Reputed mobster guilty? You bet!

Taking bets for a $60 million illegal sports-gambling ring inside the Borgata Hotel Casino's high-stakes poker room in Atlantic City paid off with a three-year prison term for reputed South Philadelphia mobster Anthony Nicodemo.

Superior Court Judge Michael A. Donio will sentence Nicodemo, 37, to that term on April 9, in exchange for his guilty plea Tuesday to one count of second-degree conspiracy to promote gambling and launder money, according to his plea agreement.

Nicodemo took bets and possessed and transported gambling proceeds for ringleaders Jack Buscemi Jr., 51, of Mullica Hill, N.J., who oversaw at least 23 others, including casino employees, and Andrew Micali, 33, of Ventnor, who ran the day-to-day operations inside the casino.

Both pleaded guilty on Dec. 15 and each faces five years in prison.

Related charges were dropped earlier against reputed mob capo Michael "Mikey Lance" Lancellotti, 45; reputed mob associate Steven "Stevie Gongs" Casasanto; Mark Gallasso, and Vincent Borgesi, said Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

Nicodemo was one of at least 10 Philly guys who worked for the ring, including Micali, who was once a member of the 10th and Oregon gang in South Philadelphia.

New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram said earlier that in March 2006, an informant tipped off investigators what to look for in the overhead surveillance cameras in the poker room.

Gamblers, however, learned of the illegal gaming by word of mouth. Losing gamblers were forced to borrow money at 50 percent annual interest to cover their debts, according to authorities.

Investigators later followed the money to three Philadelphia "wire rooms," including one in a Micali-owned home, where each bettor's winnings and losses were calculated so that payouts or paybacks could be made.

Money was laundered by turning cash into casino chips, which were later cashed out, said investigators.

Of 11 others who pleaded guilty to promoting gambling, six were from Philadelphia: Douglas Rubino, 31; John Findaly, 32; Bernard Malseed, 65; brothers Joseph Baldino, Jr. 24, and Frank Baldino, 22; and mob associates Dominic Grande, 29, and William DePena, 40.

The Baldinos are nephews of the late mob soldier Frank Baldino, who was killed outside the Melrose Diner during the 1993 mob war.

Deputy Attorney General Kerry DiJoseph agreed to recommend that the defendants be sentenced to probation after serving a 364-day jail term.

Charges are pending against Micali's mother, Marianne Micali, 63, of Philadelphia, and his girlfriend, Annie Grajales Ospina, 25, of Egg Harbor N.J.; reputed major Philadelphia bookmaker Vincent Procopio, and three others.

The gambling operation was shut down in November 2007. Twenty-three defendants, ages 21 to 63, were indicted in April. *