Gioiosa Links Rose to Second Pik Six Winner

Thomas Gioiosa today implicated Pete Rose in another race track gambling scheme during his drug and tax-evasion trial, giving federal prosecutors more evidence in their investigation of the former Cincinnati Reds manager.

Under cross-examination, Gioiosa said that he had cashed a second Pik Six ticket for Rose and claimed all the winnings on his taxes. Rose now has been linked to two Pik Six payoffs during Gioiosa’s trial.

Rose is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Cincinnati looking into whether he hid income from gambling, memorabilia sales and autograph appearances.

Gioiosa, who lived with Rose from 1979 to 1984, had refused to discuss his gambling associations with Rose before his trial in U.S. District Court.

However, he told to a 12-member jury today that he cashed a winning $6,351 Pik Six ticket from Turfway Park in northern Kentucky for Rose in December, 1986. Gioiosa later reported the full amount on his taxes, even though he said he gave the money to Rose and got back only a part of the winnings.

A Pik Six pays off when a bettor correctly chooses the winner of six consecutive races.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Kathleen Brinkman asked Gioiosa who won the $6,356 Pik Six.

“I was with Pete Rose. I went down and cashed it and gave him the money,” Gioiosa said.

He said Rose then gave him a share of the winnings, but he wasn’t sure how much.

“I didn’t count it,” Gioiosa said.

When asked who bought the ticket, Gioiosa said, “I don’t remember.”

Gioiosa, 31, of New Bedford, Mass., is on trial on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and tax evasion. Gioiosa could be sentenced to up to 38 years in jail and fined $2 million if found guilty on all counts.

One of the tax evasion charges involves another Pik Six ticket from Turfway Park--this one a $47,646 payoff that Gioiosa claimed on his taxes but the government contends actually belonged to Rose.