Steve Forte indicted!

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Tom Frame
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Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Tom Frame » October 3rd, 2008, 1:06 pm


Roger M.
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Roger M. » October 3rd, 2008, 1:17 pm

You don't know if it's a "damned shame" or not.

Forte has been convicted of absolutely nothing.

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Magic Newswire
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Magic Newswire » October 3rd, 2008, 1:29 pm

Yeah.. we posted this yesterday. I didn't think to post it here in spite of the fact that Steve was on the cover of the Oct 2005 Genii with an 18 page Bio called "Catch Me If You Can."

Also, you are correct that he has not been convicted. I don't see any mention that he has been, just that he was arrested and charged as per the article. Even if he is vindicated, it will certainly impact his reputation as a "Casino Consultant."

Then again.. maybe not. Hackers are regularly hired to help companies solve their IT security issues.. hmmm...

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 3rd, 2008, 1:43 pm

Did they forget to tip the porter for bringing up all that equipment or the maid for helping them set up?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

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Tom Frame
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Tom Frame » October 3rd, 2008, 1:49 pm

Roger,

Yes, I DO know that I feel that it's a damned shame that he got embroiled in this bit of nastiness, whether he gets convicted or not. Do you have a problem with me expressing my opinion?

Roger M.
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Roger M. » October 3rd, 2008, 2:30 pm

I'm expressing my opinion.

I find it a shame that folks are so quick to post links to articles about Steve Forte that contain no facts, only allegations.

All this serves to do is to damage Forte's reputation in the community.

If you feel it's a "human interest" story, then you've every right to do what you did and post a link to it.
Personally, I feel it's tasteless.

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CraigMitchell
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby CraigMitchell » October 3rd, 2008, 2:33 pm

Tasteless or not ... its news

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Kevin Connolly » October 3rd, 2008, 2:39 pm

BINGO! Give Craig a seegar!
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Roger M. » October 3rd, 2008, 2:58 pm

I'm not that hard up for this kind of "news".

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Irving Quant » October 3rd, 2008, 3:23 pm

Didn't he get in trouble for observing another crew last year?

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Dustin Stinett » October 3rd, 2008, 3:39 pm

Roger M. wrote:I'm expressing my opinion.

I find it a shame that folks are so quick to post links to articles about Steve Forte that contain no facts, only allegations.


And its Tom Frames opinion that its a shame that Mr. Forte has, as a matter of fact been indicted of a crime. (So yes, this news article does indeed contain facts.)

Roger M. wrote:All this serves to do is to damage Forte's reputation in the community.


I would argue that Mr. Forte put himself into this position, which isin my opiniona shame.

Roger M. wrote:If you feel it's a "human interest" story, then you've every right to do what you did and post a link to it.


Its not a human interest story (as any first year journalism student could tell you). Its news (as pointed out by Craig M.).

Roger M. wrote:Personally, I feel it's tasteless.


Now there is an opinion that cannot be argued with. I believe, then, that you would be best served to ignore the story.

Now heres my over-active imagination (coupled with a big dose of wishful thinking) at work:

Steve is part of a larger sting operation and the indictment is all just part of the cover story.

Dustin

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Roger M. » October 3rd, 2008, 3:56 pm

No Dustin, I'll not ignore the posts related to this story, and will continue to post my thoughts on it here on the forum. (is that OK with you?)

If you feel that my opinion and thoughts are somehow not welcome here, please elaborate?

You yourself don't have a clue what's going on in this case, and neither does anybody else.
If you feel comfortable dragging Forte's name through the mud simply because you can, then there's little I can to do prevent you or anybody else from doing just that.

Frankly, there's nobody here who is even qualified to shine Forte's shoes, so it seems somehow like tilting at windmills and sullying a mans reputation for no reason based on fact.

I expect to read this kind of thing on the Magic Cafe, but had wrongly supposed the Genii forum was above such hair salon chatter.

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Travis » October 3rd, 2008, 4:11 pm

Roger M. wrote:Frankly, there's nobody here who is even qualified to shine Forte's shoes, so it seems somehow like tilting at windmills and sullying a mans reputation for no reason based on fact.


