More than 110 suspected members and associates of leading Mafia families were arrested Thursday in an operation that involved more than 800 law enforcement officials, Attorney General Eric Holder said.
Holder said at a news conference Thursday in New York City that the defendants included high-ranking members of the Gambino and Colombo crime families and the reputed former boss of organized crime in New England.
The charges ranged from murder to extortion, narcotics trafficking and illegal gambling, officials said. Holder said the charges covered decades worth of offenses.
Authorities said the investigation was aided by informants who recorded thousands of conversations by suspected mobsters.
Holder said a total of 127 people had been charged in newly unsealed indictments related to the sweep, which he said was "one of the largest single-day operations against the mafia in the FBI's history." One person was arrested in Italy, he added.
He said the operation was "an important step forward in our nation's ongoing fight against the organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra, the mafia."
He said members of "numerous" mafia groups had been arrested including New York's Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno and Colombo families.
Holder said they were accused of numerous violent and illegal acts, including murder, extortion, illegal gambling, narcotics trafficking, loan-sharking and labor racketeering.
He said some of the murders were "classic mob hits to eliminate perceived rivals" but others were "truly senseless" killings for reasons as trivial as a spilled drink in a bar.
He said despite the operation, the mafia remained a real threat.
"The reality is that our battle against organized crime enterprises is far from over," Holder said.
Organized crime members were "among the most dangerous criminals in our country," he added, whose oath of allegiance "binds them to a life of crime."
"Many of them are lethal. Time and again they have shown a willingness to kill," he said.
Holder added he was "grateful and proud" of the law enforcement officers who had taken part in "today's take-downs."
Among those arrested was the reputed head of New England's Patriarca crime family, Luigi Manocchio, who was detained in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.A newly unsealed indictment accuses Manocchio of collecting protection payments from owners of strip clubs.
Also arrested was Thomas Iafrate, who worked as a bookkeeper for Providence strip clubs. Prosecutors allege he set aside money for Manocchio. Iafrate was expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Providence later on Thursday.
More than 800 FBI officials, NYPD officers, state police and U.S. marshals were involved in the operation. The FBI said most of the arrests were made throughout New York City, in New Jersey and New England.
"Early this morning FBI agents along with our law enforcement partners began arresting over 100 organized crime members for various criminal charges," said Diego Rodriguez, the FBI's special agent in charge in New York shortly before Holder spoke.
Citing sources who had been briefed on the arrests, the New York Times reported that those taken into custody "ranged from small-time book makers and crime-family functionaries to a number of senior mob figures and several corrupt union officials."
More than two dozen "made" mobsters were arrested, according to the Times.
The murder charges were incidents dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, the newspaper reported.
Federal probes aided by mob turncoats have decimated the ranks of New York's five Mafia crime families and resulted in lengthy prison terms for several leaders.
On Friday, a federal judge in Brooklyn sentenced John "Sonny" Franzese, 93, to eight years in prison for extorting Manhattan strip clubs and a pizzeria on Long Island.
Federal prosecutors had sought at least 12 years behind bars for the underboss of the Colombo crime family - in effect, a life term.
To bolster their argument, they had an FBI agent testify that Franzese bragged about killing 60 people over the years and once contemplated putting out a hit on his own son for becoming a government cooperator.
In October, Mafia turncoat Salvatore Vitale was sentenced to time served after federal prosecutors praised his total betrayal of his own crime syndicate - and after he apologized to the families of his victims.
Authorities said he had a hand in at least 11 murders, including that of a fellow gangster in the fallout from the infamous Donnie Brasco case.
The evidence provided after his arrest in 2003 helped decimate the once-fearsome Bonanno organized crime family, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Andres said.
"The Mafia today is weaker because of his cooperation," Andres said. "Mr. Vitale provided lead after lead. ... The results speak for themselves."
In 2008, more than 80 suspected members of organized crime gangs were charged.
