Five men were indicted for running an illegal gambling operation.

Four Nassau County men and one Suffolk man allegedly ran an illegal gambling operation in Nassau County for eight months, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Anthony Frascone, Anthony Pellegrino, Philip Carucci, Joseph Pietaro, and Frank LoNigro were all arraigned before Judge Robert Schwartz for allegedly maintaining an illegal sportsbook that police said operated from September 2023 to April 2024.

“These five individuals allegedly operated a sophisticated online sports betting operation in Nassau County, profiting off of hundreds of bets during the 14 months of our investigation,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly while announcing the indictments. “One bettor alone owed more than $150,000 in debt to this alleged operation, showing the breadth of this illegal book.” 

Investigators pointed to Frascone as the alleged leader who kept records of and received a portion of the profits generated from the sportsbook and, according to the investigation, also shared a portion with other associates in the Bronx.

Frascone, 75, an East Meadow resident, faces charges that include seven counts of first-degree promoting gambling, first-degree criminal usury, 54 counts of second-degree promoting gambling, and fourth-degree conspiracy, Donnelly said.

Pellegrino allegedly established accounts for the runners through a website with unique usernames and passwords. The runners allegedly used these accounts to access and manage their bettors’ bets and keep track of their profits, a portion of which they retained and a portion of which they gave to Pellegrino.

Pellegrino, 59, a Merrick resident, faces seven counts of first-degree promoting gambling, 54 counts of second-degree promoting gambling, and fourth-degree conspiracy, the DA said.

During its operation, hundreds of bets were placed through the alleged illegal sportsbook, and runners accepted multiple bets for thousands of dollars during the investigation. According to the indictment, Pietaro–A former New York City Police Officer–along with Philip Carucci and Frank LoNigro allegedly operated as runners for the sportsbook, each having multiple bettors under them. 

Pietaro, Carucci, and LoNigro allegedly also supplied usernames and passwords to bettors and settled debts with bettors offline and in person. The profits were then allegedly shared with Pellegrino, who was responsible for keeping track of the figures related to the sportsbook.

Carcucci, 59, of Levittown, faces charges of first-degree possession of gambling records, first-degree promoting gambling, and fifth-degree conspiracy, Donnelly said. Pietaro, 57, of West Islip, Suffolk County, was arraigned on one count of fifth-degree conspiracy and 50 counts of second-degree promoting gambling, according to Donnelly.  LoNigro, 51, of Merrick, was arraigned on one count of second-degree promoting gambling, one count of fifth-degree conspiracy, and six counts of first-degree promoting gambling, prosecutors said on Thursday.

In addition to operating the illegal sports book, Pellegrino and Frascone were allegedly engaged in illegal loansharking activities.

The two men reportedly issued and charged exorbitant rates to at least one person for thousands of dollars and then penalized 3% percent interest each week. The interest rate equates to an annual interest percentage rate of approximately 156%. In addition, Frascone also allegedly received a portion of the interest payments on that loan after the victim made payments to Pellegrino.

The men surrendered to authorities on Nov. 7. If found guilty, Frascone and Pellegrino could each face up to 15 years in prison, while Carucci, Pietaro, and LoNigro could each face 1-3 years.  All five pleaded not guilty, and each man is due in court between Dec. 18 and 19.