STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— What do an NBA great and a Staten Island mobster have in common? According to the federal government, it’s an elaborate poker scheme that milked unsuspecting players of more than $7 million.

In an indictment unsealed this week in Brooklyn Federal Court, 31 defendants across 11 states are named as playing various roles in the scheme, which authorities say dates back to 2019.

Defendants include current Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups, another former NBA player, and several members of La Cosa Nostra; including Staten Islander and Gambino captain Joseph Lanni .

The sophisticated, multi-faceted hustle used electronic devices, and spanned several underground Texas Hold ‘em games at locations in Manhattan, Las Vegas, East Hampton and elsewhere, court documen

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