12-21-04 -- Perna, Joseph et al. -- Guilty Pleas -- News Release

North Jersey Brothers, Associate Plead Guilty to Running Gambling Business

NEWARK - Three North Jersey men, including two brothers, pleaded guilty today to running an illegal gambling business, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Joseph Perna, 34, of Franklin Lakes, and formerly of West Caldwell, John Perna, 27, of East Hanover, and John Mangrella, 61, of Newark pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to conducting an illegal gambling operation, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald D. Wigler.

All three defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine equal to the greatest of the following: $250,000; twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain derived by the defendants from the offense; or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense.

Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Judge Hayden will determine the actual sentence based upon a formula that takes into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, and the defendant's criminal history. Judge Hayden set sentencing for the Pernas on March 28 and for Mangrella on April 4.

At the plea hearing, the Perna brothers and Mangrella admitted conducting an illegal gambling operation that existed between October 1999 and June 2000. Joseph Perna stated that one of his bettors lost approximately $67,000 in February of 2000. John Perna acknowledged that on Jan. 21, 2000, when the FBI executed search warrants at the East Hanover residence where he and his father, Ralph Perna, were residing, the FBI recovered from his bedroom a safe or lockbox which contained gambling records and more than $23,000 in proceeds from the gambling operation. John Mangrella also stated that on Jan. 21, 2000 the FBI searched his apartment at 345 N. 7th Street in Newark and recovered more than $6,000.

All three defendants acknowledged in court that their gambling operation employed numerous telephone "sitters" who would take the bets from the betters who called in on the telephone numbers the betters were provided. They also told Judge Hayden that their gambling operation had numerous agents who were responsible for their own group or package of betters and that these agents would receive a percentage of their gamblers' losses.

Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Joseph Billy, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Newark Office, with developing the case against the Pernas and Mangrella.

The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wigler of the U.S. Attorney's Organized Crime Strike Force Unit in Newark.

Defense attorneys:

Anthony J. Pope, Esq. Newark for Joseph Perna

John C. Whipple, Esq. Morristown for John Perna

Daniel J. Welsh, Esq. Jersey City for John Mangrella