The son of America's most famous organised crime boss, John Gotti, has been arrested along with dozens of other suspected gangsters.

John "Junior" Gotti has allegedly led New York City's Gambino crime family since his father - nicknamed The Dapper Don because of his immaculate dress sense - was jailed for life in 1992.

Junior was arrested on Wednesday when police swooped on a number of addresses in New York and New Jersey. He is being interviewed about racketeering and extortion allegations.

Prosecutors called the 38 arrests a "major step toward removing the grip of the Gambinos" in New York.

Power and profit

US Attorney Mary Jo White said: "What this case graphically shows is the power, profit and reach of the Gambino crime family in business and in industry, both legitimate and illegitimate throughout the New York metropolitan area."

One charge related to an alleged extortion at a well-known Manhattan nightclub.

Those arrested are also being questioned about conspiracy to murder, money laundering, large-scale phonecard fraud, loan-sharking, illegal gambling and mail fraud.

John Gotti Sr, known as The Dapper Don

John Gotti senior, who took over the Gambino family after killing his boss "Big Paul" Castellano outside a New York restaurant, was jailed for life for murder and racketeering.

Mob triumvirate

The authorities believe that his son had been running the mob as part of a triumvirate with his uncle Peter Gotti and Jackie "The Nose" D'Amico.

Other prominent figures arrested on Wednesday include the Gambino family 'captain' Louis Ricco, 68; Salvatore Locascio, the 38-year-old son of veteran gangster Frankie Locascio; and former Detroit Tigers baseball pitcher, Denny McClain, 53.

McClain, who is already in jail serving a term for defrauding a meat packing company's pension fund, was charged with defrauding the telephone company MCI of proceeds from phonecards.

Also arrested was a New York state prison officer and a former police officer.

New York State Attorney, General Dennis Vacco, said investigators had found the "holy grail" of crime families - a list of inducted members of the five main Mafia families, the Gambinos, Luccheses, Genoveses, Colombos and Bonannos.

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