Billed as the Mob Boss Ball, the event was held in honour of underworld figures specialising in murder, drugs, prostitution, loan-sharking, human trafficking and counterfeiting.
But while the gangsters thought holding a party would be a good way of networking, police had other ideas.
After receiving an anonymous tip off, they used the criminals' shindig in Russia's Moscow Oblast region to arrest 53 of them in one go.
After checking the identities of all present, it turned out that more then half of those detained had criminal records and had previously served time in prison.
Police officers seized handguns, four Kalashnikov assault rifles and four high-powered air pistols in the raid.
A video taken during the swoop shows gangland bosses used to having people kneel before them spread-eagled face down on the ground.
One of them is festooned with the cell block tattoos favoured by the hard men of the Russian criminal underworld.
Multiple charges were filed against the men, including the storing of illegal firearms and resisting arrest.
If found guilty of firearm offences, they could face more jail time of up to four years.
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