In a twist that feels ripped from a Hollywood script — or perhaps an episode of “The Kardashians” — federal prosecutors revealed that Kylie Jenner’s former New York City townhouse served as the backdrop for a mafia-run, high-tech poker operation that bilked victims out of millions while she was the owner.
According to a sweeping federal indictment unsealed this week, the six-story Greenwich Village mansion at 80 Washington Place, once rented by Jenner and rapper Travis Scott, was one of two key sites for an underground gambling ring allegedly tied to four of New York’s notorious mafia families — the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime syndicates.
Prosecutors say the townhouse was used to host high-stakes poker nights featuring rigged shuffling devices and X-ray tables that let mobsters and their associates cheat unsuspecting high-rollers. Among those allegedly involved in the scheme, which stretched across the country, were former NBA stars — including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones — who acted as “Face Cards,” drawing in the wealthy and the famous to games they never stood a chance of winning.
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The scheme, which began in 2019, wasn’t just about cards. It became a nexus of organized crime, celebrity access, and sports corruption. The operation reportedly imploded in fall 2023, when rival mob factions clashed over who could run games at Jenner’s former residence. Prosecutors say the feud turned violent, with guns drawn and a brutal fight breaking out inside the luxury home.
That home, steps from Washington Square Park and worth around $20 million, is no stranger to publicity. Jenner and Scott rented it during her second pregnancy in 2021, and it was featured in a 2023 episode of “The Kardashians.” There’s no evidence that Jenner or Scott had any involvement in, or knowledge of, the criminal activity. While one of America’s most famous reality stars was showcasing her lifestyle to millions, mobsters were allegedly using the same address as a base for a rigged gambling empire.
The poker scandal coincides with another bombshell indictment from the Department of Justice involving NBA players accused of insider gambling and game-fixing. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested for allegedly tipping off bettors that he would fake an early exit from a 2023 game to ensure his “under” bets hit. Prosecutors say the intertwined gambling and poker schemes represent one of the most extensive criminal investigations into corruption in sports and entertainment since sports betting was legalized.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the case exposed both “La Cosa Nostra’s continuing reach” and “the corrosive influence of gambling on American sports and culture.”
The same reality empire that turned fame into a global commodity has now, unwittingly, provided the stage for a mafia-run casino of deceit.
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