Going into the new year of 2015 who do you think is the most powerful mafia family outside of the five families of the New York mafia ? An interesting question that is often asked to many people in and around mob circles and that is often disagreed upon by most. Many of the La Cosa Nostra families outside of New York have been decimated over the last several years due to enhanced law enforcement efforts and various other factors. The mob families that remain outside of the Big Apple have had their ups and downs in the last year some more then others and perhaps some even back on the rise ?
Many American Mafia families outside of New York have come to an end with a few remaining in name only having very few active guys still on the streets. Many cities like Denver, Pittsburgh, Tampa and else where don’t have enough left to be considered as organized crime families any longer even if some activity remains. Here is a look at the organizations who remain intact and can still be considered as organized crime groups. Which of these do you think is still the most powerful heading into a new year ?
There have been rumbling of the New Jersey mafia also known as the DeCavalcante Family starting to rebound as they have stayed low key of late and off the feds hit list for most part. Whether or not the family is growing again is up for debate but they have at the moment at least stabilized. They do have a current leadership sturcture in place and seem to be in about as good a shape as they have been in last ten years or so.
The Philadelphia mafia has had a rough couple of years but they have a leadership structure still in place even after their then boss and top ranking members on trial in 2014. It is still a big question for many as to who really runs the Philly mob these days with many of the belief that its still Joey Merlino from Florida. Current acting boss Steve Mazzone is running things on streets these days whether or not he is taking orders from Skinny Joey is yet to be determined. They have also seen an influx if made guys making their way back on streets after completing prison stretches.
The Chicago mafia also known as the Chicago Outfit has definitely been diminished over the years but remain a structured mob family and still has some powerful capo heading some of its legendary crews. Although many admit the best days of the Chicago mob are behind them and their ranks are quickly dwindling they don’t seem to be going away any time soon. At same time many consider them now as no more then a glorified crew losing traction on Chicago streets year after year.
The New England mafia also known as the Patriarca crime family has really been hit hard over the last couple of years losing much of its upper management due to turncoats and government indictments. Much of the families once powerful Rhode Island faction has been taken down and the family as a whole seems in major disarray. Boston seems to be where the power now lies although the number of made and active guys seems to be on a steady decline. Many believe they are quickly becoming one of the next mafia families to face extinction.
The Detroit mafia has long been one of the more low key families and has had a very steady run being able to avoid the feds and an abundance of turncoats over the years. They have moved into a new era this year with long time mob boss Jack Tocco retiring and passing away making room for new boss Jackie Giacalone and a whole new leadership group. Some believe the Detroit mob family may be the most powerful outside of New York while others see them as being low key and out of the news because they have little going on in form of major organized crime.
So be sure to cast your vote for the mob family you think is the most powerful outside of New York going into 2015.
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I think many will vote for Chicago here as did i even though i know they have def lost some steam over last few years. I think Detroit is a close second though and if we knew more of their operations may be ranked a little ahead now but seeing we don’t and problems other families have had hard to not see the Outfit being out voted here.
to be honest i say Decavanlte family is the strongest has a strong leadership panel and has been growing over last few years. Chicago has got alot weaker and Detroit you here so little about you wonder how much they have actually going on. I would not say New England is on verge of existiction though hurt not near exiction
Does anyone know why bufflo mob was not put up they have 35made guys
I don’t think Buffalo and Cleveland have much going on at all those numbers of made guys are a bit misleading because many of those guys are longer active and i don’t think any of those 3 really have leadership regimes in place. Maybe Cleveland still has a official boss and under boss but they are really a very small crew now.
i guess but i hought the Bufflo mob still has a leadership panel they got a new boss in 2013 Bobby Panaro Jr they still have a group of mobsters operating.
Still New Jersy i believe is the strongest it has inducted quiet a few members in recent years and has grown over last few years while Chicgao has lost gound and Detroit is too quiet for me to know New England is a bit of a mess at the moment and philly well they do have now a strong influence of made guys on the streets the scarfo era mob guys, Joey melinio era mob guys, Stanfa era mob guys and guys who had been made under Joe ligambini but i still would not go to say they are the strongest outside New York
Bobby was named new boss in Buffalo but seems like from majority of reports is isn’t boss of a whole lot out there these days and i don’t think Buff stacks up to any of the listed families now a day even with trouble NE is having.