What?
Is Steve Forte a Saint or something? What makes him so much better than the rest of us?
Sorry , but I just find this statement to be laughable.

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Kevin Connolly » October 3rd, 2008, 4:18 pm

Travis...I must have missed that email too. :)

Dustin great post. ;)
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Jim Maloney » October 3rd, 2008, 4:31 pm

Irving Quant wrote:Didn't he get in trouble for observing another crew last year?

Irving, this is a continuation of the same case. You can read a report of the original arrest here.

-Jim
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Jim Maloney » October 3rd, 2008, 4:37 pm

Roger M. wrote:Frankly, there's nobody here who is even qualified to shine Forte's shoes, so it seems somehow like tilting at windmills and sullying a mans reputation for no reason based on fact.


"No reason based on fact"?

Fact: Steve Forte was arrested last year for allegedly being involved in a poker cheating scam.
Fact: Steve Forte has now been formally indicted on these charges.

I don't think anyone here is trying to sully Forte's reputation -- in fact, I'm certain that everyone here hopes Steve is cleared of all wrongdoing. However, there are certain facts which have been presented, are undeniable, and are simply being reported here.

-Jim
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 3rd, 2008, 4:57 pm

We are not dragging Steve Forte's name through the mud: news has been reported, that's all.

Steve's a swell guy, an authority in his field like no other, and a friend of mine as well. The details of what happened will be brought to light in court and, hopefully, he will be exonerated.
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Dustin Stinett
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Dustin Stinett » October 3rd, 2008, 5:20 pm

Roger M. wrote:No Dustin, I'll not ignore the posts related to this story, and will continue to post my thoughts on it here on the forum. (is that OK with you?)


Thats fine with me. I was honestly trying to save you some aggravation.

Roger M. wrote:If you feel that my opinion and thoughts are somehow not welcome here, please elaborate?


In no way did I imply any such thing. I said you would be best served to ignore something you find tasteless and that is all I said. (For example, I ignore Masked Magic guy shows because I find them tasteless.) So there is absolutely nothing for me to elaborate on. You, on the other hand, might want to elaborate how in the world you can arrive at the notion that your thoughts are unwelcome here by my comment. Or you can just relax and play past it, which is fine with me too.

Roger M. wrote:You yourself don't have a clue what's going on in this case, and neither does anybody else.
If you feel comfortable dragging Forte's name through the mud simply because you can, then there's little I can to do prevent you or anybody else from doing just that.


I know he was in fact arrested.
I know he was in fact indicted.
I know that I feel its a shame that this has happened.
I know that I sincerely hope he is acquitted.
I am absolutely comfortable stating all these facts.
I also know that I will probably be restating these facts early next year (in my annual wrap up, so consider yourself warned: you might find it tasteless because of that).

Roger M. wrote:Frankly, there's nobody here who is even qualified to shine Forte's shoes


Forte would do well to have me shine his shoes. I shine a hell of a shoe; like mirrors (and none of this patent leather crap; Im talking Kiwi shoe polish, the right kind of cloth, and a Navy secret taught to me by my Pop).

Dustin

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Green Skittle » October 3rd, 2008, 6:35 pm

Rumour has it cheaters have been using Dustin's shoes as shiners for years.

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Dustin Stinett » October 3rd, 2008, 7:08 pm

Shhhhhhhh....

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Roger M. » October 3rd, 2008, 7:29 pm

Gents, I feel discussing Forte's current situation is severely lacking in taste, and agreeing with me isn't at all mandatory.....so no need to dice my posts to try and address it.

Perhaps I should have been more precise though. There isn't a card guy here qualified to shine Forte's shoes.....not a one.

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Steve V » October 3rd, 2008, 8:57 pm

I'm willing to sell Navy shoe shining secrets....

I don't understand what cards have to do with shoe shining by the way. I doubt canary fans get upset when Robert Strouds crimes are discussed.
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Cohiba » October 3rd, 2008, 9:19 pm

Roger M. wrote:Gents, I feel discussing Forte's current situation is severely lacking in taste, and agreeing with me isn't at all mandatory.....so no need to dice my posts to try and address it.

