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Federal officials unveiled Operation Royal Flush, charging 34 people — including a dozen men with alleged ties to the Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno and Lucchese families — in a high-tech poker rigging enterprise that allegedly netted millions over six years. Prosecutors say the crew ran fixed games in Manhattan and elsewhere, extorted debtors, and even staged a gunpoint robbery to steal a rigged shuffling machine. Several defendants have prior felony convictions; some lawyers denied wrongdoing or declined comment. The FBI said the scheme exploited notoriety and victims’ wallets to finance Italian crime families.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.