Former Mobster Michael Franzese Reacts to FBI’s Raid on NBA Gambling Ring Tied to Italian Mafia (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit

Former Mobster Michael Franzese Reacts to FBI’s Raid on NBA Gambling Ring Tied to Italian Mafia (VIDEO)

Former mobster Michael Franzese reacted to the FBI’s raid on an NBA gambling ring tied to the Italian Mafia.

Michael Franzese worked for the Colombo crime family in the 1980s and made a fortune in the gasoline business. His father, Sonny Franzese, also a notorious mafioso, was the underboss for the Colombo crime family.

FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday announced the arrest of more than 30 people across 11 states, including Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, as part of a takedown of a massive sports gambling ring, which included a poker scheme and “sports rigging.”

The poker scheme, which used X-ray tables to read cards face down, wireless devices, and chip tray analyzers, was tied to the Italian mafia, La Cosa Nostra.

The Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families were involved.

“They used off-the-shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand, and relay that information to an off-site operator,” US Attorney Joseph Nocella said.

“Defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly read cards using a hidden camera—special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards, and an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table,” he said.

Terry Rozier allegedly used insider NBA information in a sports betting scheme.

According to NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Terry Rozier actually faked an injury to leave a game early to make sure the bets paid out.

Chauncey Billups was tied to the underground, rigged poker games.

“The fraud is mind-boggling… we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation,” Patel said.

Michael Franzese reacted to the raid in an interview with investigative reporter Brian Entin.

Rudy Giuliani indicted Michael Franzese five times in the 1980s – and Franzese beat the government five times. Franzese was later indicted again on racketeering and conspiracy charges and spent several years in federal prison.

Franzese is no longer in the ‘business’ and says God transformed his life. He became a born-again Christian during his time in solitary confinement.

Brian Entin asked Franzese his thoughts on the latest mafia bust. Franzese said he isn’t surprised to see a gambling ring this large, although he did say it is unusual to see several ‘families’ working together.

Franzese did note that the Colombo crime family was not involved in this gambling ring.

WATCH:

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Caitlin Clark Bends the Knee to Woke Culture: TIME’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ Says She Benefits from ‘White Privilege’ and Says WNBA Was ‘Built’ on Black Women Players | The Gateway Pundit

Caitlin Clark Bends the Knee to Woke Culture: TIME’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ Says She Benefits from ‘White Privilege’ and Says WNBA Was ‘Built’ on Black Women Players

Credit: Getty Images

Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s first international superstar, has taken a sharp turn down the path of woke politics, leaving many of her fans disheartened.

Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise—bolstered by her jaw-dropping, record-setting college career and stellar rookie season in the WNBA—seemed to offer a much-needed respite from the league’s ongoing struggles with dwindling viewership and ideological conformity.

But instead of sticking to what made her a star, Clark appears to be prioritizing progressive virtue-signaling over her unique identity, alienating fans who admired her for standing tall amidst the leftist noise in professional sports.

Credit: Time

In her Time interview after being named ‘Athlete of the Year,‘ Clark chose to frame her success within the woke narrative of “White privilege.”

“I’ve been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women’s sports, let alone women’s basketball, and turn them into fans,” Clark said.

“I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a White person, there is privilege,” she added.

“A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them.”

“The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing.”

Caitlin Clark’s recent remarks have sparked backlash, with notable criticism from commentator and podcaster Megyn Kelly. Kelly took to social media and blasted Clark.

“Look at this. She’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation. The “oh pls pay attention to the black players who are REALY the ones you want to celebrate.” Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad,” she wrote.

https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1866622907822047357

Worse yet, this shift coincides with her tacit support for the political elite. After Kamala Harris’ disastrous vice presidential debate performance, pop star and self-described “Childless Cat Lady” Taylor Swift took to Instagram to endorse Harris and Tim Walz for the 2024 election.

To the dismay of many, Clark endorsed this endorsement by liking the post, signaling her alignment with a ticket pushing radical policies.

For the record, the WNBA has been losing money each year since its inception. It was the black MEN from the NBA who lifted the league and kept if viable all these years that should not be ignored.

The league itself is a disfunctional, socialist environment that only became relevant last year due entirely to Caitlin Clark.

The post Caitlin Clark Bends the Knee to Woke Culture: TIME’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ Says She Benefits from ‘White Privilege’ and Says WNBA Was ‘Built’ on Black Women Players appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.