I agree with you on NJ they seem to be stabilized and doing steady business although i am not sure reports of them growing a whole lot are all that viable , made some new guys etc but don’t think they are bigger now then in their heyday. Detroit seems to continue to do business and make money as quiet as a mouse and that def has to make one wonder how powerful the family still is and has been over the years out there. Philly could be on a bit of a rebound except for fact all those different era guys may not be getting a long and from all reports there the pie has really shrunk and not a ton of viable rackets left on streets out there either so they seem to be limited on how quickly and if they can get it back together at all under one umbrella.
true philly rakets just seem to be loansharking and viedo poker machines they do need to expand the rackets they are in yes i know they have a few more rackest like online gambling and lottery but they are not making alot of money out of these rackets for instance in New York some crews generate nearly 10 millioen pounds a year from online gambling phillys online gambling operations bring in around 300k a year nothing compared to New York
New England i say will recover and in a few years will be around the same level as someone like philly. They do still have a strong amount of made guys on the streets in Boston not so much in Rhode Island faction but there is alot of mob guys getting back onto the streets and as you take out aload of mobsters there is always the next generation to fill the ranks. New England as been hit hard in the past with the Whity Bulger incident and so has philly and both always recover.
New Jersy will never regain the power they had under Sam Decavanctle the power they had in the late 90s got them respect with New York families but tv shows like the sopranoes got them unwanted attetion by the feds. Do i think they could get the power they had in the late 90s maybe it is possible they are inducting more guys and gaining terriorty they lost to New York families in the early 2000s
Chicago Outfit will always be there but will never regain the power it had in its glory days i would not say they are getting pushed out but more they are moving out to the suburds of the city this has also happenend in some parts of New York as the Chicgao outfit adapts to differant times there is not money avaible for them in the suburds than in more central areas of Chicago this means they will become smaller and will not be the power they once were thats why i put Jersy a head of them. Chicago Outfit has stronger politcsl connectios and conncetions with other families and other crews for instance Chicago has a strong control of the Mikiaukee family they have tke over many crews and familys that are near collapseing because they know they can make money out of these crews
I agree with a whole lot of that and thanks for all of the contributions. Looking at the voting so far seems like a pretty well informed group on many of these families outside of NY. I would of thought the Detroit family as low key as they are may of been a tad over looked vote wise but not the case.
Right there is a boss in Buff but the rackets there now are fading and the size of the crew hardly ranks as a functioning family and besides the boss not much of an administration. Much like Cleveland etc the feds no longer consider them a functioning cosa nostra family and more of a street crew type of organization.
true you could not compare bufflo to someone like New jersy or Chicago but they have operations still in bufflo and run many crews which operate all over the country. a percentage of what they make is then kicked back to the leadsherip yes they are no longer the power they were and have weakenened especially with guys like Joseph Todaro Jr retiring from the mob i would not say though they are fnished et and still run loansharking,gambling, extoration and all the other mob rackets. I would put them ahead of Cleveland or Kanas City families but i admit the are behun the other families up there but i would still call them a family.
Kanas city is argubally still a mob family after the 2010 arrests of Gerlarmo Cammisano, James Moretina, Michael Lombardo, and James DiCapo for running a mulitmillioen pound gambling operation. Though there issigns there mob there is nothing really there except for a small crew operating out there
clevland mob was wiped out in the 90s but there are signs of something opeating out there but it is really a alod guys who are out of prison and a few younger guys who filled the ranks not really much more than a crew
Other areas like Los Angles the mob dont exist there anymore but New York families have moved in a similar incedent happenend with the trafficane family most of there old rackets are ruled by NewYork families and with Mikauakke the fmily is now run by the Chicago Outfit
Places like New Orleans who knows if the mob is there and waht size it ism i hear so many differant things i dont know what to believe about there. Aparently according to some reports the Pittsburgh mafia still exists as well.
Apart from that all the otherfamilies are exinct or are no longer kown as a family
From what I understand the Buffalo family still has a lot going on. Many believe Luna Local 210 is back under their influence. A retired member of the organized crime task force of the NY State Police in Buffalo told me the family was heavy into telemarketing/ investing scams making tons of money and always one step ahead of the police in moving their call rooms. A lot of people don’t think Panero is head of the family and things are still being run by the Todaros out of their Pizza joint. With things starting to take off economically in Buffalo there is a lot of rumors about the families connections to several developers. Todaros are smart leaders, kept a low profile, and quietly built the family.things have been so quiet, some think the family is all but dead… I think that is far from the case.
