An alleged Israeli mobster is accused of acting as the muscle behind a network of high-stakes poker games in California , where players forked over a $20,000 buy-in to rub elbows with celebrities and athletes in swanky Los Angeles-area homes.

But entering the games came with risks as high as the stakes: One man associated with the games was murdered while others had their Bentley and home torched, according to authorities.

Those who failed to pay their debts allegedly received threats from an Israeli national named Assaf "Ace" Waknine, with an extensive criminal history. Last week, Waknine was charged in federal court with transmitting threatening communications in interstate and foreign commerce. The suspect, who was deported from the United States in 2011, is believed to have been in M

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