On this day: December 16

/on/december-16

1985 • neutral • 40 views

Major Crackdown: New York City Mafia Bosses Arrested in 1985 Sweep

Police vehicles and federal agents outside a Manhattan federal courthouse during a 1980s-era organized-crime arrest operation, with plainclothes officers and law-enforcement insignia visible but no identifiable faces.

On December 16, 1985, federal and local authorities arrested multiple leaders of New York City’s organized crime families in a coordinated operation that followed extended investigations into racketeering, extortion and labor-influence schemes.

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1985 • neutral • 37 views

1985 Sweep: New York City Mafia Leaders Arrested in Landmark Crackdown

Police vehicles and uniformed officers outside a 1980s New York City brownstone and storefronts during a coordinated midday law-enforcement raid; officers carry evidence bags and document the scene.

A coordinated December 16 operation in New York City led to the arrest of multiple alleged organized-crime leaders, marking one of the most significant law-enforcement actions against Mafia families in the 1980s.

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1983 • neutral • 44 views

U.S. Announces Expansion of Strategic Missile Defense Initiative

Cold War-era scene showing a U.S. government podium and flag with schematic diagrams of missiles and radar overlays on a screen behind, suggesting missile defense research and policy discussion.

On December 16, 1983, President Ronald Reagan publicly expanded the Strategic Defense Initiative, proposing a major U.S. program to develop layered missile defenses intended to protect against ballistic missile attacks. The announcement intensified Cold War debate over technology, strategy, and arms control.

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