Officials: 18 Arrested In Largest Gang Takedown In Nassau County History

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Eighteen people have been arrested on Long Island in what authorities are calling the largest gang takedown in Nassau County history.

The takedown crippled the "Rollin' 60s" -- a violent set of the Crips that has been terrorizing Roosevelt since 2001, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.

The gang's leader, members and associates are charged with various crimes including attempted murder, assault, robbery and gun and drug sales, Rice said.

"Some of them are accused of going down south to get the guns and bring them here," Rice said. "They are the number one source of illegal guns on our streets of Nassau."

Rice said members of the gang are suspected of committing more than 50 shootings.

Rice said a rap video posted online by the gangs shows how violent they are.

"They don't just use gun signs with their hands, but they actually show the weapons that they have. These are real guns, we recovered some of them," Rice said. "You can see the guns, you can see the drugs and stacks of cash."

Some of the people in the video were also sporting T-shirts that read "Free Dot" -- referring to gang member Michael Benitez who admitted to shooting a police officer, Rice said.

"These arrests are a crushing blow to a notorious gang that has flooded the streets with guns, drugs, and violence for more than a decade," Rice said. "It's a shame to see so many young lives wasted, but our communities will be safer with these dangerous and violent criminals locked behind bars for a very long time."

"This takedown proves yet again that violence and intimidation is no match for the relentless effort and determination of cooperating law enforcement agencies," Police Commissioner Tom Dale said.