Perhaps I should have been more precise though. There isn't a card guy here qualified to shine Forte's shoes.....not a one.


What does Steve's skill with cards have to do with anything?

Why is discussing something that's in the news tasteless?

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 3rd, 2008, 9:35 pm

It doesn't matter, Roger M, if Steve Forte is more skillful and knowledgable in his area than anyone reading this board. That's beside the point entirely.

He certainly is more skillful and knowledable, but he was evidently in the wrong place at the wrong time, for whatever reason.

End of story for the moment.
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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Richard Perrin » October 4th, 2008, 2:56 am

Let the court handle this acts of crime and decide. We will talk about that after the justuce has made.

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Mark Tams » October 4th, 2008, 6:43 am

Roger M.,

I think we ALL get the jest of your feelings on this.

There really is no reason for you to continue to say the same thing over and over . . . we get your feelings.

"Asked and answered"

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby 000 » October 4th, 2008, 10:10 am

The report states that the warrant was executed just prior to the (marks) arrival and yet he got taken for $75 000?
We shall see.

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Magic Newswire » October 4th, 2008, 12:39 pm

I look forward to posting the story "Steve Forte Exonerated of Cheating Charges", but it is still reporting info of interest and relevance to this community.

The indictment relates to charges made against Steve after an arrest in 2007.

July 25, 2007
Casino expert accused of shady poker game
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6465179

An internationally known expert in exposing casino cheats has been arrested in Atlantic City, N.J. - on charges of fleecing high-rollers in a high-tech crooked poker game.

Players in town for last month's $1.7 million poker tournament at the Borgata hotel were lured to a private game in a luxurious upstairs room rigged with miniature hidden cameras aimed at their cards.

Authorities said one of the four conspirators whispered what the players were holding to an accomplice at the table wearing a tiny earpiece. Another henchman was running the odds on each deal of the cards on a laptop behind the scenes.


July 27, 2007
Poker Cheats Busted at the Borgata
http://www.pokernews.com/news/2007/07/p ... orgata.htm

This week the New Jersey Attorney General's office released details on the arrests of four individuals involved in a poker-related cheating scam at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City on June 7, 2007.

A noted casino-industry cheating expert, Steve Forte, along with Joseph T. Ingargiola, Stephen Phillips, and James C. Harrison, have been charged with using a computer and cheating devices to commit theft, attempted theft by deception and conspiracy. All defendants are currently free on bail.

The four men allegedly were involved in a scheme that involved luring high-stakes poker players to a Borgata hotel room which was fitted with hidden cameras. The cameras were placed in a manner such that players' hole cards were visible. There were also instances where marked decks of cards were employed. The NJ Attorney General's Office also alleged that the men were using computer simulation programs to calculate their odds in any given hand.

July 26, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/nyreg ... html?fta=y
High-Stakes Poker Games Were Rigged, Say N.J. State Police



August 12, 2007
With Arrest a career dangles.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/su ... 634080_ITM



Steve Forte was arrested and convicted of a felony cheating scam in 1990 in New Jersey. He was also arrested in 1982 at Harrahs and charged with two felony counts related to a fradulent act before pleading guilty to a lessor trespassing charge. When you hire a cheat to protect the poker game from cheats you get exactly what you paid for, a really good cheat that apparently wants much more than just the check for his services."

"These are not the first casino cheating charges for Ingargiola and Forte. In 1990, both men were ordered to pay $108,870 in fines and restitution for cheating the Trump Castle Hotel & Casino (now Trump Marina) out of $225,000 while playing blackjack in 1987, according to an article in The Press of Atlantic City at the time.
The article described Ingargiola as the organizer and "floor director" for the ring. He was sentenced to three years in prison."

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby David Scollnik » October 4th, 2008, 6:22 pm

Tom Frame wrote:This is a damned shame.

http://www.nj.com/south/index.ssf/2008/ ... _ripo.html

Has he been released pending trial?

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Re: Steve Forte indicted!

Postby Magic Newswire » October 5th, 2008, 12:14 am

Yes.. He's out on Bail along with the other 3 charged


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