Back on April 1, over $1-million was found buried in the backyard of his Jenkintown mansion. Montgomery County authorities were looking for cash taken in from sports bets. 60-year-old Mastronardo had been arrested in late March on charges of bookmarking and gambling.
His attorneys told Judge William Furber that house arrest would be beneficial for Mastronardo so he could get better care for his illnesses. The son-in-law of former Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo has been battling throat cancer for several years.
Since being arrested, Mastronardo has been taken to the hospital for low blood pressure and pneumonia.
Prosecutor Tonya Lupinacci paints a different picture of Mastronardo than his attorneys did. She says surveillance tape caught Mastronardo in Florida despite his doctors saying his condition had deteriorated.
As for the decision made, Judge Furber believed that jail would be a safer place for Mastronardo than his home.
He did say, however, he will look at this case again if future medical problems come up.
