Overview
- Authorities identified Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna as the financier and his son, Joseph R. Perna, as the day-to-day operator supervising dozens of agents.
- The enterprise allegedly operated out of Essex and Bergen counties while using offshore websites and a nationwide web of bookmakers to take wagers.
- Several college athletes allegedly ran local sportsbooks for the ring, including former Rutgers wrestlers Michael Cetta and Nicholas Raimo, who face racketeering and related counts.
- Perna’s wife, Kim Zito, faces a money-laundering-by-concealment charge, and his ex-wife, Rosanna Magno, is accused of hiding gambling ledgers during an investigative stop.
- The investigation began in January 2024 with the State Police Port Investigations Unit, and the NCAA says it is reviewing the case as the defendants made initial court appearances Thursday.