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The New Jersey State Police, the Division of Criminal Justice and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced charges against 14 people for their participation in a multimillion-dollar sports betting ring involving members of organized crime.
Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna, 55, of Fairfield, New Jersey, is the alleged boss of the illegal operation and has been identified as a member of the Lucchese crime family, according to a news release from the Attorney General’s Office.
Perna is being charged along with his children, stepson, nephews and others with crimes of extortion, conspiracy, money laundering and gambling. Perna’s wife and ex-wife are also charged regardless of the plot.
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A bettor holds up a betting slip at the betting window at the Westgate SuperBook sportsbook on August 4, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
“We may all think that the depiction of organized crime we remember from movies, television shows and books no longer exists, but today we announced charges alleging that it still exists,” Platkin said in a statement. “Despite the proliferation of legal gambling of all types, gambling remains a mainstay of members and associates of organized crime. The venues and methods may have evolved, but illegal gambling (in this case, sports betting) remains a problem, and we will prosecute those who seek to profit from it.”
Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton added: “Today we allege that a member and associates of the Lucchese crime family were running a sophisticated sports betting operation…We are committed to rooting out these illegal operations and protecting the public from becoming their victims.”
Documents filed in the case allege that in January 2024, members of the State Police Port Security Section’s Port Investigations Unit began investigating an illegal sports betting ring operating in Essex and Bergen counties.
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The scheme allegedly enticed people to place bets and the profits were used to operate the company and enrich its members. Some participants were allegedly student-athletes who operated betting shops.
Between 2022 and 2024, the gambling network allegedly transferred an estimated $2 million worth of suspicious gambling transactions.
The company had “a nationwide network of bookmakers” who worked under Perna, a soldier of the Lucchese crime family.
A general view of betting odds on the video board at the Westgate SuperBook sportsbook on August 4, 2025 in Las Vegas. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
“Perna acted as the ‘financier,’ who supported the operation,” the Attorney General’s Office said. “Perna’s son, Joseph R. Perna, 25, of Oakland, New Jersey, ran the daily operations of the bookmaker, facilitating the involvement of dozens of subordinate agents, including his brother, Anthony Perna, 23, of Oakland; his stepbrother, Frank Zito, 23, of Fairfield; and his cousins, Dominic Perna, 23, of Newark, New Jersey; and Michael Cetta, 23, of North Haledon, New Jersey.”
There were other co-defendants in the case, including one from North Kingstown, RI, and another from Gainesville, Florida. Others were from various northern New Jersey towns.
As for the women involved with “Little Joe” Perna, his current wife, Kim Zito, allegedly received several payments in November and December 2023 from known conspirators of Frank Zito who were linked to illegal gambling.
Then, in April 2025, Perna’s ex-wife, Rosanna Magno, allegedly attempted to hide betting books from police during an investigative stop.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, joined by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland (L) and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, speak during a press conference announcing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, on March 21, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
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First-degree crimes in the case carry a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years and a fine of up to $200,000. First-degree money laundering carries a fine of $500,000. Second through fourth degree charges also carry a prison sentence.
“The dismantling of this organized illegal sports betting network underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal networks that profit from corruption and greed,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “These extortion operations exploit vulnerable people and communities, and today’s charges send a clear message: we will continue to protect victims and seek justice wherever organized crime takes root.”
