‘Elvis’ must forfeit the building? Prosecutor wants $1.4 million home

A man authorities say made a hunka hunka cash running a New Jersey-based gambling ring could lose his Passaic County home, according to a report.

NJ Advance Media reports Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal has filed a civil action to confirm forfeiture of the $1.4 million home at 37 Mountainwood Court in Totowa.

The home is owned by Julie D'Alessio, wife of Robert D'Alessio, 62, one of 46 people charged in the alleged multi-state ring. According to the NJAM report, the Bergen County Prosecutor alleges those in the ring made "hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits each week" and that the couple often made mortgage payments in cash. Profits from the ring were also allegedly used for upgrades to the home.

Authorities say D'Alessio — who sports sideburns and a more than passing resemblance to late rock 'n' roll pioneer Elvis Presely — went by the aliases "Elvis" and "Andrew Dice Clay."

In May, authorities announced they took down the large-scale money laundering, gambling and racketeering operation, arresting dozens of people after executing search warrants in New York, New Jersey and Florida, and seizing approximately $2 million in U.S. currency, New Jersey 101.5 reported at the time.

Authorities say D'Alessio had a crew of at least 50 gambling “package holders” or “agents” in charge of overseeing 320 bettors, collecting money from gamblers following losses and distributing winnings. In total, police say, the agents managed 22 gambling accounts.

Police say D'Alessio's former brother-in-law, Esteban "Steve" Cueli was also involved in the illegal operation. He allegedly focused his attention in the South Florida region, managing packages for a bookmaking operation. D'Alessio and Cueli enlisted a businessman identified as Enrique Larach "to launder proceeds" from the illegal gambling ring, police said. Other local managers in the crime ring included Robert Beatty of Wayne, Alfonc Pilinco of Franklin Lakes and Dante Monaco of Hackettstown, according to the prosecutor.

Through their investigation, authorities learned that D'Alessio's operation included a wire room in Costa Rica where agents and bettors used a website and 1-800 numbers to place bets and check on "packages" with millions of dollars in wagers being processed each year, according to the prosecutor.

— With reporting by Toniann Antonielli

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