A poker game was underway when the financiers of the Provincial Command of Lucca intervened in a recreational association that had been monitored for some time, discovering a real clandestine gambling den. The “Christmas Gift” operation was born following some reports received by the soldiers of the mobile unit of the Viareggio group which indicated, in a secluded building in the Bicchio area, “the most important clandestine betting collection center in the area”. The Fiamme Gialle therefore went into action by monitoring the flows and verifying how every day, starting from 10pm, there was a continuous coming and going inside the warehouse. The financiers, therefore, organized the intervention and, once inside, they found themselves in the presence of a real casino with professional tables equipped with placeholders for players and dealers, numerous decks of cards, chips and “all in” triangles. The Viareggio military then proceeded to immediately identify the customers who were caught playing “Texas Hold’em”, an American variant of classic poker (French style poker).
Of the 12 identified, nine were players (two of whom were Chinese) while three others were identified as organizers of the gambling den. Among the numerous manuscript sheets found, several nicknames of the participants were found, many of which were repeated on several occasions, demonstrating their assiduous attendance at the improvised casino. Furthermore, in some diaries it was possible to find traces of parallel accounting in which the exchange of cash into chips was noted. Upon identification of all those present, it was found that some of the players had access to large sums of money amounting to over 20 thousand euros in cash. The cash of the gambling den, which at 10 pm already registered 1,885 euros, was subjected to seizure. Two players were also reported to the Prefecture as they were found in possession of narcotic substances such as hashish and marijuana. At the end of the activities, the financiers proceeded to report the 9 players to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for participation in gambling and the three organizers for operating games of chance. Finally, the military seized the cash register, all the professional gaming equipment and furniture found and an instrument for detecting counterfeit banknotes.
Francesca Navari
