A former MMA fighter who became a bookie now faces a two-year prison sentence as part of a criminal case tied to the Chicago mob.
A one-time MMA fighter from Chicago who severed ties with a mob-connected illegal bookmaking operation has received a two-year prison sentence.
Michael Frontier admitted in court in January to leading an illegal gambling enterprise within the Chicago Outfit's notorious Elmwood Park and Grand Avenue street crews between 2015 and 2016, according to legal records. The case was part of a vast federal probe into the organized crime group's gambling and prostitution racket.
Frontier was apprehended while talking about his illicit betting activities on FBI wiretaps targeting key players in the Outfit's illegal operations.
Wiretapped Conversations
Although he wasn't identified as a Mafia member, Frontier admitted to leading a team of five agents who found gamblers and gathered debts for his per-head betting ring. Additionally, he admitted to gaining money from unlawful sports betting. However, he didn't report this income during 2015 bankruptcy proceedings, as he tried to avoid paying a $1.5 million civil award from a motorcycle accident case.
In his 2015 bankruptcy hearing, Frontier claimed to be a painter and carpenter, making $7,500 in annual income. Although, during wiretapped conversations, Frontier threatened non-paying gamblers with violence, as revealed in court documents.
One gambler stated that when he was unable to pay, Frontier connected him with a moneylender. When he encountered the moneylender, he was attacked by several men, resulting in physical harm, according to court records.
Transformed Life
Tattooed extensively, Frontier offered an apology to U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey before sentencing, claiming to have transformed his life after leaving the illegal gambling industry in 2016 - before he knew he was being investigated, as noted by The Chicago Tribune.
"I'm an entirely different person from then until now," he said. "I've changed my life and I'm just hoping for a second chance."
Currently, Frontier works for a thriving cannabis company, Verano, and is anticipating the birth of his first child, his attorney informed.
On his LinkedIn profile, now erased, he identified himself as a "clairvoyant, intuitive life coach, reiki master, reflexologist, and keynote speaker."
As part of the broader investigation, agents had been listening in on suspected members of the Chicago Outfit, including a relative of the reputed Elmwood Park capo and Mob bookmaker, Joseph "Joe Gags" Gagliano and Marco "The Mover" D'Amico, who is believed to have overseen the Outfit's illegal sports betting operations for several decades until his death in 2020 at age 84.
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Source: www.casino.org
