Suspected mafia member among 14 charged with allegedly running illegal sports betting ring in New Jersey

A suspected mafia member and several family members in New Jersey are among 14 people charged Thursday in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar illegal gambling ring involving student athletes

A suspected mafia member and several family members in New Jersey are among 14 people charged Thursday in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar illegal gambling ring involving student athletes.

Joseph M. "Little Joe" Perna, 55, an alleged member of the Lucchese crime family, was charged with racketeering, conspiracy, gambling offenses, and money laundering, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said in a statement.

Police and prosecutors allege that a "nationwide web" of bookmakers was directed by Joseph M. Perna, under the daily direction of his son, Joseph R. Perna, 25, who is charged with running dozens of what authorities called "subordinate agents."

Several of those alleged agents were also charged, including another of Joseph Perna’s sons, Anthony R. Perna, 23; Perna’s stepson Frank Zito, 23; Perna’s nephews Dominic Perna, 23 and Michael Cetta, 23.

"Today we are alleging that a member and associates of the Lucchese crime family were running a sophisticated sports betting operation,” said New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice director Theresa L. Hilton in a statement.