45 arrested in illegal Bergen County gambling ring

Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 1:48 PM Updated: Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 7:38 PM
By Rudy Larini

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli announces at a news conference in Hackensack, today, the arrests of more than 40 people for their alleged involvement in an organized crime betting ring.

A gambling ring that took in $1 million a month in bets was cracked today with the arrest of 45 individuals, including four reputed associates of the Genovese crime family as well as a high school athletic director and a teacher from another school district.

Authorities also seized more than $5 million, about five pounds of marijuana and five vehicles during raids that began at 5 a.m. in Bergen, Hudson, Monmouth and Ocean counties.
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The other ringleaders were identified as Mark Iafelice, 49, of Edgewater; Brian DiGuilmi, 48, of Emerson, and Bernard Duffy, 63, of Hasbrouck Heights. All are charged with racketeering, conspiracy and promoting gambling, which carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.

Molinelli described the Skinners, Iafelice and DiGuilmi as “associates” of the Genovese crime family.

Others arrested included a North Bergen High School athletic director, Jerry Maietta, 37, of North Bergen; a North Bergen school aide, Ralph Marino, 52, of Cliffside Park, and John Prato, 36, of Brick, a teacher at Freehold Regional High School.

North Bergen spokesman Paul Swibinski, remarked, “Certainly everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”

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