New Jersey council member and former mob boss arrested for extortion

A New Jersey council member, who previously admitted to several murders as a mob enforcer, was arrested for extortion amid other charges on Friday. John Alite, 63, a councilman in Englishtown, NJ, was charged Friday with multiple counts of extortion, corporate misconduct and other charges, New Jersey's Attorney General said in a news release. Officials allege Alite made loans outside of the maximum legal rate and then threatened the debtors with violent acts if they didn't hand over money and property. Prosecutors allege Alite also used his business, Straightened-Out Entertainment, Inc., to promote the scheme. Former Gambino mobster and government informant John Alite poses on a Queens street in 2013. New York Daily News via Getty "These arrests are the result of rigorous investigative work and the strong cooperation between the Division of Criminal Justice and New Jersey State Police, who work tirelessly every day in the pursuit of justice," said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. "Our office is dedicated to ensuring that all businesses conduct themselves fairly and lawfully. The conduct alleged in this case was anything but, and we will work to hold those who cheat and steal accountable." An Albanian-American from Queens, Alite has long had ties to organized crime, as the top enforcer for the infamous Gotti crime family and a longtime member of the Gambino family. In 2015, he spoke to CBS News in an interview about his earlier decision to leave the mob. …