46 suspected mobsters in the US have been charged in connection with their alleged involvement in a "sprawling and long-running racketeering conspiracy".
The charges came following an operation involving the Manhattan US Attorney, the FBI and the NYPD.
Officers made 39 arrests during the operation, with the suspects' ages ranging from 24 to 80.
Handguns, a shotgun, gambling paraphernalia, and more than US$30,000 in cash were also seized by officers.
The people arrested are alleged to be leaders, members, and associates of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno and Philadelphia organized crime families of the 'La Cosa Nostra' syndicate.
Pasquale "Patsy" Parrello, Eugene "Rooster" O'Nofrio and Joseph "Joey" Merlino are accused of being leaders of the conspiracy, Reuters reports.
Other suspects have nicknames such as "Anthony the Kid", "Muscles", “Mustache Pat" and “Tony the Cripple”.
Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Today’s charges against 46 men, including powerful leaders, members and associates of five different La Cosa Nostra families, demonstrate that the mob remains a scourge on this city and around the country.
"From loansharking and illegal gambling, to credit card and health care fraud, and even firearms trafficking, today’s mafia is fully diversified in its boundless search for illegal profits. And as alleged, threatening to assault, maim and kill people who get in the way of their criminal schemes remains the go-to play in the mob’s playbook," he added.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said the indictment list "reads like an old-school mafia novel".
Individual suspects face charges including 'conspiracy to extort' victims, gun trafficking and illegal gambling.
In one case, a suspect was allegedly instructed to “keep the pipes handy and pipe him, pipe him, over here [gesturing to the knees], not on his head" in retaliation for a stabbing.
Another suspect is claimed to have been told to choke a victim and say: "Listen to me…next time I’m not gonna stop choking… I’m gonna kill you."
NYPD Commissioner William J Bratton added: "These mobsters seemed to use every scheme known to us, from arson, to shake-downs, violence, health care fraud, and even untaxed cigarettes to keep the racket going."
