{"id":2671,"date":"2025-04-15T09:27:19","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T09:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/?p=2671"},"modified":"2025-04-16T15:28:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:28:56","slug":"gov-murphy-joins-calls-for-nj-politicians-head-after-lucchese-mob-linked-gambling-bust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/15\/gov-murphy-joins-calls-for-nj-politicians-head-after-lucchese-mob-linked-gambling-bust\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov Murphy Joins Calls for NJ Politician\u2019s Head After Lucchese Mob-Linked Gambling Bust\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The post Gov Murphy Joins Calls for NJ Politician\u2019s Head After Lucchese Mob-Linked Gambling Bust\u00a0<\/a> appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

High-profile arrests<\/h2>\n

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has added his voice to rising calls for the resignation of Prospect Park Councilman Anand Shah after his arrest last week along with high-ranking Lucchese mobsters.<\/p>\n

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major gambling ring bust<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Shah, 42, and the Lucchese members were among dozens the New Jersey State Police arrested in a major gambling ring bust announced Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin took to X to share news that all those arrested are accused of operating illegal poker games and an online sportsbook:<\/p>\n

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\n
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Today we\u2019ve charged 39 people, including a sitting councilman. The message is clear \u2013 we are bringing every resource to bear to crack down on violent criminals, including organized crime.<\/p>\n

If you break the law, if you hurt New Jersey, you will be brought to justice. pic.twitter.com\/AgjjlEOQgY<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Attorney General Matt Platkin (@NewJerseyOAG) April 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Since Shah\u2019s alleged links to the gambling network have surfaced, his position as a publicly elected figure seems untenable.<\/p>\n

On Monday, a spokesperson cited Governor Phil Murphy\u2019s statement that he believed it \u201cwould be in the community\u2019s best interest for the councilman to resign, effective immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crime family drama<\/h2>\n

Shah was among 37 people the NJSP arrested and 39 people charged in the bust. Following a two-year investigation, state troopers swooped on illegal operations in Woodland Park, Garfield, and Totowa netting $3m in illicit profits, AG Piatkin alleged.<\/p>\n

Alleged members of the Lucchese family arrested in connection to the gambling ring include New Jersey natives George Zappola, 65, Joseph R. \u201cBig Joe\u201d Perna, 56, and John Perna, 47.<\/div>\n

In a release, the AG\u2019s office singled Shah out for \u201callegedly managing illegal poker games and an online sportsbook<\/a> in association with the Lucchese Crime Family.\u201d<\/p>\n

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charges include money laundering, racketeering<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Shah\u2019s multiple charges include money laundering, racketeering, and conspiracy to promote gambling and he faces a maximum 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n

The accused councilman is due in court Tuesday, where according to the New York Post<\/em>, \u201cprosecutors will be arguing for him to be kept in jail while his case plays out.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Rather than wait for justice, a group of elected officials from Shah\u2019s municipality want the politician to resign his council position and withdraw from the re-election race immediately. Councilman Robert Artis prefaced the group\u2019s demands by describing Shah as having held important posts including Treasurer of the Board of Education, and Finance Committee Chairman.<\/p>\n

Taint of suspicion<\/h2>\n

Artis\u2019 concerns echo those of Gov. Murphy who questioned Shah\u2019s \u201cability to effectively serve the Prospect Park community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cContinuing to serve in any official capacity under this cloud of suspicion damages the credibility of our governing body and erodes confidence in how we manage both municipal and school finances,\u201d Artis stated.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

AG Piatkin, meanwhile, warned that while popular fiction glamorized organized crime in New Jersey: \u201cthe reality isn\u2019t romantic or cinematic. It\u2019s about breaking the laws the rest of us follow and, ultimately, it\u2019s about money, control, and the threat of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Gov Murphy Joins Calls for NJ Politician\u2019s Head After Lucchese Mob-Linked Gambling Bust\u00a0<\/a> appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The post Gov Murphy Joins Calls for NJ Politician\u2019s Head After Lucchese Mob-Linked Gambling Bust\u00a0 appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News. High-profile arrests New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has added his voice to rising…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading “Gov Murphy Joins Calls for NJ Politician\u2019s Head After Lucchese Mob-Linked Gambling Bust\u00a0“<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2671"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2672,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2671\/revisions\/2672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/opiniao-publica24-7.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}