$1M cash in yard in gambling case


January 29, 2014 at 2:57p.m.

$1M cash in yard in gambling case

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Guilty pleas are unfolding in a gambling case that involves $1 million buried in the yard of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo’s daughter.

Investigators say brothers Joseph Vito Mastronardo Jr. and John Mastronardo laundered gambling proceeds through offshore accounts and other means.

Joseph Mastronardo is married to Rizzo’s daughter, Joanna. He and their son, Joseph F., are scheduled for guilty pleas Friday.

Joanna Mastronardo is charged with “structuring” bank deposits to avoid reporting rules. Her lawyer, William Brennan, says she is not scheduled for a plea.

Authorities say they found $1 million in cash buried in PVC pipes buried outside the couple’s suburban home in 2010.

Defense lawyer Dennis Cogan confirms a Philadelphia Daily News report that defendants charged with gambling and racketeering will enter a “global plea,” requiring that they all plead guilty.