New York, NY —

New Jersey prosecutors got their first guilty plea in a case they claim involved an unusual partnership between an alleged mafia family and a Bloods gang.

WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports.

The apparent breakthrough comes from a 50-year-old woman from Tinton Falls who has pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Prosecutors say she was central to an alleged smuggling ring that moved cell phones and drugs to inmates held at the state's East Jersey Prison.

A year-long probe culminated in the arrest of 24 alleged members of the Luchese crime family, a state corrections officer and several people linked to the the Nine Tray Gangster subset of the Bloods.

Investigators say they also broke up a gambling operation that handled $2.2 billion in bets over a 15-month period.

Defendants in the case hail from all over the state including upscale communities like Wycoff.

For WNYC, I'm Bob Hennelly.