Juliano Gambled on His Freedom

Juliano, identified by state prosecutors as a capo in the Gambino crime family, pleaded guilty in April to attempted enterprise corruption and to the lesser charges of promoting gambling, conspiracy and presenting a false record for filing.

Albany County Court Judge Thomas Breslin sentenced Juliano to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in prison. As part of the sentence, Juliano will forfeit $578,000, part of which will go to pay taxes he owes, said Mark Fitzmaurice of the state Attorney General's Organized Crime Unit.

Louise "Momma" Mancuso, who authorities said was the manager of the operation, was also scheduled to be sentenced Friday. Her sentencing was adjourned for six months, because she is being treated for cancer. She faces up to a year in prison on a gambling charge.

Juliano had no comment. Before leaving the courtroom he stopped and kissed two younger men who Fitzmaurice identified as his sons.

Juliano, Mancuso and 12 others were arrested Jan. 28 at their Staten Island and Brooklyn homes and arraigned in Albany after a two-year investigation. The probe, which used phone taps, ended in 2001. All those arrested faced tax-fraud and gambling counts.

According to investigators, about 90 "runners" took bets based on state lottery daily numbers and racetrack handle totals, and the operation allegedly netted about $3 million annually before closing down more than a year ago.

Four of those people, all considered middle managers, pleaded guilty last month to reduced charges, with three expected to get a year in jail, the fourth up to six months, court officials said.

Eight men considered runners pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts and were each fined $1,000. Fitzmaurice said Juliano's brother, Richard, who ran the sports betting side of the operation, is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 30 in Albany.