest be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season, it’s reported that the club will have “no choice” but to let Anderson leave.

– Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones could be back on Inter Milan’s radar, according to Corriere dello Sport. Both Inter and AC Milan clubs were linked with moves for the England international in January, although concrete offers didn’t materialise. Jones, 25, will enter the final year of his Liverpool contract in June, meaning he could be signed for a cut-price fee. The Italian club are also interested in taking Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni on loan, should he become available in the summer.

Barcelona remain optimistic that they can secure a permanent agreement for winger Marcus Rashford in the summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 28-year-old is on loan at from Manchester United, but a clause in the loan agreement means the Spanish club can sign him permanently for a fixed fee. While personal terms are “almost done” on the player’s side, United’s insistence that the full €30 million fee be paid could still complicate matters. Rashford has played 21 times in La Liga this season for the club, scoring four goals and grabbing seven assists.

Aston Villa are one of several Premier League sides keen on signing Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford, so says TEAMtalk. The 23-year-old has largely played second fiddle to Gianluigi Donnarumma this season, having made only 11 appearances in all competitions to date. Newcastle United are also keeping tabs on Trafford after attempting to sign him in January.

Tino Livramento could leave Newcastle United at the end of the season with Manchester City among his suitors, the Daily Telegraph has revealed. Livramento is currently unwilling to extend his contract at St James’ Park, with a view now emerging that he’d be willing to move if a “top club” comes in for him. The Telegraph suggests that even if Livramento signs a new contract at Newcastle, it will almost certainly include a release clause. The England international’s current deal is set to expire in July 2028.

EXPERT TAKE

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Marcotti: The time taken for verdict of Man City’s 115 charges is absurd

Gab Marcotti explains why there has still been no verdict for Manchester City’s 115 financial charges.

OTHER RUMORS

– Juventus will need to qualify for next season’s Champions League competition if they wish to pursue a deal for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. The Italian club are “keen admirers” of Alisson, but they currently face an uphill battle to be able to finance a move for him. (Football Insider)

– Norwich City defender Kellen Fisher is “firmly on the radar” of several Premier League clubs, including Everton. Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United have also watched him in recent weeks. (TEAMtalk)

– Chelsea are not entertaining the idea of letting Cole Palmer leave the club in the summer in order to generate transfer revenue. (Standard)

– Bayern Munich are big admirers of Tottenham youngster Luka Vuskovic, who is on loan at Hamburg this season. (Christian Falk)

– Arsenal have been handed a boost in the race to sign Julián Alvarez, as Barcelona chief Deco has confirmed he has not held talks with the Argentine over a summer move. (Daily Mirror)

– Arsenal scouts have been to watch Cagliari right-back Marco Palestra in recent matches. (Nicolo Schira)

Emil Krafth is ready to leave Newcastle United this summer as a free agent. (Nicolo Schira)

– Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush is keen on a move to Barcelona in the future. (Ekrem Konur)

Jesse Lingard‘s move to Corinthians is in the “final stages”, with all paperwork now completed. (Ekrem Konur)



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Ex-pitcher Serafini sentenced to life in prison for 2021 murder

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Ex-pitcher Serafini sentenced to life in prison for 2021 murder


AUBURN, Calif. — Former MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2021 shooting of his wife’s parents during a burglary at their home by Lake Tahoe, authorities said.

Serafini, 51, was convicted in July 2025 of first-degree murder of his father-in-law, Gary Spohr; attempted murder of his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood; and first-degree burglary. Spohr was killed, and Wood survived, though she died a year after the shooting.

Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said in a statement Friday that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and that Serafini’s crimes greatly impacted family members and friends.

“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.

Serafini’s attorney did not return requests for comment.

During his sentencing hearing, Serafini addressed the court and maintained his innocence, according to MyNews4. He said he was out partying with his wife the night of the shooting and described himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes.”

Serafini was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1992. In a career spanning 11 years, the left-hander played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.

Prosecutors said Serafini hated his wife’s wealthy parents and was heard saying he was willing to pay $20,000 to have them killed, according to the Sacramento Bee. Prosecutors showed jurors transcripts of angry emails and text messages between Serafini and his in-laws.

During the six-week trial, Serafini’s attorney, David Dratman, argued that there was no physical evidence linking his client to the crime scene. Dratman told the jury that although Serafini had a rocky relationship with his in-laws, he did not have a motive to kill them.

After his conviction, Serafini filed multiple motions for a new trial, but those were denied.

Serafini will serve his sentence at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, according to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.



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Michigan tops Illinois for 1st outright Big Ten regular-season title since ’14

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Michigan tops Illinois for 1st outright Big Ten regular-season title since ’14


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Morez Johnson Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team as No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 10 Illinois 84-70 on Friday night and clinched the Big Ten regular-season title.

Johnson, who played for the Illini last season after verbally committing three years earlier, was booed throughout the game by Illinois fans.

Aday Mara had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting, and Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines (27-2, 17-1), who are 10-0 on the road and have won 23 games by 10 or more points.

The Wolverines won their first outright conference regular-season title since 2014, when they also clinched with a win at Illinois.

Michigan’s 17 conference victories are the most in school history.

Keaton Wagler scored 23 points for the Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5), who have lost four of six, including three in overtime. Wagler scored in double figures for the 21st straight game.

Kylan Boswell scored 15 points, and David Mirkovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Illini, who entered the game as the Big Ten’s top 3-point shooting team. Illinois was just 9-of-29 from distance against Michigan.

Michigan led 38-31 at halftime behind Johnson’s 13 points.

Down 16-11 after a four-point play by Wagler, the Wolverines responded with an 11-point run capped by a 3 by Johnson and never trailed again. They led by as many as 21 points in the second half.

Michigan’s win snapped a nine-game losing streak against Illinois that began in 2019. The Wolverines had dropped four in a row to the Illini at the State Farm Center.



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