Son Of Mob In ASU Scandal

The son of a reputed Chicago mob figure has been charged with taking part in a 1994 basketball point-shaving scheme at Arizona State.

Vincent Basso was charged with sports bribery, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and a money laundering-related count in an indictment unsealed Wednesday. He was the seventh person charged in the case. The others have reached plea agreements with a federal prosecutor.

Basso, the 30-year-old son of reputed mob associate Dominick Bastone, was arraigned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago and released on $50,000 bond. He is to appear in federal court in Phoenix on Jan. 20.

Prosecutors did not reveal what role he played in the scheme.

Benny Silman, a Chicago bookmaker said to be the mastermind behind the scheme, is serving a 46-month sentence for getting Arizona State guards Stevin "Hedake" Smith and Isaac Burton to shave points in certain games so the school wouldn't beat gamblers' point spread.

Smith, the Sun Devils' No. 2 all-time leading scorer, agreed to fix four games for $20,000 a game, in part to erase a reported $10,000 gambling debt to Silman, authorities said. Burton was paid $4,300 for helping fix two games, authorities said.

The 1994 games in question were those with Oregon State on Jan. 27, Oregon on Jan. 29, Southern California on Feb. 19 and Washington on March 5.

Smith, Burton, Phoenix investment adviser Joseph Gagliano Jr., Chicago trucking company executive Dominic Mangiamele and his son, Joseph, are awaiting sentencing.

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