Anthony Ciulla was connected to the Boston-based Winter Hill Gang and later testified against several members of the organization.
18 Facts About Anthony Ciulla
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Anthony Ciulla later decided that bribing jockeys was the best way to fix races, since post race drug testing made it difficult to get away with doping.
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Anthony Ciulla was able to influence jockeys through a combination of cash bribes, some as high as $10,000, and physical intimidation.
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Anthony Ciulla soon expanded his operations throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States, although he was primarily active in the New York area.
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Anthony Ciulla often bribed jockeys who rode the betting favorite, and instructed them not to win the race.
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In 1975, Anthony Ciulla's activities came to light when a jockey he bribed, Peter Fantini, made an obvious display of restraining his horse during a race and became the subject of an investigation.
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Anthony Ciulla was implicated by jockey Michael Hole who reported that Anthony Ciulla approached him and tried to bribe him to pull a horse during a race at the Saratoga Race Course in 1974.
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Anthony Ciulla was convicted of fixing thoroughbred races in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and was sentenced to four to six years in prison.
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Anthony Ciulla agreed to cooperate with the United States Department of Justice in exchange for immunity, relocation and a new identity.
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In November 1978, Anthony Ciulla became a major witness in the federal government's investigation into horse racing.
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Anthony Ciulla then entered United States Federal Witness Protection Program under the new name Tony Capra.
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Anthony Ciulla's testimony proved key to the conviction of several jockeys and trainers, ending their careers.
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Anthony Ciulla implicated mob boss Whitey Bulger and his partner Stephen Flemmi in the horse fixing ring, but the two had recently become informants for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and were not prosecuted.
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Anthony Ciulla lived in Malibu, California for a time under the identity of Tony Capra.
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Anthony Ciulla claimed to have fixed hundreds of races over the course of his career.
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Anthony Ciulla hoped to have a book and movie deal about his biography after the trial, but no projects ever materialized.
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In 1992, Anthony Ciulla was arrested at his home in Newport Beach, California and was reportedly awaiting extradition to Switzerland on charges related to an alleged investment scam.
18.
Anthony Ciulla reportedly died of a heart attack on June 6,2003, in Revere, Massachusetts.