Just Like the Sopranos; New Indictments Show New York Mafia Alive And Rich

Feb. 7, 2008— -- Dozens of alleged members of the Gambino crime family were arrested early Thursday in a massive mob sweep that netted a half dozen mob capos and two mob bosses on federal charges that included a pattern of racketeering that spanned about 30 years.

Billed as a case that took down the entire Gambino family leadership, it was the largest mob case seen in the United States in at least a decade.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Benton J. Campbell said that the 157-page indictment included charges against "each member of the Gambino Family Administration currently at liberty."

By mid-day, most of those indicted were in custody, including the Gambino family underboss, the crime family consigliore (counsel to the boss) and six capos -- the men who run the "crews" involved in the day-to-day crime family money earning operations. The acting Gambino family boss was at large and said to be on vacation, according to multiple federal sources.

Read the Indictment.

In all, 62 mobsters and mob associates from the Gambino, Bonanno and Genovese crime families were named in the 80-count indictment for racketeering conspiracy, extortion, theft of union benefits, mail fraud, false statements and loan sharking, embezzlement of union funds, money laundering and illegal gambling.

The racketeering conspiracy portion of the indictment named 25 of the defendants -- all members and associates of the Gambino crime family -- and contained predicate acts necessary for a conspiracy charge that included eight acts of murder, murder conspiracy and attempted murder.

A massive 167 page government motion for the permanent detention of 18 key defendants accompanied the indictment and further spelled out the nature and scope of the conspiracy.

The indictment charged that the mobsters profited from "extortion-related rackets" at construction sites in the New York City metropolitan area that included a proposed NASCAR track in Staten Island and a development overlooking New York harbor.