FBI officials are being lauded for netting 127 suspected mafia members yesterday in the largest mob bust in history — but expect few of those to spend any time in jail, according to a retired NYPD cop with experience in organized crime.
“I’m sure a lot of the people that were arrested were low-level and will be out tomorrow on bail,” said Mike Codella, a former 20-year veteran of the NYPD. “You can get arrested in a sting like this even if you once just talked about gambling over the phone. They took everybody; it makes a big splash and produces a lot of media publicity. That’s what the government likes to see. Less than half will actually do any jail time.”
The sting netted mob suspects in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and even Italy. In New York, the feds arrested members of seven crime families — Genovese, Gambino, DeCavalcante, Colombo, Bonanno and Lucchese — all based in Brooklyn. The charges ranged from murder to drug trafficking, with some crimes dating back 30 years.
The sting does, however, leave a power vacuum among organized crime families. “It leaves a vacuum as far as young hoods looking to step up within the Italian mob,” said Codella. “There’s always young kids looking to move up a notch. For organized criminals in general, now will be a time to regroup.”
And expect more arrests in days to come, warned Codella, as those who are arrested will likely rat on others to avoid jail.
“When things like this happen there are always more guys to be arrested — they’ll flip on them, too,” he said.
