Veteran organized crime reporter and true crime author George Anastasia is covering the federal organized crime trial in Philadelphia for www.bigtrial.net.
A South Philadelphia video poker machine vendor reluctantly offered jurors a look at the finances of the illegal gambling business Friday when he put a dollar figure on his 10-year run as a distributor.
Curt Arbitman, testifying in the racketeering trial of mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi and six co-defendants, said when he agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors he was forced to forfeit $600,000.
The money, he said, was an estimate of his take from a distribution network that he controlled from about 2000 until his arrest in September 2009.
His income, he told the jury, was based on a profit-sharing arrangement he had with the owners of the stops -- bars, restaurants and social clubs -- where his machines were placed. He said he worked a 75/25 split, meaning the stop owner got 75 percent of the take and he got 25 percent.
In effect, the buisness generated $2.4 million over that 10-year period.
You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:
http://www.bigtrial.net/2012/11/video-poker-machines-and-espresso-south.html
You can read George Anastasia's earlier posts at www.bigtrial.net.
No comments:
Post a Comment