Federal investigators have accused James “Jimmy the Greek” Gerodemos of taking threatening videos in churches with lit candles and sending the videos to gamblers who owed his clandestine operations money.
“I say to them to die,” Jimmy the Greek would add in his video, explaining that he was shooting the videos for family members. Prosecutors argue that the man initiated what has come to be known as “Holy War” against the victims of his illegal gambling business, threatening physical ramifications for people who failed to pay up on time.
The ‘Holy War’ By Illegal Gambling Mobster May Have Backfired
The man himself remains behind bars as the 63-year-old Schereville, Illinois, resident is one of 22 arrested in connection with illegal gambling. Prosecutors are pushing for the man to stay behind bars, citing his frequent violent episodes against the people who engaged in gambling with him, threatening both to hurt or kill people.
The video cited by prosecutors already shows Jimmy the Greek recording the candles at a church and adding behind the camera: “I just lit some candles for your family…I say for them to die.” His defense has sought to dismiss the video, arguing that it was not Gerodemos’ voice.
“ Absolutely. They say it’s coming from a burner phone. At this point in time, no one’s able to verify that that’s actually James Gerodemos anyway. But even if it were, my point is these are not actual threats of violence,” the Greek’s attorney, Beau Brindley, told reporters.
However, a former assistant US attorney in Chicago, Ron Safer, believes that the video should be all that it takes to keep the man behind bars until trial:
“It is a not-subtle threat that if the bettor doesn’t pay up, there are going to be deaths in his family,” Safer added. Prosecutors are now also alleging that if freed, the Greek would most likely seek to flee the country, as his chances in court are not looking good.
The Greek Must Stay in Prison Prosecutors Say
Interestingly, the Greek’s daughter is now trying to distance herself from her father, arguing that she does not want to sign a bond for his release and that she does not want to live in the same house as him. She also said she would not be responsible for him showing up at trial.
Prosecutors have even suggested what a possible escape for Gerodemos might look like: He would either travel to Mexico or Canada, get to the Caribbean, and fly out to Greece, which does not extradite its citizens to the United States.