The boss of one of New York's five mafia families and 12 of his suspected henchmen were arrested today and charged with the 1987 murder of a judge, culminating a sweep of the five family heads begun in 2001, the FBI said.
"This means that since September 11th, 2001, we have arrested or indicted the chiefs of each of the five New York families of the Cosa Nostra," said Mr Kevin Donovan, deputy chief of the FBI's New York field office.
The New York anti-mob campaign began concurrently with the US anti-terrorism campaign following the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington.
He said Mr Joel Cacace (61) also known as "Joe Waverly," head of the Colombo crime family, was arrested at dawn at his home and charged with organizing the murder of administrative Judge Mr George Aronwald.
Ironically, said Mr Donovan, the alleged perpetrators bungled the 1987 hit, which was ordered by the imprisoned Colombo boss, Mr Carmine "the Snake" Serpico.
Mr Serpico, said Mr Donovan, ordered the assassination of Aronwald's son, Mr William Aronwald, a former federal prosecutor "who was viewed as having prosecuted members of organized crime in a 'disrespectful' manner."
"Tragically, the would-be assassins mistakenly went to the law office of Aronwald's father...the wrong target," said Mr Donovan. "They followed him back to his home in Long Island City."
On March 20th, 1987, Colombo family hitmen "followed Mr George Aronwald as he left his residence. When he entered a laundry near his home," one of the hitmen "followed him inside. There, George Aronwald was shot and killed," said Mr Donovan.
In fact, he said, the elder Aronwald, then 68, had held an innocuous seat on the bench, handling mostly traffic violations and parking tickets and was of no apparent interest to the mob.
AFP