http://www.sun-sentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/local/sfl-flbracketeer0524pnmay24,0,1709736.story12 accused of running betting, loan sharking ring in South Florida
Group had tied to N.Y. crime families, police say
By Andrew Ba Tran and Jon Burstein | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 24, 2008
A gambling and loan sharking ring run by a 79-year-old man out of Runyon's restaurant in Coral Springs but reaching throughout South Florida has been dismantled with the arrests of 12 suspects, the Broward Sheriff's Office said Friday.
About $278,000 was seized from the racket's members, which included two women, officials said.
The alleged ringleader, Norman Weissman of Tamarac, is in Broward County jail. He faces racketeering, money laundering and bookmaking charges, with bail set at $1.8 million.
Weissman's organization, which authorities said had ties to "traditional organized crime families located in New York," used an off-shore Internet sports wagering service called Chappy Sports Gambling and Bookmaking Enterprise, said Sheriff's Sgt. Tony Lanza.
Chappy is a multi-million dollar operation that has functioned in South Florida for at least eight years, he said. Two of the suspects provided its financial backing, authorities said.
Search warrants were executed in Tamarac and Pembroke Pines on Thursday, when most of the suspects were arrested. More arrests are expected, the Sheriff's Office said.
Seven defendants made initial court appearances Friday morning before Broward County Judge Peter Skolnik. All of them are being held in Broward County Jail on bail of at least $1.2 million.
Assistant State Attorney Spencer Multack said the arrests where the result of an extensive investigation that involved phone wiretaps. He said the bonds were so high because the defendants posed flight risks.
"It's not just a simple taking-a-bet case," he said.
Gamblers could call in or log online to make bets, but would meet with the agents to collect winnings, pay off losses, or take out a loan, he said.
"When you win, everything's fine and you pay the bills," said Lanza, a member of the Sheriff's Office unit that started the undercover investigation in September 2005. "If you lose, you could lose your house, your marriage — the interest is so high you can't get out from under them. They practically enslave you."
The suspects would meet at the popular Runyon's steakhouse to plan their operations, Lanza said. Neither the restaurant owner nor any employees were aware of what was going on, he said.
"We serve food and drink to thousands of people," said restaurant manager Joe Kelleher. "We're not in the business of performing background checks on the people who walk in our front door."
The others arrested were identified as Paul Melson, 49, of Pembroke Pines; Joan Spierer, 72, of Hollywood; Eric Spinosa, 30, of Boca Raton; Timothy Tronzo, 50, of Coral Springs; Fred Orlando, 67, of Sunny Isles; Samson Mandell, 33, of Boca Raton; Michael Schwartz, 41, of Boca Raton; Ann Bressi, 41, of Sunny Isles; Bernard Sherman, 73, of Sunrise; Jeffrey Goldberg, 59, of Weston; and Jason Goldberg, 32, of North Miami Beach.
Each faces various gambling, money-laundering, or racketeering charges, according to officials.
