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Part 8: Tim Donaghy on Not Refereeing Playoffs After Punching Referee Joey Crawford
Part 6: Tim Donaghy on Winning 80% of NBA Games He Bet On, Refereeing Malice at the Palace
Part 1: Tim Donaghy on Becoming an NBA Referee, Making $300K a Year
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In this clip, Tim Donaghy and Vlad delved into the depths of a dangerous gambling operation with ties to the Gambino crime family, where bookmakers overseas were allegedly betting hundreds of thousands of dollars. The operation surfaced due to one individual known as James Batista and his connection with a high school peer. Batista, identified as one of the significant bookmakers in the area, held deep ties with organized crime, even ferrying funds into mob coffers. The association stirred the interest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and when Tim stopped participating in the operations, Batista threatened him. The threats included exposing Tim's involvement to his employer and possibly terrorizing his wife and children. The FBI began investigating the case after Tim's name emerged from a wiretap conversation where Batista claimed to have a referee under his control.
