Authorities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut smashed several international sports betting rings yesterday.

State and local officials from throughout New Jersey arrested 47 people and are seeking 12 others as part of the ring that handled a half-billion dollars worth of bets over the last 16 months, which used the Internet as well as a network of street-level operatives. Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin identified three ringleaders of the operation as Joseph Pasquale, 50, of Brick Township; Richard Crossan, 48, of Hillsborough in Somerset County; and Ralph Santoro, 52, of Bridgewater. They are being held on $1 million bail.

The New York arrests included 17 individuals in connection with what law enforcement officials are calling a $30 million online gambling ring. Much of the gambling business was conducted through 50KSports.com. This operation has been described as nothing more than a wire room with servers in Costa Rica.