Lucchese Crime Family Captain Sentenced 21 Months for $35 Million Illegal Gambling

Anthony Villani, a captain in the Lucchese crime family, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for operating 'Rhino Sports,' a large-scale illegal online gambling operation that generated at least $35 million in profits over nearly two decades. Villani, who pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering, and illegal gambling charges, personally earned about $15 million from the scheme which operated via offshore servers in Costa Rica and employed local bookmakers to manage thousands of bettors weekly in the New York City area. The criminal enterprise also involved extortion, as Villani threatened a bookmaker who stole $300,000 from the operation to recover the funds. Four of Villani's associates, including Louis Tucci Jr. and Dennis Filizzola, pleaded guilty and are expected to forfeit approximately $1 million collectively. Despite prosecutors seeking a harsher sentence due to Villani's extortion attempts, his lawyer described him as reformed and a caregiver to elderly family members. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella emphasized that the sentence holds Villani accountable for his crimes committed on behalf of the Lucchese family underlining law enforcement's commitment to combating Mafia-related illegal activities.