ASTORIA — It was a gamble that didn't pay off.
Cops used a confidential informant to bust a gambling den in an Astoria building that hosted illegal craps games, according to a complaint filed in Queens Supreme Court.
According to the Sept. 10 document, the NYPD sent a confidential informant to place wagers in dice games at 30-05 Astoria Blvd. on three different occasions between February and April.
On each visit, the informant witnessed at least 20 to 30 people gathered around a craps table, the complaint says.
Cops raided the premises on April 20, where they arrested three people and seized gambling paraphernalia and a "large amount" of money, according to a court document, which did not name the three individuals arrested.
A police poster on a door of the building says the second floor had been closed by a court order issued Sept. 10 because of illegal gambling.
The building's first floor is home to Jimbo's Bar, which is under renovation. Manager Steve Stroubos said he wasn't aware of any gambling that took place in the building.
He said the bar rents the first floor and is not affiliated with the second floor, which he believes is made up of apartments.
"We have nothing to do with the upstairs," he said.
The court complaint and Department of Buildings records show the property is owned by Eva Realty Co., LLC. Attempts to reach the company were not immediately successful.
