Carmelo "Carmine" Polito, a 64-year-old former acting capo of the Genovese crime family, received a 30-month prison sentence for operating illegal gambling operations in Long Island. The sentence was handed down on Friday following his April 5 guilty plea.

The illegal operation was run out of Gran Caffé, a Lynbrook gelateria and coffee bar, as part of a larger gambling network in Nassau County jointly operated by the Genovese and Bonanno crime families. The establishment housed illegal joker poker machines and poker games, generating over $2,000 daily in criminal proceeds.

Polito collaborated with Joseph "Joe Fish" Macario from the Genovese family and Anthony "Little Anthony" Pipitone from the Bonanno family to split profits between both crime families. The operation began in May 2012 and included an illegal online sports betting platform called PGWLines.

The investigation revealed Polito's use of extortion against delinquent bettors, including threats of violence. In one instance, he threatened to "break his face" of a customer, and in another, warned he would "put him under the f***ing bridge" for unpaid debts.

The 2022 federal indictment named five individuals, including Polito and Macario, on charges of racketeering, attempted extortion, and illegal gambling. Nassau County Police Detective Hector Rosario was also indicted for allegedly accepting kickbacks to raid competing gambling operations. Rosario has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction and making false statements to the FBI.

FBI Assistant Director James Dennehy emphasized that Polito's "illegitimate business and death threats" had financed two crime families' operations before justice was served.

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