| Founded | 1920s |
|---|---|
| Founder | Lucchese crime family |
| Founding location | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
| Years active | c. 1920s–present |
| Territory | Northern New Jersey counties of Essex, Morris, Union, Monmouth, Passaic, Bergen and Sussex |
| Ethnicity | Italians as "made men" and other ethnicities as associates |
| Membership (est.) | 50 made members (2004)[1] |
| Activities | Racketeering, conspiracy, loansharking, money laundering, murder, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and extortion |
| Allies | Bonanno Colombo DeCavalcante Gambino Genovese (New Jersey faction) Philadelphia |
| Rivals | Various gangs in New Jersey, including their allies |
The Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction, also known as the Jersey Crew,[2] is a powerful crew within the Lucchese crime family. The members operate throughout the Northern New Jersey area. During the 1970s into the late 1980s, the crew was led by Anthony Accetturo and his protégé Michael Taccetta.[2] In 1987, Victor Amuso took over the family and began demanding a higher percentage of tribute from the crew.[2] Accetturo refused and a war erupted between the New Jersey members and the New York members.[2] This left brothers Michael and Martin Taccetta in charge of the crew as they tried to have Accetturo and his family murdered.[2] In 1993, Accetturo defected and became a government witness.[2] He helped convict Michael and Martin Taccetta.[3] The crew is currently controlled by Joseph R. "Big Joe" Perna.