Michael James Genovese (April 9, 1919 – October 31, 2006) was an alleged boss of the Pittsburgh crime family. Michael Genovese and Vito were not related in any way, per Roger Greenbank, former SA for FBI and who tracked Michael for 30 years. According to ancestry, no relation in any way, shape or form.

Criminal Career

Genovese was born in East Liberty, Pennsylvania where he once controlled the Numbers Game, according to a report by the defunct Pennsylvania Crime Commission. His climb through the Pittsburgh crime family included stints as caporegime and underboss to John Sebastian LaRocca, who became boss in 1956. In 1957, Genovese accompanied LaRocca to the Apalachin Conference of mob bosses in Apalachin, New York with Gabriel Mannarino. In 1978, facing poor health, LaRocca formed a three-man commission of Genovese, Mannarino, and Joseph Pecora to take over day-to-day operations of the family.

According to state police, task force members seized: 61 liters of liquor, 10 gallons of malt and brewed alcohol, three illegal gambling machines, $500 in cash and other business-related items.

Within a year, with the death of Mannarino and the imprisonment of Pecora, Genovese headed the Pittsburgh family. Under Genovese's leadership, the Pittsburgh mob became a middle man in drug deals with distribution rings in the Midwest and the Northeast and began making moves into the Youngstown, Ohio and Farrell, Pennsylvania territories that were vacated by a weakened Cleveland crime family. The family was also linked with an attempt to infiltrate an Indian casino near San Diego. Under Genovese's reign, the Pittsburgh family also dominated illegal gambling in Western Pennsylvania, the panhandle of West Virginia, and Eastern Ohio. The family was also involved in major drug trafficking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania along with loan sharking, scams, and theft. Genovese invested some of his illegal profits into numerous commercial properties around Pittsburgh. However, the Mafia Commission in New York would not allow Genovese to recruit new members into the family; he could only replace those who died or retired. Three years after Genovese took control, Pecora died at age 68. Genovese allegedly conducted at least one ceremony to induct or 'make' proposed members.

• ILLEGAL GAMBLING.Currently, the only forms of gambling authorized by statute in Pennsylvania are: –Gambling activities conducted pursuant to the Horse Racing Industry Reform Act.
• A statewide grand jury alleges that Robert Biros, 83, and his adult children — John, 56; Christine, 55, and Andrew, 52 — were “involved in operating their illegal video gambling enterprise in bars.

In 1985, the Federal Bureau of Investigation described the Pittsburgh family as being one of the lower-ranked national families. However, in a 1995 report, the FBI implied that due to large scale federal prosecutions of New York's Five Families and the Chicago Outfit, the Pittsburgh organization was one of the stronger families in the Eastern United States.

Prosecutions

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Age and federal prosecutors began catching up with organized crime in Pittsburgh by the early 1990s. In March 1990, capo Charles 'Chucky' Porter ,Genovese's ( right hand man )and Louis Raucci Sr., were indicted for distribution of narcotics, extortion, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, gambling and racketeering. The Pittsburgh mob at this time allegedly controlled the labor unions of LIUNA local 1058, Teamsters local 1053 and 211.

Police stake-outs at L.A. Motor in Verona, Pennsylvania where Genovese worked, revealed him meeting almost daily with Porter, and Raucci. However, surveillance equipment never recorded Genovese making any incriminating statements. Genovese was always careful to go outside when talking to his mob subordinates. Though Genovese was not indicted, he was named in this trial, as well as others in Ohio, as head of the Pittsburgh crime family. Porter, Raucci, and were all convicted. Porter and Youngstown capo Lenny Strollo, later became government witnesses.

In 1990, Genovese was suspected of ordering the takeover of territories of Youngstown and Cleveland, formerly held by the Cleveland crime family. In 1998, Genovese became a widower and later remarried to his longtime mistress.

On October 31, 2006, Genovese died of natural causes at his home in West Deer Township, Pennsylvania. Though he had served some time behind bars for refusing to testify, prosecutors were never able to assemble a successful racketeering case against him. Currently there is a legal battle between his wife and his adopted son over his estate.

