Friday, March 09, 2007

An alleged Mafia underboss was running a sport bookmaking syndicate through
which almost half a billion dollars flowed in a period of just 11 months,
according to police. Authorities claim Francesco del Balso, 36, ran 25
bookmaking operations in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, which del Balso
himself allegedly boasted did more than $1 billion in business. In Quebec,
del Balso and his partner Lorenzo Giordano, 43, allegedly operated Internet
and telephone sports gambling out of houses in Kahnawake, Montreal and
Laval, according to police. According to newly released court documents, the
bookmaking shop in Kahnawake from December 2004 to November 2005 did $391.9
million in business. Police charged del Balso and Giordano last November
with drug trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering and gangsterism.
They were part of a takedown of 91 alleged Mafia members. Giordano also
faces an attempted murder charge. Del Balso is in jail awaiting trial while
Giordano is a fugitive. All the bets were made through a website called
betwsc.com. Many of the betters were given lines of credit and codes with
which to make their bets online. Del Balso, according to police, allegedly
had his finger on every aspect of the business including controlling the
books, recovering money from losers and paying off winners, establishing
credit margins and deciding who was allowed to place bets and get credit.