Genovese Crime Family Member Sentenced to 30 Months for Running Illegal Gambling Operation
Brooklyn, NY – A federal judge has sentenced Carmelo Polito, a 64-year-old longtime member of the Genovese crime family, to 30 months in prison for his role in operating an illegal gambling operation in Lynbrook. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano on Friday, following a guilty plea earlier this year.
Judge Vitaliano emphasized the serious implications of organized crime activities during the sentencing, remarking that such gambling operations were not victimless crimes but part of a larger “terrible scourge” affecting the community, particularly within the Italian American population. “When does it stop?” the judge asked Polito, who opted not to make a statement before sentencing.
Polito’s attorney, Gerald McMahon, expressed satisfaction with the sentence, noting that it was at the lower end of federal sentencing guidelines. “I love Judge Vitaliano,” McMahon stated after the hearing. “He’s a very fair guy. So I was very pleased it was the low end of the [federal sentencing] guidelines.”
Background of the Case
Carmelo Polito has a long history in organized crime, previously serving as an acting captain and soldier within the Genovese crime family. In April, he pleaded guilty to charges including racketeering connected to the illegal gambling enterprise and attempted extortion.
Federal authorities revealed that Polito was involved in an extensive illegal gambling operation concealed in a coffee shop called Gran Caffe in Lynbrook, which was reportedly in operation since at least 2012. Along with co-defendants Joseph Macario—known as “Joe Fish”—and Anthony “Little Anthony” Pipitone, Polito negotiated arrangements that benefited both the Genovese and Bonanno crime families.
In addition to the Lynbrook operation, the Genovese crime family also managed illegal gambling setups in West Babylon at the Centro Calcio Italiano Club and a Brooklyn business, Sal’s Shoe Repair. During the proceedings, prosecutors assert that Polito, alongside Macario, Joseph “Joe Box” Rutigliano, and Salvatore “Sal the Shoemaker” Rubino, was responsible for distributing the earnings from these operations to higher-ranking members of the crime family.
Extortion Allegations
Further compounding his legal troubles, Polito was accused of running an illegal sports gambling scheme via a website named PGWLines. Prosecutors revealed that he attempted to extort an individual who had lost thousands of dollars on the site, using threats of violence to collect debts. In a recorded phone call from September 2019, Polito instructed an accomplice to threaten bodily harm to an unpaid debtor, demonstrating the violent tactics employed by members of the organized crime network.
Polito is the first defendant to be sentenced in connection with this high-profile case, which involves several members and associates of the Bonanno family. Co-defendants Rutigliano, Rubino, and Mark Feuer are currently awaiting sentencing.
Conclusion
As part of the sentencing order, Judge Vitaliano instructed Polito to report to a federal correctional facility designated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons by February 24. Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, underscored the message sent by the sentence, stating, “Today’s sentence makes clear to the defendant that the outcome for participating in illegal gambling and making extortionate threats is the loss of something very valuable — your freedom.” He commended the collaborative investigative efforts involving the Nassau District Attorney’s office, the FBI, Nassau police, and the NYPD in dismantling the operations of the influential Genovese and Bonanno crime families.