The Pennsylvania State Police are back to seizingunauthorized and untaxed gambling devices and their proceeds from across the state, after a temporary pause during a legal challenge.

Between January 22 and February 25, 2020, authorities confiscated 71 gambling machines, including 65 video gambling devices, from 17 liquor establishments.

Gambling devices seized across the Commonwealth

Seizures dot the map of PA. In the Erie area in the Northwest, police took six devices. The Pittsburgh region in the West had 13 uprooted.

The Philadelphia area in the Southeast topped the list with 16. Police took 13 devices in the Northeast near Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport. Here you can see the districts with number of devices seized between Jan. 22 and Feb. 25.

VICTIM: Society, according to State Police

Accord to police spokesman Ryan Tarkowski, some seizures included gambling devices marketed as “skill machines.”

Many of the individual seizure reports read precisely the same way.

In a box spelling out what the PA State Police sees as the harm, many read, VICTIM: Society.

Captain Jeffrey Rineer, acting director of the liquor enforcement unit for the PA SP summed up:

“Illegal, unregulated gambling is a serious – and growing – problem facing the commonwealth, with video gambling devices spreading beyond licensed liquor establishments into convenience stores, malls, and restaurants. So far in 2020, gambling machine seizures have been reported from every office.”

More than $115,000 was seized and is subject to forfeiture, along with the devices.

Additionally, those involved risk criminal prosecution. And licensed liquor establishments are subject to administrative penalties under the liquor code. That includes the possibility of license suspension or seizure.

POM takes offense, defends legality of “skill games”

Pennsylvania Skill is a brand from the Pace-O-Matic company of Williamsport, PA.

POM recently lost an attempt to enjoin the court to protect their “skill games” machines while broader legal issues work their way through the state court system. At issue is if the games are subject to regulation, licensing, and taxation – or not.

POM has gone so far as to contend in civil court that while their games are legal, another manufacturer’s are not.

A spokesman for POM, Michael Barley, took issue with seizures of games made by his company:

Though we applaud the Pennsylvania State Police for seizing games that are clearly illegal and have no judicial support, we are disheartened in the fact that the Pennsylvania State Police has used this opportunity to continue to harass Pennsylvania Skill who have the only adjudicated/legal game in the Commonwealth.

Through their comments and actions, the Pennsylvania State Police have desperately tried to tie our legal, court adjudicated Pennsylvania Skill games to those manufacturers operating illegal gambling devices.

Conflicting legal rulings, growing opposition

Conflicting court rulings about the nature of POM’s devices – whether they are merely random outcome slot machines or based on skill – have created a gray area not fully explored yet in the court system or the state Legislature.

Recently, a court ruling opened the way for resumption of police seizures. Also, multiple gaming organizations united to lobby against the spread of unauthorized gaming machines in the Commonwealth.

Even the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) finally weighed in by joining the ongoing court battle and formally calling the machines illegal.

With those developments, the red light previously holding back enforcement is now yellow, if not yet bright green. And the State Police are seizing the opportunity.

Officials claim the gambling devices are hurting lottery revenue

Further opposition to illegal gaming devices has come from PA officials who are concerned unregulated and untaxed gambling devices will cut into PA state lottery revenues earmarked for senior citizen programs.

A spokesperson for the lottery last week told told KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia that a year ago, just 8% of its lottery agents had gambling devices as well as lottery terminals. This year it is 25%, and that’s cutting into lottery revenue.

Last month during Legislative hearings, PA Lottery executive director Drew Svitko told lawmakers skill games could lead to a $200 million decline in scratch-off ticket sales this year. That is a more significant loss than the $115 million hit last year, PennLivereported.

Illegal Gambling Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

“Those skill machines are absolutely having an effect on the lottery,” Svitko testified.

Illegal Gambling Pittsburgh Pa

Last year lottery ticket sales generated $1.14 billion. The Lottery Fund helps pay for older Pennsylvanians’ property tax and rent rebates, transportation, prescriptions, and local agencies on aging.

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There is disagreement on a path forward. Some lawmakers propose creating regulations and taxing the devices. Other lawmakers are pushing for heightened enforcement. For now, none of these machines are safe from seizure.