( CNN ) -- Federal officials charged 20 people Wednesday in a scheme to recruit illegal immigrants from Russia and Eastern European countries to work as exotic dancers in New York strip clubs , according to Preet Bharara , the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York . Charges against the 20 individuals include racketeering , extortion , visa and marriage fraud , and transporting and harboring illegal immigrants . The accused are alleged to be members of the Gambino and Bonanno organized crime families , according to federal authorities . `` The defendants themselves had one thing in common -- the desire to turn the women they allegedly helped enter this country illegally into their personal profit centers , '' Bharara said . `` Today 's arrests have brought an end to their illicit activities . '' Several of the accused are alleged to have run the `` Strip Club Enterprise , '' which controlled a series of strip clubs throughout Queens and Long Island . Through these clubs , the accused are alleged to have recruited Eastern European women to enter the United States on student J1 visas to perform as strippers in their enterprises . Prosecutors also charge the defendants threatened physical violence and economic harm if the owners and operators of New York strip clubs as part of a broad extortion scheme . `` The defendants controlled their business and protected their turf through intimidation and threats of physical and economic harm , '' said James T. Hayes , Jr. , special agent in charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement , which led the investigation . `` Today 's arrests bring to an end a long-standing criminal enterprise operated by colluding organized crime entities that profited wildly through a combination of extortion and fraud . '' Some of the exotic dancers brought illegally into the United States were also matched with U.S. citizens in fraudulent marriages to resolve their immigrations status , prosecutors said in the indictment . Before dawn on Wednesday , federal agents arrived at Cheetah 's Gentlemans Club and Restaurant off Times Square in Manhattan , Gallagher 's 2000 in Queens , NY , and seven other New York-area strip clubs and confiscated files and documents . Attorneys for those indicted were not immediately available for comment .
The women are from Russia and Eastern European countries . Prosecutor : ' wanted the women to be ` ` their personal protection . '' crimes include immigration and immigration and marriage violations . Federal agents confiscated drugs at several clubs in pre - dawn raids .