ASU B-Ball Players Sentenced

June 21, 1999 / 9:45 PM EDT / AP

A former Arizona State player and four other men who admitted involvement in a college basketball point-shaving scandal were sentenced to federal prison or probation Monday.

The scandal caused harm to the university, the students, the fans and to the coach, U.S. District Judge Robert C. Broomfield said. "This scandal leads to cynicism about what college sports is all about."

Prior to sentencing, former Arizona State guard Isaac Burton Jr. apologized to his coaches, "all ASU fans, classmates and whoever," saying he didn't realize what he was getting involved in. "Hopefully you guys can forgive me."

Burton, Vincent Basso, Joseph Gagliano, Joseph Mangiamele, Dominic Mangiamele, admitted they were involved in a point-shaving scheme allegedly masterminded by former Arizona State student Benny Silman during the 1993-94 season.

Silman, 28, is serving a 46-month prison sentence for getting Stevin "Hedake" Smith and Burton to shave points in games so the team wouldn't beat the point spread.

"At no time did (Burton) do anything intentionally that would cause the game to be affected in any way," his lawyer, James Logan, said before sentencing.

Calling Burton's apology heartfelt and saying he gained little and lost a lot by his involvement, Broomfield sentenced Burton to two months in jail, six months of home detention and three years' probation. Burton also was fined $8,000 and will have to complete 200 hours of community service. He could have faced up to 1@1/2 years in prison.

Broomfield said Burton's jail sentence need not be continuous and he did not rule out the possibility that Burton might be able to travel outside the country during his probation.

Burton played professionally last year in Cyprus.

Five Arizona State games were bet on in Las Vegas between December 1993 and May 1994 and four were fixed successfully, prosecutors said. The bettors lost all their money in the last game of the scheme against Washington when Arizona State beat the point spread.

Gagliano was sentenced to 15 months in prison, three years parole, 100 hours of community service and fined $6,000.

Joseph Mangiamele was sentenced to three months in jail, eight months of home detention and four years' probation. He will also have to pay a $5,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service.

Dominic Mangiamele, Joseph's father, a former Chicago trucking executive, was sentenced to three months' probation, which includes four months of home detention, a $5,000 fines, and 100 hours of community service.

Basso, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., was sentenced to 1@1/2 years in prison, $27,000 in fines the amount he profited from betting on a game between Arizona State and Southern California and three years' parole.

Smith, the third-leading scorer in Arizona State history, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sports bribery in 1997 and is cheduled to be sentenced Sept. 20.