10 men have pleaded guilty in a sports betting case in Montreal last Friday. They ran an illegal sports betting website with the support and active help of the Montreal mafia.
The 10 men face sentencing in January, because of illegal bookmaking that carries a maximum two-year prison term. An analysis of evidence gathered when the RCMP secretly copied accounting records kept by the bookmakers revealed that during one 17-month period, the operation made a $26-million profit from more than 800,000 wagers.
Two other men, Carmelo Cannistraro, 40, and Domenico Velenosi, 44 played leadership roles in the operation, they both pleaded guilty and face up to 14 years of prison term because they committed a crime for the benefit of a criminal organization.
Quebec Court Judge Claude Leblond also revealed that Velenosi and Cannistraro both were supervised by Francesco Del Balso and Lorenzo Giordano (in the picture above), Montreal Mafia leaders who are now serving their lengthy prison terms in connection with other cases.
The case is suspended for now, and will return to court on 19 January for sentencing.
