10-18-04 -- Egizi, Vincent et al. -- Guilty Pleas -- News Release

Two Plead Guilty to Illegal Gambling Operations, Following Six Others in Recent Weeks

TRENTON - Two North Jersey men pleaded guilty today - and six others have as well over the last two weeks - to conducting illegal gambling businesses, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

All of the defendants were involved in either of two gambling operations in 2003, including during the 2003 football season. One of the operations was a "wire room" operated in Philadelphia and New York between about April 2002 and November last year; the other an illegal sports betting operation concentrated last year in the Hudson and Bergen county area.

Pleading guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler was Vincent Egizi, 75, of North Bergen, and Joseph Lenardo, 44, of Bayonne. Pleading guilty recently were Richard Mortimer, 58, of Red Bank; Louis Dinallo, 67, of Hoboken; Michael Marchito, 49, of Endicott, N.Y.; Frank Bitetto, 50, of Hackensack; Charles Gannon, 54, of Parlin; and Scott Smith, 41, of Bayonne.

Each pleaded guilty to separate one-count Informations charging them with operating an illegal gambling business. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. All of the sentencings are scheduled for late January, and each of the defendants remains free on a $10,000 bond.

The Informations and pleas were the result of a larger investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office, which remains ongoing.

Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Joseph Billy, Jr., for their work in developing the cases.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Schwartz and Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney's Strike Force Unit in Newark.

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Defense Counsel:

Joseph Lenardo - Elise DiNardo, Esq.

Louie Danello - Anthony Carbone, Esq.

Richard Mortimer - John J. Bruno, Jr., Esq.

Frank Egizi - Samuel R. DeLuca, Esq.

Charles Gannon - Mark Musella, Esq.

Michael Marchito - Jeremiah Healy, Esq.

Scott Smith - Chris Patella, Esq.

Jason Seals, Thomas Sarlo, Esq.

Frank Bitetto - Jeffrey A. Bronster, Esq.