Excerpt:
The arrest of Taccetta, 56, of East Hanover was confirmed by his brother-in-law George Abdy, a lawyer who said bail had been set at $500,000. Taccetta was at the gym Monday evening when he was sum moned home and taken into cus tody by agents already inside the residence, Abdy said.
Attorney Marco Laracca said he had been contacted by several of the defendants and their families and was surprised by how much force was used by arresting authorities.
"At first glance, this appears to be nothing more than a glorified gambling case," he added.
Lawyers and law enforcement officials identified several of the others taken into custody as Charles "Buddy" Muccigrosso, 67, of Belleville, Ralph Cicalese, 54, of West Orange, and Andrew Knapik, 40, of East Hanover.
Muccigrosso, once a reputed member of a Gambino crime family crew in New Jersey, served time after a tumultuous racketeering trial that lasted a year in Newark in the early'90s.
Cicalese is a former Newark policeman and investigator with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1990 after he was convicted in connection with a plot to extort money, narcotics and favors from a violent drug czar.
Knapik, also known as Andy Merola, has served time in state prison for theft, drugs and conspiracy.
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I am shocked to discover the mob is in Jersey.
Mob involvement in unions?
In New Jersey?!?
When did this start happening?
Mobsters involved with Unions??? I have never heard of such a thing.
Its NJ does that surprise anyone? Nothing surprises me anymore ....~Pandora~
Shocking!!!!! ;^)
A maz in g st ory!