Steve "Chippy" Bonaserio:
"Bob You Gotta Do Something! Please!"
Area leaders like Chippy Bonaserio are outraged and shocked to hear that Carmine Devita has been falsely accused by the government in a flurry of gambling and extortion counts that could send the retired union shop leader to prison for the rest of his life. So far, fifteen counts of illegal gambling related charges and six extortion charges have been filed against Devita and four associates of his alleged South Jersey gambling book.
"It's fuckin ludicrous," began Artie Morris outside Lily's EZ Shoppe, "Carmine has his coffee here and will smoke a Camel out front and joke about how the neighborhood has changed since he bought here in the 70's, he's never once talked about gambling with me and I known the guy since '81, maybe '79 come to think of it." Another man, a police officer that whose beat includes Lily's had this to say, "Carmine Devita is a class act, he got a lot of people into bodybuilding around here, not for nothin but as a cop I have a sixth sense and I wouldn't be surprised if the guy he was trashin put the screws on him."
But could it be? Could the man that buys his trunks at Walmart truly have that kind of influence across the counrry?
Voices From The Neighborhood
Frank Neiburt: "I have known Carmine Devita since the days he worked for the carpenter's union in Hoboken. The man has always had an unwavering love and respect for bodybuilding, but maybe he loved the sport too much. As many of you know, I was a point man for the Shawn Ray Pro-Am Classic Rally For Justice (the first ever protest of a bodybuilding event). Carmine believed with every fiber of his being that Pavol Jablonicky defeated Bob Cicherillo at the IFBB Masters World Championships and was putting together efforts aimed at putting the judges and their criteria under the microscope. Before Carmine ever set foot on a bus, he was busted on gambling and extortion charges...charges that go back as long as four years..so why now? Carmine Devita is a free man, FREE HIM!"
Alleged Devita Soldier
Steve Winters (South Trenton)
"I work as a security officer and put in seven years in the U.S. Air Force. I have a wife, I have two kids, I have a mortgage and I have a good life, a life I think I've more than earned. Yes I do have a concealed weapons license, yes I do make use of that license and yes I have on occasion driven and accompanied my friend Carmine Devita to and from gatherings. Whether the state cares to realize this is or not, Trenton New Jersey has some rough parts, parts where a seventy ear old man shouldn't go, so I accompanied him. Carmine Devita worked his whole life and never once took a dime that wasn't his, now all of a sudden there's people wanting to recreate the Sopranos out here and make allegations on a man whose never done anything but work his ass off and do right by God and country. These charges are bullshit and truly border slander and libel. When Carmine gets cleared you can bet me and countless others will put our money where mouthes are and get him lawyered up for round2 and go after the state! You can count on that!"
