(NewsNation) — Federal prosecutors say the remnants of four Mafia families were behind an illegal, crooked poker ring that used NBA figures to lure suckers to the table.
The remarkable claims from an indictment unveiled Thursday allege that operators used card-counting technology to bilk millions from players who allegedly were softened up by celebrity accomplices including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA guard Damon Jones. Losers who couldn’t pay were threatened by mob enforcers, authorities say.
Accusations of mob-backed grift are no surprise to former USC football player Owen Hanson, a onetime drug and gambling kingpin who was associated with a Mexican cartel before the feds busted his operation.
“When there’s money involved, the organized crime’s involved,” the former federal prisoner told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “When it’s a professional athlete, it makes it a lot easier because they’re able to bring in these big ‘whales.’ … The athletes are these stars, and everyone wants to be around them.”
Also not surprising, Hanson said, is the idea that athletes, even highly paid ones, could get mixed up in gambling schemes.
“You’re chasing that rush,” he explained. “I remember I started booking bets at 22 years old, and it just wasn’t enough. The next thing you know, I’m booking bets for the cartel and laundering money for them.”
During his career as a bookie, Hanson said, athletes commonly placed bets with him.
“I had a professional athlete in every sport gambling with me,” he said. “I’ve taken these guys golfing, and I’ve had dinner with them. … It’s that competitiveness, wanting to win.”
Ex-Gambino family member: Blame greed
Former Gambino family member Robert Borelli, who today is a minister and inspirational speaker, said illegal gambling managed by the Mafia goes back at least a century in the U.S.
“Before they did the lottery, before they did OTB betting, people came to us to gamble when they couldn’t go to the racetracks,” he told “On Balance.”
Asked how well-paid sports figures would risk their legitimate livelihoods to get involved in a mob-backed gambling ring, Borelli said greed is to blame.
“The love of money is the root of all evils. No matter how much you make, a little bit more and a little bit more never hurts,” he said.
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