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Gambino crime family member gets 11 years

A high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family was sentenced Friday to 11 years in prison for his involvement in an illegal gambling operation and multiple fraud schemes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

A high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family was sentenced Friday to 11 years in prison for his involvement in an illegal gambling operation and multiple fraud schemes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Andrew Merola, also known as Andrew Knapnik, 43, with residences in East Hanover and Toms River, N.J., had pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. He admitted running an illegal gambling operation, extortion, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, receiving unlawful labor payments or bribes, and other racketeering acts.

Merola also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $100,000 and pay $161,481 in restitution.

Most of Merola's 22 codefendants have pleaded guilty. The arrests followed a two-year investigation that involved more than 39,000 wiretapped conversations.    - Adrienne Lu