Four enter guilty pleas in gambling case

UNIONTOWN - Four men arrested last October as part of a tri-county gambling and racketeering sweep following a Pennsylvania Attorney General's grand jury investigation entered guilty pleas on Monday.

Entering pleas of guilt before Judge Conrad Capuzzi, who accepted the plea agreements offered by the attorney general's office, were Joseph E. Scarillo, Louis Cutone, Carl Abt and Mark Borkovich.

The men were arrested with 11 others, including Thomas 'Sonny' Ciancutti, 71, of New Kensington, Westmoreland County, who is alleged to be the head of a sports bookmaking business and operating video gambling devices since November 1995. Ciancutti has been described by Attorney General Mike Fisher as an organized crime boss who supervised an illegal sports betting business, that at the height of the NFL football season, would bring in $500,000 a week - keeping 10 percent or $50,000 a week in the fall.

Also arrested on Oct. 22, 2000, with Ciancutti, were Jeffrey Francis Risha of Emerson St., Uniontown, and Ralph James Maselli of Bellaire Place, Pittsburgh. Risha is charged with criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, pool selling and bookmaking and lotteries. Police said Risha accepted phone bets on sporting events and illegal numbers activities then forwarded the bets to Maselli.

Maselli is charged with criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, insurance fraud, dealing in proceeds of illegal activities and pool selling and bookmaking. Police allege that Maselli made application for group health insurance on behalf of S&S Vending and used some of the gambling profits to make mortgage payments on his home.

Those men pleading guilty on Monday were accused of taking phone bets for Risha in 1998 or maintaining the illegal video machines.

All of the suspects are being prosecuted in Fayette County where Fisher alleged that many of the bets were placed during the last three years.

Scarillo, of Bethel Park, pled guilty to pool selling and bookmaking and criminal conspiracy; three counts of bookmaking were nol prossed, or not prosecuted. Represented by attorney Robert Del Greco Jr., Scarillo will receive one year of probation for the charge of pool selling, must pay costs, fines and forfeit funds to the commonwealth. No sentence was imposed for the charge of criminal conspiracy

Cutone, of Pittsburgh, pled guilty to pool selling and bookmaking and criminal conspiracy. He appeared with attorney Michael D. Foglia. Cutone will receive one year of probation for the charge of pool making, pay a $2,000 fine and forfeit $450 to the commonwealth. No further sentence was imposed for the charge of conspiracy.

Abt, of Pittsburgh, was charged with pool selling and bookmaking and criminal conspiracy. Also represented by Foglia, Abt will receive to one year of probation for the charge of pool selling, pay a fine of $2,000 and costs and forfeit $4,500 seized by the commonwealth. The remaining charge was accepted without further sentence.

Borkovich, of Pittsburgh, pled guilty to criminal conspiracy and will receive one year of probation. Represented by Patrick Thomassey, Borkovich must pay a $2,500 fine and costs.

The men will be sentenced at a later date.