Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia announced indictments for 15 alleged mafia members in South Philadelphia and southern New Jersey Monday.

• Sports Betting Mafia Bukmacherskie
• Sports Gambling Map

Of course, in 2011, sports betting was illegal pretty much everywhere in the United States except for Nevada. That changed in 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that had kept. Before becoming the secret king of sports gambling. Agents became convinced that the Computer Group was an illegal bookmaking operation working in concert with the Italian mafia to manipulate.

Members allegedly belonging to 'La Cosa Nostra' under mob-leader Steven 'Stevie' Mazzone, 56, were charged with bookmaking and loan sharking in Philadelphia and Atlantic City beginning in October of 2015.

Sports Betting Mafia Bukmacherskie

Ten defendants are charged with racketeering and the other five are charged with running illegal gambling rings, extortion and conspiracy to sell illegal drugs. Some of the defendants are accused of conspiring to kidnap and kill an associate who sold them fake drugs in Philadelphia, prosecutors said.

'The Philadelphia mob isn't what it used to be, and thank God for that,' said U.S. Attorney McSwain in a statement. 'But it is still a problem and is still allegedly committing serious federal crimes, which is why we at the Department of Justice are focused on stamping it out. We will not rest until the mob is nothing but a bad memory.'

Other defendants included Domenic Grande, aka 'Dom,' 'Mr. Hopkins,' 'Mr. Brown,' or 'Dom14,' age 41 as well as Joseph Servidio, aka 'Joey Electric,' 60; Salvatore Mazzone, aka 'Sonny,' age 55; Joseph Malone, age 70; Louis Barretta, aka 'Louie Sheep,' age 56; Victor DeLuca, aka 'Big Vic,' age 56; Kenneth Arabia, aka 'Kenny,' age 67; Daniel Castelli, aka 'Danny,' aka 'Cozzy,' aka 'Butch,' aka 'Harry,' age 67; Carl Chianese, age 81; Anthony Gifoli, aka 'Tony Meatballs,' age 73; John Romeo, age 58; Daniel Malatesta, age 75; Daniel Bucceroni, age 66; and John Michael Payne, age 34.

Defendants are accused of squeezing borrowers of illegal gambling debts for interest rates more than 400% and distributing illegal drugs including heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and oxycodone pills.

One defendant, Joseph Malone, was the proprietor of a restaurant for 40 years, his attorney told The Philadelphia Inquirer Monday.

'My client, who has led a quiet life, is presumed innocent, as is everyone else,' attorney William Brennan said. 'Unfortunately, when the federal agents arrived at his house, he suffered a heart attack and has undergone surgery. We're now focusing on his health, but we look forward to defending [him] on these charges.'

The indictments were the result of a combined investigation between Philadelphia and Atlantic City law enforcement agencies and the FBI, prosecutors said.

'The mafia remains a criminal presence in our city and beyond,' said Michael Driscoll, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division, in a press release. 'From loansharking and illegal gambling to drug trafficking and extortion, the mob continues to keep its fingers in many different pots, in its ceaseless quest for illegal profits. This group should've learned by now that the FBI is as committed to eradicating organized crime as wise guys are to embracing it.'

All 15 defendants will appear in front of U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick on Jan. 8, according to court documents.

The Italian mafia has served as the inspiration for an impressive number of iconic pop culture creations over the decades, with The Godfather paving the way for Martin Scorcese to paint multiple masterpieces about the inner-workings of the underworld before The Sopranos helped usher in not a just a new era for the mob but for television as we know it.

All of those projects have played a major role in romanticizing the lifestyles depicted in them and I’ve always found it interesting how many people are willing to turn a blind eye to the reality that almost every major player is a psychopathic criminal because they like the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, and the manner of speech that is responsible for arguably the best thing the internet has ever produced.

My [28F] boyfriend [29M] of two years will not stop speaking in a fake Italian-American accent and keeps making up foreign words pic.twitter.com/r2y9rH4ozj

— relationships.txt (@redditships) November 16, 2019

It can be easy to forget that there was a time not too long ago where the mafia was one of the most powerful groups in New York City and that mob bosses were getting gunned down in public all the way into the 1980s. Sure, they may have worn nice suits and apologized to their grandmother if they put their elbows on the table at Sunday dinner, but at the end of the day, these were guys that made a living making life a living hell for a lot of people.

It can also be easy to forget that the mafia is still around today. Most of the recognizable names are dead or in prison and incidents of powerful men in fur coats getting riddled with bullets in broad daylight are few and far between but the mob is still alive and well.

It’s been a few years since the Supreme Court ruled sports betting is legal in America, which wasn’t great news for anyone who relies on illegal bookmaking to make money. It seems likely New York will eventually follow New Jersey’s lead by allowing sanctioned sportsbooks to operate within its borders, but until then, the mafia can continue to operate how it has for over a century.

Sports Gambling Map

Sadly, it’s a bit tough to make money when your customers don’t have any games to bet on.

According to The New York Post, law enforcement agencies tasked with monitoring the mafia say the mob is currently missing out on tens of millions of dollars it would usually be able to rely on if it was still business as usual in the world of sports. While some true degenerates have been hammering cricket matches in Africa and Australian soccer games, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to all of the action we’re currently being deprived of (and the revenue bookies are missing out on).

Restaurants, construction sites, and waste management—three of the mafia’s other favorite hustles—have also been impacted by closures in recent weeks and it appears the attention has now turned to drugs, which probably isn’t the worst move considering how bored everyone is.

Now all they have to do is figure out how to pull off contactless delivery.