Elmwood Park man pleads guilty to gambling charges in Lucchese family racketeering case
A 35-year-old Elmwood Park man has pleaded guilty to gambling charges in a racketeering case linked to the Lucchese crime family.
Gianni Iacovo, one of 35 defendants in the case, pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Morristown on May 20 to charges of promoting gambling and possession of gambling records. Under a plea agreement with the state Attorney General’s office, Iacovo will be placed on probation and will serve no prison time if he “fully cooperates” in the state’s investigation.
Iacovo is just the second defendant to plead guilty in the case involving activities from 2007, and is the first to plead guilty among the 34 who were indicted in 2010.
One defendant in the case, Francine Hightower, 53, of Bradley Beach, pleaded guilty in 2008 to transporting property derived from crime (gambling).
The group of 35 is accused of operating an international gambling ring and money laundering.
In his plea agreement, Iacovo said he would provide any documents or items relevant to the case and would be available for questioning “at all reasonable times.”
He also agreed to provide a sworn statement “detailing his actions, those of his co-conspirators and those of other individuals who may have factual information or knowledge of the illegal activities covered by this agreement.”
The remaining 33 defendants in the case appeared for a status conference today before Superior Court Judge Thomas Manahan in Morristown. Their attorneys were given additional discovery information and they are scheduled for another status conference on Sept. 12.
Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades said he has made plea offers to 13 more defendants, but none of the others have accepted them yet.
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