More than 100 Arrested by F.B.I. and Police in Northeast Mob Sweep
F.B.I. conducts largest sweep of organized crime figures in recent history by federal authorities.
The F.B.I. and local authorities arrested close to 130 people this morning allegedly associated with seven mob families throughout the Northeast.
In the New York area, arrests were made on charges of murder, racketeering and extortion, according to those briefed on the case. The arrests included about 30 suspected members and associates of New York's five crime families: the Gambinos, Genoveses, Bonnanos, Luccheses and Colombos.
Authorities say the mob sweep also included arrests among mobster families in Newark, New Jersey and Providence, Rhode Island.
The F.B.I. crackdown was based on 16 unrelated indictments in federal courts in four jurisdictions, according to those briefed on the case. The arrests come at a time when federal and local law enforcement officials expressed concern regarding the resurgence of organized crime after two decades of decline.
"The mob has shown itself to be resilient and persistent. Arresting and convicting the hierarchies of the five families several times over has not eradicated the problem," said Assistant New York FBI Director Janice Federacyk.
After the arrests of crime leaders throughout the Northeast, federal prosecutors and F.B.I. officials said they hoped the case would significantly decrease the presence of organized crime in the region.
