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100+ Suspected Mobsters Nabbed: 'Biggest Mafia Round-Up In N.Y. History'

"Law enforcement authorities targeted up to 100 suspected mobsters in a series of raids and arrests in the New York area early Thursday," the New York Post reports. "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) called the raids and arrests the biggest mafia round-up in the history of New York."

According to the Associated Press, "the FBI says most of the arrests were made Thursday morning throughout New York City, in New Jersey and New England. Charges include murder, extortion and narcotics trafficking."

The Daily Newssays "the gangsters, including the current acting Colombo boss who hails from Rhode Island, are charged with racketeering, murder and a slew of other crimes in multiple indictments that will be unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court."

Update at 1:11 p.m. ET.Via the AP, here is some video from the press conference held earlier by Attorney General Eric Holder and other officials:

Update at 11:55 a.m. ET. The Associated Press adds that:

"The reputed former leader of New England's Patriarca crime family has been arrested in Florida and at least one other alleged mob associate has been picked up in Rhode Island as part of an FBI crackdown on organized crime in the Northeast."

The New York Timessays that "in an unprecedented assault against seven mob families in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, the FBI and local authorities began arresting close to 130 people on Thursday on charges including murder, racketeering and extortion."

The Justice Department's press release says that "91 members and associates of seven organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), including the New England LCN family, all five New York-based families and the New Jersey-based Decavalcante family have been charged with federal crimes in 16 indictments returned in four judicial districts. ... Another 36 defendants also have been charged for their roles in alleged associated criminal activity."

Update at 9 a.m. ET:The Justice Department says Attorney General Eric Holder and other officials will be holding a news conference in Brooklyn at 11 a.m. ET to "discuss law enforcement actions against organized crime members and associates."

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.