Rhode Island Mobster Arrested After Winning $1.2M at Bally’s Casino
Suspicious Casino Wins Raise Alarms
A man from Rhode Island, known as a mobster, reportedly turned $630,000 into $1.2 million while gambling at Bally’s Casino and Resort in Lincoln. However, authorities suspect that these substantial winnings were not earned fairly.
Details of the Gambling Activity
Giuseppe Manzi, also called Little Joe, had been frequenting Bally’s Casino for several months, consistently increasing his wagers until reaching over $1.1 million in total winnings. Interestingly, one of his companions managed to win an even larger amount during this time.
Investigations revealed that Manzi and his group used identities of other individuals to place bets at the casino, enabling them to exploit various promotions and benefits offered by the establishment.
According to police records, Manzi’s actual winnings amounted to approximately $1,156,105, achieved by betting $630,000 over a span of about 116 days. This extended winning streak aroused suspicion as such consistent success is highly unusual in casino environments.
Eventually, a casino employee conducted a review and concluded that the pattern of wins was “statistically impossible” without some form of illegal manipulation.
Legal Consequences and Arrests
Following these findings, Giuseppe Manzi was arrested on charges including money laundering, cheating a casino, and conspiracy. He was released on a $50,000 bail in Palmer District Court last week.
Meanwhile, four of his five accomplices were also taken into custody and remain detained, while one associate is still at large. Some defense attorneys have criticized the court’s decision to deny bail to their clients, arguing that casinos often unfairly target successful gamblers by treating their wins as suspicious or illicit.
Manzi’s criminal background includes a prior three-year prison term for racketeering, and he is notably the only individual linked directly to organized crime within the group.
The court scheduled Manzi to appear on Monday, the same day his associates’ lawyers filed appeals regarding the bail restrictions imposed on their clients.
