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Alleged Gambino Enforcer Denied Bail

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In the “Operation Royal Flush” case, prosecutors argue an alleged mob enforcer could intimidate witnesses if freed, while another defendant pleads not guilty

A federal magistrate judge on Tuesday denied bond for an alleged Gambino crime family associate charged in a sprawling illegal poker and sports betting probe dubbed “Operation Royal Flush.”

In a hearing in the Eastern District of New York, Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo rejected a hefty $5 million bond package for Angelo Ruggiero Jr., ruling that his history of violent conduct and witness tampering made him too great a risk for release. Ruggiero’s attorney, James Frocarro, argued that his client was involved in a “gambling case,” and nothing more.

Prosecutors argued that Ruggiero, who previously served time for conspiracy to commit murder while incarcerated, has a “well-documented history” of using intimidation to obstruct justice with a witness tampering conviction. The government also cited his alleged role within the Gambino organized crime family and his close proximity to high-level members of the family. 

Froccaro pointed out that Ruggiero’s witness tampering conviction was almost entrapment, stating a known government witness was placed as Ruggiero’s cellmate in Georgia, possibly on purpose. Froccaro pointed out that, of course, his client wasn’t thrilled that a “rat” was his new roommate. “Did they expect him to give him a kiss?” Froccaro quipped.

Federal prosecutors warned that if released, Ruggiero could “resort to the same witness-tampering methods” that marked his prior case. Froccaro argued that Ruggiero had “five million reasons not to violate the bail agreement,” noting that pretrial services even agreed to the proposed bail package. He also pointed out that additional defendants, like Joseph Lanni, had previously been released on bond. Lanni was alleged to have collected illicit proceeds from the rigged poker games on behalf of the Gambino network, while he’s awaiting sentencing in his own RICO case. Additionally, Defendant Lee Fama was recently released by Magistrate Judge James R. Cho, and Lanni was released by Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl.

Judge Marutollo took a five-minute recess after the oral arguments. He ultimately agreed with the prosecution, saying the defendant’s background “places him in a different category” than his co-defendants. The gallery was shocked. His lawyer, James Froccaro told Los Angeles exclusively, “I was very surprised by the ruling and we plan to appeal to the district court judge.”

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Immediately following Ruggiero’s appearance, Curtis Meeks, another defendant charged in the same indictment, was arraigned before Judge Taryn Merkl. Meeks, who faces counts of money laundering and wire fraud, pleaded not guilty. His $250,000 bond, first set by the Western District of Texas, was transferred to New York. The court noted Meeks’ income may disqualify him from a court-appointed public defender (who was by his side), as Judge Merkl noted “it wasn’t small.” Meeks, a former boxer who now trains amateur boxers in Las Vegas, explained that due to a $15M judgment in another case, he is struggling financially. Meeks was separately accused by the media of running a game involving former NFL star Antonio Gates, though Gates is not named in the indictment and has publicly denied any involvement. “Meeks is one of the biggest poker cheats in the country. He’s been doing stuff like this for years,” Jeff Nadu, host of The Sit Down Podcast and Mob Expert, tells Los Angeles. “No one was surprised to hear his name. I went and sought out multiple poker players, mostly high level, and they all told me the same thing about him. He also knows a lot about the rigged card shuffler technology.” Meeks is still innocent until proven guilty.

The sweeping, unsealed indictment accuses more than 30 defendants (including NBA’s Chauncey Billies and Damon Jones) of running high-stakes underground poker and sports-betting operations that used rigged shuffling machines and money laundering fronts across multiple states. Federal authorities say the operation was protected through threats and violence. A status hearing for the defendants is set for November 24th in Brooklyn federal court.

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Lauren Conlin

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