FBI, NYPD search 2 Orange County farms as part of mafia investigation
GOSHEN, N.Y. -- A mafia-related law enforcement search is stretching from New York City to the Orange County suburbs.
The FBI and NYPD used diggers and hand tools to search two farms, one in Campbell Hall on Tuesday and another in Goshen on Wednesday.
CBS New York traveled Hampton Road, a quiet rural road that dead ends into busy Route 17. Federal and New York City investigators were on hand all day Wednesday. Highly placed law enforcement sources told CBS New York they are searching a 46-acre horse farm as part of a probe into the Gambino crime family.
Watch Tony Aiello's report
Farm goats seemed curious about the law enforcement visitors, who fanned out across the property. At around 2:30 p.m., a digger arrived. Sources told CBS New York the feds and police were looking for "contraband."
"Ha! That tells you a bunch of things!" retired NYPD detective Tom Howell said.
Howell happens to live across the street from the site of the search.
"Could be guns, could be bodies, could be drugs. Who knows what's in there, if there's anything?" Howell said.
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CBS New York has learned two Orange County properties were being targeted as part of a probe into the activities of the Gambino family. The second is 15 minutes away in Campbell Hall.
"You have people pulling up in cars, walking out with shovels and walking over here," Campbell Hall resident Jesse James Figueroa said.
Figueroa provided pictures of Tuesday search activity at the Campbell Hall site. Some investigators had metal detectors.
Neighbors said odd activity happened there at all hours.
"People meet at weird hours of the day at the end of the driveway. Strange noises and bright lights inside the barn at night," resident Mary Nally said.
Just last week, 10 alleged associates of the Gambino family were arrested on extortion and other charges. It's not clear if or how these Orange County searches might be connected. Ownership of both properties trace back to an address in the Suffolk County town of West Islip.