You don’t have to go to far in New York to find ties to the mob. These five men were allegedly connected  to one of the infamous “five families” in the mafia.

The Mafia and New York have quite the history. To this day there are still connections to this secret society of organized crime, though things have changed a bit since the days of “The God Father.”

Here in Upstate New York we’ve got ties to famous gangsters like Legs Diamond, Paul DiCocco, Tony Bernardi, and more. Those are just a few that have touched the Capital Region. The reach goes to Buffalo and beyond and especially in New York City with the “five families.”

If you thought the days of The Sopranos was over you’re very mistaken. Just recently on November 7h five New York men were taken into custody by police on Long Island for their involvement in an illegal gambling ring.

The men who were arrested were:

• Anthony Frascone
• Anthony Pellegrino
• Phillip Carruci
• Frank LoNigro
• Joseph Pietaro

After an investigation that took over a year they found that the men had established fake user names for online sports betting while profiting off the gamblers.

These five individuals allegedly operated a sophisticated online sports betting operation in Nassau County, profiting off of hundreds of bets that took place during the 14-month period of our investigation. – Nassau County District Attorney

Frascone, mentioned above, is an alleged member of the Bonanno crime family. He’s a former Capo and now soldier.

Frascone was arraigned on multiple different 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. If convicted her could face 15 years in jail. At 75-years-old, that means the rest of his life most likely.

The Godfather Mansion in New York

Take a look around the iconic Godfather House in Staten Island, New York

Gallery Credit: Karolyi