LAVAL, Que. For much of his political life, he was known as "The Monarch."

Now, for the rest of his natural life, he risks being branded as "The Godfather."

One of the Criminal Code's most severe charges - directing a criminal organization - is being laid against the once-powerful mayor of Laval, Que.

That charge, one of two gangsterism counts and numerous other charges laid against Gilles Vaillancourt on Thursday, carries a maximum life sentence.

The 72-year-old Vaillancourt was among dozens of people swept up in a raid Thursday in the province's ongoing corruption probes. Thirty-seven people face charges.

It's believed to be the first time that charges of gangsterism, usually reserved for organized-crime groups, have been laid in connection with Quebec's ongoing political scandals.

Vaillancourt served as mayor of Laval, the city just across the river north of Montreal, for 23 years before stepping down last November under a cloud of controversy.

Robert Lafreniere, the head of Quebec's anti-corruption unit, said the busts followed a three-year investigation that included 150 witness interviews, 30,000 wiretapped conversations and the execution of 70 search warrants.

"The investigation targeted the dismantling of an organized and structured network operating a system of corruption and collusion in the provision of public contracts," Lafreniere told a news conference at provincial police headquarters in Montreal.

Lafreniere described the alleged criminal network as "well-established" and he said it included three distinct groups: entrepreneurs and engineers; facilitators, lawyers, notaries and a merchant; and a mayor, a city manager and a top municipal engineer.

The charges, he said, included fraud, fraud against the government, conspiracy, breach of trust, corruption in municipal affairs, laundering proceeds of crime, and gangsterism.

Another person charged Thursday was former construction magnate Tony Accurso, whose name has been frequently mentioned at the Charbonneau Commission looking into corruption in the construction industry. He already faces charges in other cases.

Others charged include lawyers, former city officials, and construction executives.