The notorious mobster son of the late Mafia kingpin known as “Quack Quack” was recently denied bail in a high-profile case involving rigged card games with ties to the NBA. Angelo Ruggiero Jr., 53, had his bail hearing in Brooklyn federal court, where his lawyers sought a $5 million bond backed by his family and friends. However, Judge Joseph Marutollo sided with prosecutors who raised concerns about Ruggiero potentially engaging in witness tampering if released.
Ruggiero, a reputed member of the Gambino crime family, has a history of threatening witnesses, including an incident where he mimicked shooting a witness in the head while incarcerated in a previous case. This behavior led to the judge’s decision to deny his bail request. Ruggiero, dressed in a tan prison outfit, sat quietly in court as the judge delivered the ruling.
In a separate hearing, Ruggiero’s co-defendant Curtis Meeks, a former boxer implicated in supplying cheating technology for the rigged card games, pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Meeks, who received a $250,000 bond, expressed his intention to continue professional gambling activities, including participating in the World Series of Poker. The judge imposed restrictions on Meeks, requiring him to inform pre-trial services about his gambling and travel plans.
The federal indictments unveiled a complex scheme involving Mafia sports gambling and poker rigging, with NBA players allegedly participating in the illicit activities. Ruggiero was allegedly part of a cheating poker team operating at a luxurious townhouse in Greenwich Village, where high-stakes games were held by members of various crime families, including the Gambinos.
Among the notable figures involved in the scandal were NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former player Damon Jones, who were allegedly used to attract wealthy players to the rigged games. Victims claimed to have been defrauded of large sums of money in the scheme, with one individual alleging that a former NFL player was also involved in the deception.
Angelo Ruggiero Jr. inherited not only his father’s name but also his ties to organized crime. His father, Angelo Ruggiero Sr., was a close associate of Gambino boss John Gotti and became a government informant after being caught on wiretaps discussing incriminating details. Ruggiero Jr., a made man in the Gambino family, has a criminal record that includes convictions for witness intimidation.
Despite arguments from his defense attorney that other accused mobsters in the case were granted bail, Ruggiero was denied release due to his violent past behavior towards witnesses. The defense claimed that the government deliberately placed a cooperating witness in Ruggiero’s cell to provoke him, but the judge was unconvinced by this argument. The case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the extent of the Mafia’s involvement in the rigged card games and its ties to professional sports.
