STRUTHERS SPORTS BAR Guilty pleas set in LaVilla gambling case

The defendants could be sentenced to home confinement.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Four men with ties to LaVilla Sports Bar & amp; Grille in Struthers will plead guilty to operating a gambling business.
In May, a federal grand jury in Cleveland indicted 15 men and one woman, accusing them of running sports bookmaking operations, college and professional football, mostly. All pleaded innocent and were released on unsecured signature bonds pending trial, set for Dec. 13.
Court records for U.S. District Judge Paul R. Matia show change-of-plea hearings set for Wednesday for:
UTodd Yallech, 35, of East Huntington Drive, Boardman. His Cleveland attorney, Albert Giuliani, could not be reached.
U William McCullough, 53, of Sharrott Road, North Lima. His Youngstown attorney, Gary L. VanBrocklin, declined to comment, other than to say that cooperation with the government's case against co-defendants is not part of the plea agreement.
U James Donghia, 34, of 12th Street, Bessemer, Pa.
U Frank Daltorio, 40, of Appleridge Circle, Boardman. Donghia and Daltorio's Boardman attorney, J. Gerald Ingram, could not be reached.
Possible sentences
Federal sentencing guidelines show that, with acceptance of responsibility, the defendants face six to 12 months in prison. The judge can split the time between home detention and probation.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Matthew B. Kall, an assistant U.S. attorney based in Cleveland. Kall declined to comment.
The FBI received an anonymous letter dated Jan. 10, 2001, detailing a "major gambling racket in the Struthers-Boardman area" with LaVilla Sports Bar & amp; Grille on Youngstown-Poland Road in Struthers at the center of it. To build a case, the FBI used wiretaps to bug suspected bookmakers' phones from Nov. 10 to Dec. 9, 2001, and Dec. 22, 2001 to Jan. 5, 2002.
In one month, illegal sports bookmakers with ties to the bar took in $2.5 million in bets, the FBI said.
The remaining defendants are Steve "Moose" Almasy, 66, Poland, who operates the bar; his son and daughter-in-law, Kevin Almasy, 35, and Patrice Almasy, 33, both of Boardman; Ronald Beshara, 52, Canfield; Richard Milano, 46, Campbell; Frank Angelo, 48, Hubbard; Richard Burnett, 57, Struthers; John Yurko, 56, Boardman; Vito Yeropoli, 30, Hillsville, Pa.; Joseph Vaio, 53, Struthers; Dennis Billec, 40, Campbell; and Angelo Mosco, 48, Boardman.
FBI investigation
Intercepted conversations show that Kevin Almasy told bettors and bookmakers to meet him at LaVilla and told Yallech to "drop off their 'stuff' at the bar." The FBI said fruits of the gambling operation, including cash, were kept at the home of Steve Almasy.
FBI agents also used surveillance to track the defendants' comings and goings.
The indictment asks for forfeiture of LaVilla Sports Bar & amp; Grille; Kevin and Patrice Almasy's home at 8 Midwood Circle; and the liquor permit in the name of Sally Ann Almasy, doing business as LaVilla. Steve and Sally Ann Almasy are married.
LaVilla, 812 Youngstown-Poland Road, is owned by Josephine Carabbia, according to Mahoning County records. She is a sister of Sally Ann Almasy.
meade@vindy.com