Federal authorities have charged Assaf “Ace” Waknine, an alleged Israeli mobster, with transmitting threatening communications, exposing the violent criminal world operating behind exclusive, high-stakes poker games in Los Angeles.
The games, which became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, featured $20,000 buy-ins and attracted celebrities and professional athletes. But behind the glitz—complete with DJs, private chefs, and model servers—authorities say players who failed to pay debts were met with intimidation, arson, and even murder.
According to a 35-page federal complaint filed October 31, Waknine, who was deported from the U.S. in 2011, is accused of working as the “muscle” for a network of underground games, sending violent threats and coordinating with Southern California gang members to collect debts.
Investigators linked the poker network to a string of violent acts, including the June 2023 murder of Emile Lahaziel, a torched Bentley SUV, a drive-by shooting, and a Molotov cocktail attack on a host’s home.
In January 2024, Waknine allegedly texted a game organizer, referred to as Victim-1, saying:
“Ok [Victim-1] I guess you really want to end up like your other b— a— poker budd.”
Federal agents believe Waknine is hiding in Mexico. While not charged in Lahaziel’s killing, prosecutors say he was “at minimum” aware of the murder and helped enforce the criminal network’s extortion operations.
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