During the early 1900s, in city of Newark, the Italian criminals was divided into two ethnic factions: the "Sicilians" headed by Stefano "Don Steven" Badami and the "Neapolitans" led by Ruggiero "the Boot" Boiardo.
In Newark a violent war broke out between Boiardo's faction and Jewish gangster Abner "Longie" Zwillman which lasted for years as the two groups fought to control bootlegging operations in New Jersey.
Three days later on September 13, 1931, Badami's underboss Sam Monaco and top member Louis Russo were discovered dead after their bodies were found floating in Newark Bay.
[12] His closest allies were his cousin Leonard Pizzolato, his proteges Anthony Accetturo, Carmine Accardi and Vincent Craporatta, a powerful mobster in his gambling network.
[12] Under Abate's leadership the crew was operating in Norther New Jersey counties of Essex, Morris, Union, Passaic, Bergen, Monmouth, Sussex, Ocean and Atlantic controlling illegal gambling, loansharking, narcotics trafficking, extortion and other crimes.
[12] Accetturo also had Taccetta control his multi-million dollar narcotics distribution network that was operating from South America and the Caribbean to Florida, New Jersey and New York City.
[11][13] The crew then came to control the entire Newark area, with loansharking, illegal gambling, narcotics, money laundering and extortion operations.
Taccetta soon expanded Accetturo's former operations in New Jersey as the crew grew stronger, and several members of the Lucchese crime family in New York were sent to win over the moneymakers.
Accetturo and Taccetta, on the other hand, used their situation to establish a new foothold in Philadelphia, as a part of the Jersey Crew, with illegal gambling and loansharking operations.
It was around this time that prominent Bruno member Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio, and many others, defected to the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family to make more profit and to avoid being killed.
During the early 1980s, US law enforcement started an operation to terminate all organized crime activities in the North Jersey area.
[15] Accetturo was brought from Florida, the Taccetta brothers were arrested in Newark, and 17 other known members were put on trial for 76 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) predicates, which included loansharking, extortion, racketeering, illegal gambling, money laundering, drug trafficking, arson and thefts, as well as murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The crew had other problems, however, when the Lucchese crime family was given new leadership under Vittorio "Vic" Amuso, who stepped up after Corallo.
[17] When they demanded 50% of the crew's total profit, both Taccetta and Accetturo reportedly refused, portraying themselves as hard-working money machines that were only having a bad year.
Summoned to a meeting in Brooklyn with Victor Amuso and Anthony Casso, the entire North Jersey faction, who were fearful of being massacred, went into hiding, disrupting their illegal activities.
Ricciardi went into the Witness Protection Program and revealed that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) case in 1988 ended the way it did because the jury had been rigged.
[20] On December 18, 2007, thirty two members and associates of the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction were arrested on gambling, money laundering and racketeering charges.
[22] Those arrested were: New York capos Joseph DiNapoli and Matthew Madonna, New Jersey capo Ralph V. Perna, his three sons Joseph M. Perna, John G. Perna and Ralph M. Perna, Martin Taccetta, Michael A. Cetta (deceased 2013), John V. "Blackie" Mangrella, Alfonso "Tic" Cataldo (deceased 2013), Antonio "Curly" Russo, Elliot Porco, Gianni "John" Iacovo, James Furfaro Jr., John N. Turi, Anthony "Tony" Patrizzio, Michael T. Ramuno III, Robert A. Romano, Ron Scripps; the prison smuggling scheme involved Michael T. "Mac" Bruinton (former corrections officer), Edwin B.
"Money" Spears, Dwayne E. Spears, Samuel A. Juliano (deceased 2012), Francine Hightower, and Kristen A. Gilliam; summonses were issued for: Blerim Ibraimi, George Maiorano, Vita Cetta (widow of Michael Cetta), Roseanna Perna (wife of Joseph Perna), Wayne Cross Jr.(deceased 2024) and David Ocejo.
[23] On May 14, 2010, thirty four members and associates of the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction were indicted on gambling, money laundering and racketeering charges.
The indictment did name Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr., Frank Cetta, Gary P. Medure, Michael A. Maffucci, Robert V. DeCrescenzo and Charles J. Bologna as new defendants in the case.
[24] According to the indictment Ralph Perna "allegedly became top capo of the New Jersey faction of the family when Nicky Scarfo Jr. was demoted in 2007".
[25] The indictment also stated that defendant Francine Hightower had pleaded guilty in February 2008, to conspiring to launder money in part of the prison smuggling scheme.
[29] On October 29, 2015, John Mangrella was sentenced to eight years in state prison on a guilty plea to first-degree racketeering in Operation Heat.
[25] In May 2008, Martin Taccetta was indicted along with Gambino crime family capo Andrew Merola on racketeering, gambling and labor corruption.
[34] On March 9, 2013, Lucchese family associate Gianni Iacovo was charged with seven counts of burglary and was held on $70,000 bond at the Bergen County Jail.