FBI Arrests Dozens of Alleged Mobsters In NY, NJ Trash-Hauling Case
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Dozens of arrests have been made in an early morning sweep in New York and New Jersey in connection with an ongoing investigation into organized crime's foothold in the private garbage-hauling industry.
A dozen members of the Genovese, Gambino and Luchese crime families are among those in custody, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
No bosses or high-ranking members of the crime families are under arrest, 1010 WINS reported.
Mob Members Arrested In Garbage-Hauling Case
More than 30 people have been arrested on charges including extortion and racketeering conspiracy.
"As alleged, organized crime still wraps its tentacles around industries it has fed off for decades, but law enforcement continues to pry loose its grip," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. "Here, as described in the indictments, organized crime insinuated itself into the waste disposal industry throughout a vast swath of counties in New York and New Jersey, and the tactics they used to exert and maintain their control come right out of the mafia playbook – extortion, intimidation, and threats of violence."
WEB EXTRA: Read Indictments Here 1 | 2 | 3 (pdf)
According to prosecutors, the reputed mobsters are accused of conspiring to control disposal companies and shut out competitors, in effect imposing a criminal tax on businesses, Smith reported.
Mob Members Arrested In Garbage-Hauling Case
"The indictments show the ongoing threat posed by mob families and their criminal associates," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George C. Venizelos. "In addition to the violence that often accompanies their schemes, the economic impact amounts to a mob tax on goods and services. The arrests – the culmination of a long and thorough investigation – also show the ongoing determination of the FBI to diminishing the influence of La Cosa Nostra."
The suspects are expected to be arraigned later Wednesday at Manhattan Federal Court.
The arrests come following a four-year investigation, Bharara said.
Nearly two decades ago, authorities cracked down on mob-controlled carting companies that were cutting up territories and taking over transfer stations, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported. The Business Integrity Commission was created to the monitor the industry.
