WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. prosecutors say 127 people will face charges in four judicial districts in one of the largest Mafia crackdowns in FBI history.
Sixteen indictments were returned in New York -- both by Brooklyn and Manhattan grand juries -- Newark, N.J., and Providence, R.I., a Department of Justice release said Thursday.
Attorney General Eric Holder, in announcing the indictments, said the charges include murder, murder conspiracy, loansharking, arson, narcotics trafficking, extortion, robbery, illegal gambling and labor racketeering.
Defendants include high-ranking members of the Gambino and Colombo crime families, and Luigi Manocchio, a reputed former boss of organized crime in New England.
"Today's arrests and charges mark an important step forward in disrupting La Cosa Nostra's illegal activities," Holder said. "This largest single day operation against La Cosa Nostra sends the message that our fight against traditional organized crime is strong, and our commitment is unwavering."
More than 110 of the 127 charged defendants have been arrested and will appear in federal court in the districts in which they are charged, the Justice Department said.
