Federal Judge Agrees to Dismiss Perjury Case Involving Strip Club against Mob Associate and Bookmaker

A federal judge signed off on the dismissal of a perjury case against longtime New England mob associate and bookmaker Gaythorne “Poochie” Angell Jr.

Angell, 84, completed a six-month pretrial diversion program. He faced a perjury indictment for lying to a grand jury in 2011 about whether the strip club he’s long been associated with, the Foxy Lady, was paying protection money to members of organized crime. It was, and Angell knew it, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors moved to dismiss the case after Angell completed the program. U.S. District Chief Judge William E. Smith granted the request, meaning Angell no longer faces a criminal charge stemming from the mob’s shakedowns of strip clubs.

Pretrial diversion is an alternative to the typical criminal-justice system track that can involve prison time.