A gigantic dragnet of 800 police or FBI officials arrested 127 individuals who were either "made members" of La Cosa Nostra or associated with it, according to federal indictments. To avoid clogging the courts, the accused mobsters were processed at an Army base. The FBI calls it one of the biggest single day operations in its history and the largest ever against the Mafia.
Those pulled in included Bartolomeo Vernace, who reportedly sits on organized crime’s “Ruling Panel,” that arbitrates interfamily spats. The haul also included the head of the Colombo Family and 34 members of the Gambino Family. Those arrested included “consiglieres” as well as captains, soldiers and associates.
Altogether, the arrests encompassed six crime families, plus the New England Cosa Nostra which operates in Boston and Providence.
“Today’s arrests and charges mark an important step forward in disrupting La Cosa Nostra’s illegal activities,” said Eric Holder, the US Attorney General, in a press conference in New York. Source : Christen Monitor Read More .............................http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0120/FBI-s-biggest-ever-mob-bust-shows-where-Mafia-still-holds-sway
