A major international law enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of 10 associates of the notorious Gambino crime family on the East Coast of the United States. These individuals have been charged with various crimes related to their attempts to take control of the city’s construction and demolition industries. The charges include racketeering conspiracy, extortion, embezzlement, witness retaliation, and other crimes connected to the union activities of the Gambino crime family. The Gambino crime family is one of the five most influential Italian-American mafia groups, also known as La Cosa Nostra, in New York City.
We are joined now by Professor Jeff GR, a legal scholar from the University of Minnesota Law School and the author of “GR on RICO.” Thank you for joining us, Professor, to discuss the significance of these arrests and the Rico charges. It is interesting to note that this case harkens back to the old days when RICO was primarily used against traditional crime families like the Gambino crime family.
In recent years, RICO has been applied to more unconventional situations involving corporations. As we have seen in the indictment of former President Trump in Georgia, this is a return to what RICO was originally meant to target when it was enacted in 1970. Regarding the outcome of this case, it is likely that some, if not all, of the defendants will choose to plead guilty considering the number of individuals involved. The more guilty pleas there are, the more challenging it becomes for the remaining defendants to defend themselves.
The evidence presented in the indictment seems to be substantial, including wiretap information, text messages.
