15 charged in NJ as part of massive mob takedown
It reads like a script from an episode of The Wire:
More than a dozen people connected to the New Jersey waterfront are making court appearances to face charges that include extortion and illegal gambling.
It’s part of a massive bust of reputed mob figures in the Northeast that yielded more than 120 arrests Thursday, the AP reports.
Among those arrested in New Jersey were reputed associates of the Genovese crime family, some of whom are current and former officials of longshoremen’s unions.
An indictment charges some of them with extorting money from port workers around Christmas time. Others are charged with involvement in illegal sports gambling and illegal poker games.
Thirteen defendants have been released on bail amounts ranging from $100,000 to $1 million.
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