DANIEL BIANCULO IS THE INFAMOUS SCUMBAG 'DANNY B' WHO WAS ON THAT HBO SHOW ABOUT SCAMDICAPPERS WITH LOU DIAMOND, AND HE ALSO WORKED FOR LVSN
Twelve men arrested in connection with Lee betting ring
By PAUL PFEIFER, pmpfeifer@naplesnews.com
April 9, 2004
Two Estero residents were among a dozen Lee County men arrested Thursday on federal charges in connection with a betting ring involving three Fort Myers businesses.
Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy said the operation was a "scam involving gambling" and a "multimillion-dollar scheme." Molloy would not go into specifics of the case because an indictment has not been handed down.
Molloy said the investigation involved federal and local agencies, including the Lee County Sheriff's Office, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on the investigation Thursday.
Federal prosecutors filed criminal complaints Wednesday against Estero residents Joseph A. DiLorenzo, 43, and John J. Rodney Jr., 41. Their addresses were not available from prosecutors.
The charges — conspiracy to transmit wagering information by interstate and foreign wire and conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling enterprise — could bring a punishment of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.
Similar criminal complaints also were filed against: John Dominick Tartaglione, 32; Daniel Thomas Biancullo, 41; Anthony Lee Miller Jr., 37; Gerald Hendel, 42; Jai Pasquale, 28; Salvatore J. Salerno, 32; Nicholas J. Del Negro, 27; and Joseph Louis Pasquale, 27, all of Fort Myers; and Christopher Paraldi, 27, and Todd R. Meady, 27, of Cape Coral.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the investigation centers on three Fort Myers businesses: Player's Edge Inc., which authorities said operated in Fort Myers from 1993 to 2003; National Sports Consultants Inc., which authorities say was a successor to Player's Edge; and Nationwide Sports Inc., which authorities say was started by a former Player's Edge employee.
Player's Edge and National Sports Consultants operated out of the same office space at 15881 S. U.S. 41 in Fort Myers.
The businesses provided betting advice for gamblers and referred them to offshore betting parlors, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the businesses would receive kickbacks from the parlors.
Ron Blumberg, a Solana Beach, Calif., attorney with Blumberg, Lorber and Nelson, started a Web site four months ago, attempting to reach victims of National Sports Consultants. Blumberg said 18 people have come forward claiming losses ranging from a few hundred dollars to "in excess of six figures."
Blumberg said he has not filed a lawsuit on behalf of his clients, nor is a lawsuit pending, but his firm is collecting victims' names and information for a possible class-action civil suit against National Sports Consultants.
Blumberg said many of the victims he has spoken with claim they were offered "insider" or "special" information on sports games. Blumberg said promises were made guaranteeing results, but patrons lost money while betting on games and paying for the betting advice.
"They were taken for a ride on both ends," Blumberg said.
Copyright 2004, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved.
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Twelve men arrested in connection with Lee betting ring
By PAUL PFEIFER, pmpfeifer@naplesnews.com
April 9, 2004
Two Estero residents were among a dozen Lee County men arrested Thursday on federal charges in connection with a betting ring involving three Fort Myers businesses.
Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Molloy said the operation was a "scam involving gambling" and a "multimillion-dollar scheme." Molloy would not go into specifics of the case because an indictment has not been handed down.
Molloy said the investigation involved federal and local agencies, including the Lee County Sheriff's Office, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on the investigation Thursday.
Federal prosecutors filed criminal complaints Wednesday against Estero residents Joseph A. DiLorenzo, 43, and John J. Rodney Jr., 41. Their addresses were not available from prosecutors.
The charges — conspiracy to transmit wagering information by interstate and foreign wire and conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling enterprise — could bring a punishment of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.
Similar criminal complaints also were filed against: John Dominick Tartaglione, 32; Daniel Thomas Biancullo, 41; Anthony Lee Miller Jr., 37; Gerald Hendel, 42; Jai Pasquale, 28; Salvatore J. Salerno, 32; Nicholas J. Del Negro, 27; and Joseph Louis Pasquale, 27, all of Fort Myers; and Christopher Paraldi, 27, and Todd R. Meady, 27, of Cape Coral.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the investigation centers on three Fort Myers businesses: Player's Edge Inc., which authorities said operated in Fort Myers from 1993 to 2003; National Sports Consultants Inc., which authorities say was a successor to Player's Edge; and Nationwide Sports Inc., which authorities say was started by a former Player's Edge employee.
Player's Edge and National Sports Consultants operated out of the same office space at 15881 S. U.S. 41 in Fort Myers.
The businesses provided betting advice for gamblers and referred them to offshore betting parlors, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the businesses would receive kickbacks from the parlors.
Ron Blumberg, a Solana Beach, Calif., attorney with Blumberg, Lorber and Nelson, started a Web site four months ago, attempting to reach victims of National Sports Consultants. Blumberg said 18 people have come forward claiming losses ranging from a few hundred dollars to "in excess of six figures."
Blumberg said he has not filed a lawsuit on behalf of his clients, nor is a lawsuit pending, but his firm is collecting victims' names and information for a possible class-action civil suit against National Sports Consultants.
Blumberg said many of the victims he has spoken with claim they were offered "insider" or "special" information on sports games. Blumberg said promises were made guaranteeing results, but patrons lost money while betting on games and paying for the betting advice.
"They were taken for a ride on both ends," Blumberg said.
Copyright 2004, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved.
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