12201990 - News Article - Steve Sfouris flees to Greece - Gambler was just indicted

Steve Sfouris flees to Greece
Gambler was just indicted
Post Tribune
December 20, 1990
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.proxy.portagelibrary.info/resources/doc/nb/news/108530D3693FD28B?p=AWNB
Steve Sfouris, the longtime operator of a high-stakes dice game in Lake County, has fled to Greece to avoid federal authorities, the FBI said Wednesday.

Sfouris, 55, of 1106 Camellia Drive, Munster, was one of 15 defendants charged in a 29-count indictment unveiled Tuesday by U.S. Attorney James G. Richmond.

The defendants, including high-ranking Chicago boss Dominick "Tootsie" Palermo, are members of the crime syndicate or known gamblers. The charges involve racketeering and gambling connected with collection of a "street tax" from Northwest Indiana gambling operations.

"He is in Greece; that's what we have heard," Robert Pertuso, special agent in charge of the Gary FBI office, said of Sfouris.

Pertuso said the U.S. Department of Justice would seek to have Sfouris returned to this country, but added, "If you are of Greek ancestry, it is very difficult to extradite."

Sfouris has been a fugitive since June when he failed to respond to a federal court subpoena.

Peter "Cadillac Pete" Petros, 56, a longtime Northwest Indiana resident now living in Chicago, remained a fugitive Wednesday after the FBI just missed taking him into custody.

Petros is a longtime area gambler who allegedly was collecting street tax on illegal lottery and video poker operations for the crime syndicate.

"We tracked him to a private residence in LaPorte County," Pertuso said. ''We were about an hour behind him this morning."

Pertuso said agents were pursuing leads Wednesday night that Petros fled to Chicago.

In other developments Wednesday, it was learned that the indictment includes five, not three, members of the Sam Nuzzo Sr. family.

Besides Nuzzo, the indictment charges his two sons, Sam Nuzzo Jr. and Arthur Nuzzo, and his two daughters, Sandra T. Mynes and Jennifer Kaufman. All five of the Nuzzos are Merrillville residents.

Authorities allege that the male Nuzzos ran the sports betting operation in Lake County. The two daughters allegedly took bets by telephone.

Sfouris has a long history of vice operations in Gary. He ran several taverns that fronted for houses of prostitution in the 1960s and later operated strip joints.

Sfouris' barbotte operation - a Greek dice game - grossed as much as $100,000 a night. As much as 50 percent of the take was paid as a street tax to the crime syndicate, authorities said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Thill, who will prosecute the case, said the government will seek pre-trial detention of Palermo and Nicholas ''Nicky" Guzzino, Palermo's top aide, during a Friday morning hearing. The two are being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

Others under indictment are Bernard J. "Snooky" Morgano of Valparaiso, Sam "Frog" Glorioso of Gary, Anthony J. "Potatoes" Ottomanelli of Portage, and Ned and Yolande Pujo of Portage.

Anthony Leone of Valparaiso is also charged. He is in federal prison serving an eight-year term after being convicted two years ago of conducting an illegal lottery in Gary.

The case will be tried before U.S. District Judge James T. Moody.