The money man behind the Tim Donaghy betting scandal had a cute nickname for the disgraced former NBA referee.
"I called him the king. Elvis," Jimmy Battista told HBO's Bryant Gumbel in a segment on the network's Real Sports program that airs Tuesday . "Because nobody picked winners like he did. Nobody."
The relationship between Battista and Donaghy goes back to the 1980s when they attended Cardinal O'Hara. Earlier this decade, Battista, a professional gambler who also has had problems with drug addiction, befriended Donaghy when he learned the referee had a gambling problem.
"I know Timmy was betting on college and pro football and he wasn't doing well," Battista said. "I sucked him in. How I got him in was that he didn't have to pay on the losses. I just paid him on the wins."
Donaghy was paid $2,000 to $5,000 when his selections were correct.
Battista stopped just short of saying Donaghy directly fixed NBA games. Prosecutors found no evidence that Donaghy ever "intentionally" made calls on the court to help his gambling chances, but said Donaghy's picks were made by using his access to officiating schedules and his knowledge of players' conditions and "the manner in which officials interacted with players and called games."
But in the brief time they worked together, Battista said the two cashed in on an amazing 79 percent of Donaghy's NBA selections by going 37-10. That kind of clip would eventually bankrupt even the richest of Vegas sports books.
The scam, which was done mostly via phone involving games Donaghy was refereeing, started with a Sixers-Celtics game on Dec. 13, 2006, in which the host Sixers were favored by 1 points, Battista said. Boston won by 20. It disintegrated four months later and in August 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy and transmitting gambling information across state lines.
In his plea agreement, Donaghy said he bet on only 16 games, not the 47 Battista asserts.
Donaghy's lawyer, John Lauro, refuted Battista's claims.
"Tim Donaghy's cooperation was completely vetted by the FBI and determined to be accurate," Lauro told The New York Times. "As far as I know, Mr. Battista has never cooperated, nor have any of his statements been subject to a thorough investigation by the FBI. We stand completely by Tim's statements to the court and his full cooperation with the United States."
Donaghy's plea agreement called for full disclosure so any holes or omissions could result in perjury or other charges by the feds. He was released from prison earlier this month after completing a 15-month jail term, minus about 2 months for good behavior.
Battista and a third associate, Tommy Martino, also served jail time. Battista, of Phoenixville, had been sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal gambling. Tommy Martino, of Boothwyn, who served as the middleman in the three-person operation, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to a year and a day in jail.
Battista did not cooperate with authorities and denied ever threatening Donaghy or his family; something Donaghy told authorities had occurred.
In the interview given from his suburban Philadelphia home, Battista gave HBO a detailed account of how the operation worked, including the use of code words. "Mom" meant the home team was the hot pick; "Dad" meant to go with the road team.
"We bet every game," Battista said. "Why stop?"
"I called him the king. Elvis," Jimmy Battista told HBO's Bryant Gumbel in a segment on the network's Real Sports program that airs Tuesday . "Because nobody picked winners like he did. Nobody."
The relationship between Battista and Donaghy goes back to the 1980s when they attended Cardinal O'Hara. Earlier this decade, Battista, a professional gambler who also has had problems with drug addiction, befriended Donaghy when he learned the referee had a gambling problem.
"I know Timmy was betting on college and pro football and he wasn't doing well," Battista said. "I sucked him in. How I got him in was that he didn't have to pay on the losses. I just paid him on the wins."
Donaghy was paid $2,000 to $5,000 when his selections were correct.
Battista stopped just short of saying Donaghy directly fixed NBA games. Prosecutors found no evidence that Donaghy ever "intentionally" made calls on the court to help his gambling chances, but said Donaghy's picks were made by using his access to officiating schedules and his knowledge of players' conditions and "the manner in which officials interacted with players and called games."
But in the brief time they worked together, Battista said the two cashed in on an amazing 79 percent of Donaghy's NBA selections by going 37-10. That kind of clip would eventually bankrupt even the richest of Vegas sports books.
The scam, which was done mostly via phone involving games Donaghy was refereeing, started with a Sixers-Celtics game on Dec. 13, 2006, in which the host Sixers were favored by 1 points, Battista said. Boston won by 20. It disintegrated four months later and in August 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy and transmitting gambling information across state lines.
In his plea agreement, Donaghy said he bet on only 16 games, not the 47 Battista asserts.
Donaghy's lawyer, John Lauro, refuted Battista's claims.
"Tim Donaghy's cooperation was completely vetted by the FBI and determined to be accurate," Lauro told The New York Times. "As far as I know, Mr. Battista has never cooperated, nor have any of his statements been subject to a thorough investigation by the FBI. We stand completely by Tim's statements to the court and his full cooperation with the United States."
Donaghy's plea agreement called for full disclosure so any holes or omissions could result in perjury or other charges by the feds. He was released from prison earlier this month after completing a 15-month jail term, minus about 2 months for good behavior.
Battista and a third associate, Tommy Martino, also served jail time. Battista, of Phoenixville, had been sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal gambling. Tommy Martino, of Boothwyn, who served as the middleman in the three-person operation, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to a year and a day in jail.
Battista did not cooperate with authorities and denied ever threatening Donaghy or his family; something Donaghy told authorities had occurred.
In the interview given from his suburban Philadelphia home, Battista gave HBO a detailed account of how the operation worked, including the use of code words. "Mom" meant the home team was the hot pick; "Dad" meant to go with the road team.
"We bet every game," Battista said. "Why stop?"
