May be part of larger network of illegal games
Includes video report
IRVINGTON, N.J. — Cracking down on a vast underground gambling operation, Irvington Police hit the jackpot on Friday, arresting 18 people, allegedly connected to an illegal lottery enterprise out of storefronts across New Jersey.
"Basically, the numbers are run by the New Jersey or New York lotteries, the mid-day and the night number, and they usually call, make payments on the numbers," says Irvington Police Detective Mitchell Molina.
Known as operation 'March Madness,' nearly 75 officers across several state and local jurisdictions along with Homeland Security raided 15 businesses throughout Irvington, Newark, Elizabeth and Roselle. Investigators say the illegal lotteries used the same winning numbers as the New York and New Jersey lotteries, but paid bigger odds, and they estimate these businesses were pulling in as much as $30,000 per week.
Investigators say Juan Carlos Martinez and Idelkis Martinez were the ring leaders of the operation, which they say has a money trail leading all the way to the Dominican Republic. More than $100,000 was confiscated during Friday's raids, along with lottery receipts, phones and computers.
Investigators believe this group also had ties to operations in Florida and Illinois.
VIDEO: Watch the report
Really. Was this really worth their time. Here comes some jail time.
"March Madness" Have to protect the legal lottery. Good work law enforcement!
$30,000 per week x 52 = $1,560,000 per year
It was only a Matter of Time.!
They paid out more, who complained?
couldn,t get their tax money
raided 15 businesses throughout Irvington, Newark, Elizabeth and Roselle.
Breaks down to $2000 a business. Not bad but not exactly the type of crimes that requires Homeland security involvement.
Well Said Stack-
P.S.-
It's the old numbers racket being played again with a new spin from the top
"There is nothing new under the sun"
~King Solomon
Eddessa_Knight with Light
The "illegal lottery" started long before states began legislating state lotteries, paid out $600 to $1, and continued by taking bets on the numbers drawn by the state lottery pick-3. Even though the KY Lottery has the $600 to $1 payout, I've heard rumors of bookies here taking bets just like their counterparts in NJ.
I saw co-workers betting on the old numbers game years after the Ohio Lottery began offering pick-3.
There's not a candy store or news stand on the East Coast that would survive without 'the number'.
One time in Hudson County my father went to play and there was also a cop and a priest in the store. They left and my father played the number and the clerk was laughing because the cop and the priest were there to do the same thing.
When NJ announce a state lottery my father got a phone call and the caller said, "Don't forget us, we always pay in cold hard cash and no taxes no matter how much you win."
I knew some very young guys who were making over $500 a week (this in the 1960s) as runners.
Well illustrated Coin, do enjoy these unvarnished flashbacks puts me in mind of that great Gambling Raconteur Damon Runyon of 'Guys & Dolls 'fame
Truth will rise above falsehood as oil above water.
Eddessa_Knight
Song as old as time tale as old as rythme beauty and the beast.
the bug is as old as time. This tale has been told many many different times..them gansters dont play with their mollah, cash, dinero, largen < french i think for money!!
I still love a bolita .
Bet the bookies are near Churchill Downs as well as Bardstown road south of the Watterson. Good for them. It is illegal but doesn't harm me in the least, no harm no foul.
I hear for some it is... I was listening to some discuss on a fb page saying about,
"Well,their time will be an easy one premise on prison being a summer camp just about for so many."
Heck, i've heard in a prison you're able to get on line now pages, web page with their info on it, to meet others, that shock me to no end. I did not know inmates have so much privileges,and smh I don't get it. I don't see how that can happen in a prison.
So i don't think they care and some might not even do a long time. So i guess to them making a whopper of what? 20 or 30,000 per week or more is worth it for them. I was reading a bank robber was saying one time he feel it is worth years in [prison] only if he was able to get a big score[smdh] by robbing bank,or many and get away with it for a while. crazy but true.Some feel prison is worth their risk i guess. *Shrugs*
I hear ya.
(bleu)
IKR.
4/5/17
The creativity of the criminal mindset is amazing but remember the government is just as crafty at finding law breakers.
Perhaps you are thinking of where Martha Stewart, et al, go or have went. That is a federal country club prison compared to the type this hardened criminal will go. He is no white collar criminal but white trash.
IT'$ About "HARD" Time....
nothing is guarranteed that u will get paid i won once playing pick 3 st number but never collected