Reputed Head Of South Florida Mafia Crime Ring, Others Arrested

Friends of ours: Genovese Crime Family, Renaldi "Ray" Ruggiero, Liborio "Barney" Bellomo

The alleged head of the Genovese crime family's South Florida ring and six others have been arrested.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday that the men are charged with extortion, robbery, money laundering and other acts of racketeering as far back as 1994.

Renaldi "Ray" Ruggiero, whom prosecutors identified as a captain of the family's operations in South Florida, was in federal court in Fort Lauderdale along with a half dozen co-defendants.

If convicted under the racketeering charges, Ruggiero could face up to 120 years in prison and fines of up to $1.75 million. The others could face slightly lower maximum sentences.

The arrests are the latest blow to New York City's most powerful Mafia family. The family's reputed acting boss, Liborio "Barney" Bellomo, and 31 others were arrested in February in New York on a host of charges including murder.

The indictment covered the family's alleged illegal enterprises from 1994 to the present.