By Jeff Lipton
The 20-month investigation centered on illegal bookmaking activity at 21 John Street in Inwood, at the longtime home of 66-year-old John Super, president and founding member of the Sons of Italy Leonardo Da Vinci Lodge No. 2385. From there, investigators from the Nassau County District Attorney's Office traced the gambling operation to seven other locations in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, officials said.
Armed with a search warrant, detectives from the rackets bureau raided Super's home at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23, where they found banks of phones where sheetwriters would take bets on college and professional sports. From there, the investigation took detectives to seven other locations, which they searched and found similar set-ups, authorities said.
In addition to arresting the 10 suspects, police confiscated $125,000 in cash, a loaded .25 caliber handgun and 10 motor vehicles, as well as assorted gambling records and computers used to keep track of the bets, authorities said.
The other suspects arrested were identified as Peter Duggan, 35, of 181 Wanser Avenue, Inwood; Joseph Tefel, also known as Joe Black, 48, of 240 Hickox Avenue, Woodmere; Ralph F. Mandarino, 43, of 215 West Broadway, Long Beach; Joseph Herbert, 47, of 11 Vincent Place, Lynbrook; Daniel Barbarito, 43, of 4 Maspeth Drive, Melville; Anthony M. Delgais, 25, of 15 Pinehurst Road, Farmingdale; Anthony M. Delgais, also known as Tuskie, 61, of 41 Regina Road, South Farmingdale; Michael Grella, also known as Diesel, 30, of 43 Cheryl Lane North, Farmingdale; and Robert Restaino, 61, of 276 16th Street, Brooklyn. They were each charged with promoting gambling in the first degree, which carries a maximum four-year prison term if found guilty. They all pleaded innocent at their arraignment on Jan. 24, according to the DA's Office, and were released on bails ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 cash.
Super has been president for about a year of the 180-member Sons of Italy Leonardo Da Vinci Lodge, headquartered at 202 Wanser Avenue in Inwood, fellow members said.
The news of his arrest shocked members, who said Super's roots run deep in Inwood, where he has lived his whole life. John is a great person who does a lot for the community, said a recent past president, who has known him for 50 years.
He said Super has donated his time to the Inwood 5K Run and the Christmas Dream, which donates toys to children. He's a great individual and a stand-up person. He's been here all his life and has been very active in the community. He is very giving of the community.
Super's attorney, Harry H. Kutner, said his client is a retired oil deliveryman who is a family man. He was a driver for many years and has had a great life with his wife and three children. He added that Super is now bewildered by the DA's charges against him. We hope that we are able to show that [the arrest] was a terrible mistake. The people who know him personally don't believe it about him.
He said Super was one of the founding members in the 1970s of the Sons of Italy in Inwood. He's a very soft-spoken and kindly gentleman, Kutner said. You wouldn't want to meet a nicer man.
Theodore Robinson, attorney for Tefel of Woodmere, said of his client, He's entered a plea of not guilty. I believe justice will eventually be served in this case.
In addition to a raid at Super's Inwood home, the raids were carried out at the suspects' homes in Brooklyn, Melville, Farmingdale and South Farmingdale, as well as in Flushing, Queens and Far Rockaway, Queens.
I think the message is that if we are able to find out about your activities, we will not only prosecute you, but also take your profits, said Frank Lanzo, chief of the rackets bureau.
Referring to the arrests of Super, Duggan and Tefel, Lanzo said, There is a clear Five Towns connection here.
During a press conference at the DA's office the day after the arrests, detectives played for the media surveillance videotape they took of one of the alleged gambling locations, in Flushing, which showed a bank of phones, next to betting sheets and a list of sports teams. Tape recorders, used to record bets, were also found in the raided locations. Most of the bets taken involved pro and college sporting events, including basketball, football and hockey, and some baseball, authorities said. They said the calls came in one after another to the rooms in what was described by Mary B. Ruddy, an assistant district attorney, as a large gambling operation.
Since October 2001, 10 detectives have been working full time gathering evidence and using electronic and physical surveillance and a prosecutor also has been on the case full-time since then. In addition, investigators conducted thorough reviews of telephone and motor vehicle records.
The seized money, some of which was displayed during the press conference on a table in front of the investigators who worked on the case, will be turned over to the DA's Civil Forfeiture Unit, funneled back into law enforcement to help fight similar criminal activity, said Herb Tamres of the unit. The cars that were seized will be put up for auction, he said.
Helping to arrest the suspects were the Nassau County Police Department's Asset Forfeiture Unit, Crimes Against Property Squad, as well as other police units.
