On October 23, 2025, the Department of Justice announced indictments against over 30 people across 11 states, including current and former NBA players and mafia members, in a massive gambling case according to The New York Times.
4 of the 5 notorious New York mafia groups are involved: such as the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families.
Three major scandals are prominent in this case: rigging of sports games, insider trading of sports information, and rigging of poker tables.
Miami Heat Player Terry Rozier (“Scary Terry”) was initially flagged for potential gambling irregularities in 2023.
Many unusual circumstances tied to odd wagers involving Rozier’s performance were detected.
On March 23rd, 2023, Rozier left a game early after faking an injury.
Rozier’s childhood friend Deniro Laster sold this information pre-game, leading to a massive amount of profit for the two, with Rozier making thousands of dollars off bets he placed.
Additionally, multiple highlight reels have recently been released on the internet of Rozier blatantly sabotaging plays multiple times in a series of different games.
Rozier was released on bail from Orlando courts just hours after being taken into custody.
According to Newsweek, Former Toronto Raptors Player Jontay Porter, who was banned from the NBA in the spring of 2024, admitted to manipulating his performance in multiple games as well.
Recent information from his more well-known brother, Michael Porter Jr., revealed that Jontay’s crimes were committed due to mafia threats.
Former NBA Player Damon Jones allegedly sold insider data, including medical updates, before games involving the Lakers.
In one of these games, an unidentified player with the characteristics of Lebron James had information released on an undisclosed injury, sold to the public on how he might sit out.
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” Jones allegedly texted.
The Lakers ended up losing the game, aligning with insider predictions.
Portland Trail Blazers Coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups was also involved in selling insider information.
Most notably, Billups and Jones “were used by the Mafia as ‘face cards’ to attract wealthy people to play in their rigged poker games, they received compensation,” said ESPN.
These games were set up by the four crime families, “who would take cuts of the profits and use force to go after debtors,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr..
During these poker games, there would be multiple people in on the scheme alongside unsuspecting wealthy people.
X-ray tables and/or hidden cameras were used to count cards.
Cards were also marked, and certain people would wear lenses enabling them to see the cards that were marked.
Gambino mobster Angelo Ruggiero Jr., son of legendary mobster Angelo “Quack Quack” Ruggiero Sr., has been put at the forefront of this case.
His lawyer applied for a bail of $5 million, but bail was denied for the fear that Ruggiero, as he had in the past, would tamper with witnesses.
Judge Joseph Marutollo of the case claims that, similar to Ruggiero’s father, when Ruggiero had been incarcerated before, he had made multiple threatening comments about killing “rats/snitches.”
A lot more information on this ongoing case is yet to come out, but as time goes on, the deep seeded scandal will come to the surface.