Elements of the National Basketball Association are being dragged through the mud as players and coaches are charged with fraud and various illegal gambling activities

But former prosecutors said the mafia's influence and activities have changed since its heyday in the 20th century, when blood-soaked tabloid covers bearing news of mafia hits, business shakedowns, and blockbuster trials were the norm.

IN 1990s Philadelphia two mafia factions went into battle – and the city’s streets became a bloody warzone. Brutal killings, mob hits and gangland violence ensued that was so sickening it

The allegations involve illegal poker games that were backed by La Cosa Nostra crime families, in which suspects allegedly used technology to cheat at the card game and steal millions from players. Here's more from NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch:

Denials of the extent and scale of Antifa could echo the doubts over the scope of La Cosa Nostra prior to evidence emerging in the 1950s.

The indictments announced Thursday of a poker cheating ring involving NBA figures and backed by the mafia emphasized their alleged high-tech cheating methods. But the con tactics they described are as old as poker itself, familiar from heist movies and James Bond films.