07271991 - News Article - Ex-county insurer implicated in trial

Ex-county insurer implicated in trial
Post-Tribune (IN)
July 27, 1991
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Former Lake County government insurance agent James J. Bradach was a frequent player in high-stakes poker games, two witnesses said Friday during the trial of six alleged gamblers and members of the crime syndicate.

John Pantinas and Frank Travline, a retired Gary firefighter, both said Bradach often took part in the poker games held at Greek coffee houses in Glen Park and in the basement of Saverio Amatulli's home in Merrillville. Each testified under a grant of immunity.

The witnesses said the house "raked" as much as $1,000 per game. A rake is the operator's cut of every pot. The maximum bet per card was $10 unless the players opted for higher stakes the witnesses said.

Bradach is serving a 30-month sentence on a federal perjury conviction for lying in court about the reason he paid three men more than $400,000 over an 18-month period in the mid-1980s. Bradach, 50, of St. John Township, had the lucrative county insurance contract at the time.

One of the people to whom Bradach paid the money was James Hetrick, an admitted gambler, who was charged with perjury as a part of the Bradach scam, but acquitted.

The testimony Friday came from gamblers, dealers and parlay card runners.

Bernard "Snooky" Morgano, 54, of Valparaiso, the alleged street boss for Northwest Indiana gambling, met with Pantinas after Pantinas received a grand jury subpoena.

"He didn't tell me anything other than he thought he could be going to jail because of this entire situation," Pantinas said.

"Did he tell you to lie?" asked Dyer attorney Richard F. James, representing Morgano.

"No, sir," Pantinas said.

The other defendants, all charged with racketeering, are Dominick ''Tootsie" Palermo, 73, of Orland Park, Ill.; Nicholas "Jumbo" Guzzino, 49, of Chicago Heights, Ill.; Sam Nuzzo Jr., 45, of Merrillville; Sam "Frog" Glorioso, 48, of Gary; and Peter "Cadillac Pete" Petros, 56, formerly of Gary now of Cicero, Ill.

The charges stem from the collection of a street tax on gambling operations.

Pantinas said he and Nuzzo opened a Greek coffee house in the mid-1980s at 4577 Broadway. He said Nuzzo and Arnie Bard, a longtime name in the Gary auto parts business, later opened a coffee house at 45th Avenue and Cleveland Street in Calumet Township.

Pantinas, who said Nuzzo played as well as operated the coffee houses, added, "Yes, he is a big bettor. He's a gambler."

But the prosecution alleges that Nuzzo did more than gamble. A pre-trial court document indicates that Morgano told Guzzino that he was collecting 20 percent of everything Nuzzo brought in.

Besides the coffee houses, the prosecution contends Nuzzo operated football and basketball parlay cards and ran the sports betting for Lake and Porter counties.

Several witnesses said they picked up parlay cards from Arthur Nuzzo, Sam's brother, and Ned Pujo, owner of the Beer Baron Tavern in Ross Township. Arthur Nuzzo has pleaded guilty to illegal gambling and faces up to five years in prison. Pujo, of Portage, will be tried later.

Patrick Newell, who works for Ford in Chicago Heights, said he distributed the cards among fellow workers and turned in a minimum of $1,000 a week to Pujo. Newell said he was allowed to keep 25 percent of what he brought in.

George Kolettis, an employee of the Gary Department of Environment, and his brother, James Kolettis, a Republic Steel employee, both said they distributed parlay cards and dealt with Arthur Nuzzo and Anthony "Potatoes" Ottomanelli, 60, of Portage. Ottomanelli has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Norman Jerntt, a LaPorte printer, said he printed as many as 13,000 parlay cards a week for Arthur Nuzzo.

Pantinas and Dan Georgopoulos each said they also dealt barbotte, a big- money Greek dice game operated by Steve Sfouris of Munster. Sfouris fled to his native Greece prior to the indictment. The games were operated at the former Robert Hall building in Hammond and the Indiana Restaurant building in East Chicago.

Georgopoulos said the rake on a barbotte game was as high as $15,000 a day. He added that he saw a player lose $80,000 in a game that ran for three days.

Several witnesses testified to attending gambling parties in the basement of Mr. G's restaurant near Lakes of the Four Seasons. The games were operated by Louis Gerodemos, who has since sold the business. The witnesses said money was raked from every pot. Gerodemos, who is cooperating with the government, is expected to testify next week.

Gary attorney Scott King, representing Petros, asked Pantinas if he knows whether Franklin Burton is still making book (taking bets) at the Magazine Mart, a store he operates at 39th and Broadway in Glen Park.

"Yes," Pantinas confirmed.

King introduced a betting slip that he said was obtained from Burton on Monday. Burton, who isn't charged, will testify for the government.