Among those targeted in that raid were John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico and other reputed leaders of the Gambino crime family. Italian authorities conducted simultaneous raids on Mafia groups there.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41170643/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Holder said at a news conference Thursday in New York City that the defendants included high-ranking members of the Gambino and Colombo crime families and the reputed former boss of organized crime in New England.
The charges ranged from murder to extortion, narcotics trafficking and illegal gambling, officials said. Holder said the charges covered decades worth of offenses.
Authorities said the investigation was aided by informants who recorded thousands of conversations by suspected mobsters.
Holder said a total of 127 people had been charged in newly unsealed indictments related to the sweep, which he said was "one of the largest single-day operations against the mafia in the FBI's history." One person was arrested in Italy, he added.
He said the operation was "an important step forward in our nation's ongoing fight against the organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra, the mafia."
He said members of "numerous" mafia groups had been arrested including New York's Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno and Colombo families.
Holder said they were accused of numerous violent and illegal acts, including murder, extortion, illegal gambling, narcotics trafficking, loan-sharking and labor racketeering.
He said some of the murders were "classic mob hits to eliminate perceived rivals" but others were "truly senseless" killings for reasons as trivial as a spilled drink in a bar.
He said despite the operation, the mafia remained a real threat.
"The reality is that our battle against organized crime enterprises is far from over," Holder said.
Organized crime members were "among the most dangerous criminals in our country," he added, whose oath of allegiance "binds them to a life of crime."
"Many of them are lethal. Time and again they have shown a willingness to kill," he said.
Holder added he was "grateful and proud" of the law enforcement officers who had taken part in "today's take-downs."
Among those arrested was the reputed head of New England's Patriarca crime family, Luigi Manocchio, who was detained in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.A newly unsealed indictment accuses Manocchio of collecting protection payments from owners of strip clubs.
Also arrested was Thomas Iafrate, who worked as a bookkeeper for Providence strip clubs. Prosecutors allege he set aside money for Manocchio. Iafrate was expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Providence later on Thursday.
More than 800 FBI officials, NYPD officers, state police and U.S. marshals were involved in the operation. The FBI said most of the arrests were made throughout New York City, in New Jersey and New England.
"Early this morning FBI agents along with our law enforcement partners began arresting over 100 organized crime members for various criminal charges," said Diego Rodriguez, the FBI's special agent in charge in New York shortly before Holder spoke.
Citing sources who had been briefed on the arrests, the New York Times reported that those taken into custody "ranged from small-time book makers and crime-family functionaries to a number of senior mob figures and several corrupt union officials."
More than two dozen "made" mobsters were arrested, according to the Times.
The murder charges were incidents dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, the newspaper reported.
Federal probes aided by mob turncoats have decimated the ranks of New York's five Mafia crime families and resulted in lengthy prison terms for several leaders.
On Friday, a federal judge in Brooklyn sentenced John "Sonny" Franzese, 93, to eight years in prison for extorting Manhattan strip clubs and a pizzeria on Long Island.
Federal prosecutors had sought at least 12 years behind bars for the underboss of the Colombo crime family - in effect, a life term.
To bolster their argument, they had an FBI agent testify that Franzese bragged about killing 60 people over the years and once contemplated putting out a hit on his own son for becoming a government cooperator.
In October, Mafia turncoat Salvatore Vitale was sentenced to time served after federal prosecutors praised his total betrayal of his own crime syndicate - and after he apologized to the families of his victims.
Authorities said he had a hand in at least 11 murders, including that of a fellow gangster in the fallout from the infamous Donnie Brasco case.
The evidence provided after his arrest in 2003 helped decimate the once-fearsome Bonanno organized crime family, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Andres said.
"The Mafia today is weaker because of his cooperation," Andres said. "Mr. Vitale provided lead after lead. ... The results speak for themselves."
In 2008, more than 80 suspected members of organized crime gangs were charged.
Among those targeted in that raid were John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico and other reputed leaders of the Gambino crime family. Italian authorities conducted simultaneous raids on Mafia groups there.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41170643/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
