Early morning raids were conducted by the feds arresting multiple suspects in a federal racketeering probe into the garbage hauling industry.

Pre dawn raids Wednesday began around 5 a.m. and involved carting companies in New York city , New Jersey, and Westchester. Reputed members of the Gambino , Lucchese, and Genovese mafia families of New York were taken into custody. Feds claim that the probe included mob owned businesses run by non mob members which provided a front for all of the illicit operations. The garbage industry has long been a strong hold and money maker for the mafia. The racketeering case will also include extortion charges according to authorities.

Twelve suspects are being charged with participating in a racketeering enterprise because feds say they worked together to control multiple waste disposal businesses in from New York to New Jersey in a waste disposal enterprise with members also engaged in extortion and loansharking and more. Among those arrested was Carmine “Papa Smurf” Franco an alleged member of the Genovese crime family. Franco was banned from the garbage business in New Jersey back in the 1990s after he pleads guilty to transferring garbage from Bergen county out of state illegally. Along with Franco arrested in the mob sweep were Anthony Pucciarello, Howard Ross, Anthony Cardinalle, Peter Leconte, Frank Oliver, Charles Giustra, Dominick Pietranico, Joseph Sarcinella, William Cali, Scott Fappiano and Anthony Bazzini.

Seventeen other defendants along with the previously mentioned twelve are also being charged with there parts in various illegal activities like transportation of stolen property, wire fraud conspiracy, and extortion tied to the waste hauling industry.

Alleged Made guys Involved in Bust :

Genovese:

Anthony “Muzzy” Pucciarello/77

Joseph “Joe Sass” Sarcinella/78

Dominick “Pepe” Pietranico/82

Peter Leconte/42

Carmine Franco – Listed as Genovese family associate

Gambino:

Anthony Bazzini/53