Suspects were taken into custody in Newark, New York City and elsewhere along the East Coast
UPDATE: 4 N.J men charged in multi-state mob takedown
As many as 50 people suspected of having ties to organized crime were taken into custody Thursday morning in several cities along the East Coast, including Newark.
The FBI and the New York Police Department made the arrests in New Jersey's largest city as well as New York City, Boston, Miami and New Haven, Conn., WABC-7 reported.
Authorities said the arrests of reputed members of the Bonnano, Genovese and Columbo crime families came after an investigation that spanned several years.
The crime families allegedly combined forces to conduct business, CBS New York said.
Among the charges against the so-called East Coast Enterprise are racketeering, health care fraud, firearms trafficking, arson, extortion and assault.
An indictment also says illegal poker and dice tournaments took place at the Yonkers Club.
One of the men arrested is former Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, according to PhillyMag.com. Merlino, 54, has spent more than 20 years in prison following on a variety of charges, including racketeering. He now lives in the Miami area.
Diego Rodriguez, head of the FBI's New York office, said in a statement that the indictment "reads like an old school Mafia novel, where extortion, illegal gambling, arson and threats to 'whack' someone are carried out along with some modern-day crimes of credit card skimming."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.