Samuels has been with the Mets since 1976, but it appears he was getting his Tim Donaghy in the dugout and now the Feds have come rushing in.
Here are the details:
Longtime Mets equipment manager Charlie Samuels has been suspended amid an investigation into mob-run gambling, law-enforcement sources told The Post yesterday.
The probe — which has been ongoing for at least six months — centers on allegations that Samuels placed illicit wagers on various sporting events, the sources said. The investigation was launched when an informant went to the office of Queens DA Richard Brown with details about alleged bets Samuels made with members of organized crime, according to the sources.
Samuels placed wagers ranging from a couple of hundred bucks to $5,000 on horse racing and NFL games, the sources said.
Investigators are looking into whether he also bet on other sports, including baseball.
Samuels — who sometimes allegedly phoned bets in from work — would also place wagers for other team employees, but not baseball players, the sources said.
Doesn’t appear the gambling itself was the problem, it was the fact he was gambling with Tony Soprano. Don’t know if Samuels is the central figure in the case, but you know how it goes down in the NYC, they like to leak these guys name out to generate additional press for their cases.
If he did bet on baseball or give inside information about games I could see how that could be problem, but there is no evidence of that currently.
I am sure if he did it went something like this:
Tony Soprano: “Should I bet heavy on the Mets today?”
Charlie Samuels: “Are you crazy they SUCK!!!”