The buffalo mob is long gone
Todaros and the smart guys retired with millions
Bobby panaro lives in las vegas spends little time in buffalo head of a family what family there is nothing there half of those guys are dead of old age the feds estimated in 2006 there was 20 made guys well several have died since then bobby might run a book nearly all these guys are retied many not even living in buffalo
Union connection please its been dying for years
In fact recently a friend who is frin there told me there is nothing left not a single indicment since 2002 where a buffalo capo indicted for arson
I mean in 2003 a alleged capo got shot by drug dealers in a robbery this is la cosa nostra
Most don’t even live in bufflo
Still guys there though some old guys running a book and shy that’s it
The current officers and staff of LIUNA 210 include 3 names that have been closely associated with The Arm for years: 2 Capitanos and a Massaro. It is alleged that Peter Capitano Sr. ran the union for the alleged family boss Joe Todaro Sr. for years. Yes the union connection went on hiatus during the takeover but evidence seems to indicate a family connection was never lost and is now growing.
These guys put there kids in union places so they could have a strong finance future look its the same all over the country
About Bobby Panaro, he no longer lives in Vegas. He may winter there or go back to oversee left over business in the desert, but he owns and operates the Cafe Capitano and a catering business in Buffalo’s little Italy on Hertel Ave. The cafe, I believe, opened in 2010. He is seen running the business on a regular basis.
Bufflos little Italy’s is hardly “little italy” anymore
He spends a lot of time in vegas and I mean a lot there is no one left just a crew of bookies
There is no young guys age is catching up on then the Feds don’t even consider them a viable family
Don’t think they are LCN but Panaro’s grandson Louis Prentice Jr. (20 years old) runs the 10th street Gang on Buffalo’s Westside, but gotta wonder if there is a connection. Several members of 10th street were just indicated on RICO charges.
There will always be organzied crime if it’s gambling,loansharking or drugs but the days of the LCN are over and they are never coming back. The kid might be running but he is not LCN
I agree he’s probably not LCN. You say the days of LCN in Buffalo are over? O are you saying the days of LCN in the US are over? I know you can’t saying LCN is dead in the US, but are you saying they are dying and will be dead in the next 10 years?
LCN in buffalo is gone
LCN in amercia on the east coast anyway will be here for next few generations maybe even longer than that. I mean the old LCN as we knew it is dead I mean back in the 70s they were nation wide
Don’t get me wrong the mob in New York and jeresy is the best since the early 90s and even with the old italein neighbourhoods collasping there is still young kids joining the attraction to the life is still very strong but the quality of guys coming through are getting worse.
The mob in Detroit and chicago I don’t think will be here 30 years from now. Philly has a strong recruitment pool but that family has been shrinking for years and New England the same
My honest belief is that the mob will be here for a long time with gambling and loansharking they will prob always be here in some shape.
You won’t notice any difference in New York for the next 40 50 years after that who knows
Sure the Buffalo family isn’t what the were in the even in the 90’s–but dead? I may be chasing ghosts but I don’t think they are dead but there are little things that make me think there is an active family. For one, about a year and 1/2 ago the Todaro’s Pizza Parlor was robbed and 5 “employees?” chased the thief while he shot at them. I am no brain surgeon but most “regular’ pizza joints don’t have employed that will give chase to a robber, let alone thru bullets. When I was young and working fast food we were told never ever do anything like that. This is just one story that makes me feel the Buffalo family is still active and has at the very least some young associates.
https://www.facebook.com/TheBuffaloNews/posts/10151942909288151
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/west-side/robber-at-la-nova-fires-shots-at-his-pursuers-20131024
You are answers your own question a thief has the balls to rob a mob boss never back in the day lcn is gone just a few old guys soldeirng on not really a mafia.
I mean the last indictment was for arson in the early 2000s and they have lost so much respect that an alleged powerful capo got shot by drug dealers why they robbed his house
No lcn here
But not even the NYC families seem to exact retribution like the used to…maybe LCN is morphing with the times in NYC and buffalo
Don’t compare New York to buffalo. Don’t even compare detroit,philly,New England and chicago to buffalp
They don’t whack people as much as they used to do that is true but guys are still getting whacked plenty of murders I can think of none in buffalo and let me say this even in today’s mob if you robbed the boss of a family restaurant you would get whacked or laid your hands on a powerful member you would get whacked.
They don’t beat people as much as well why ? Because it’s better for business they just cut someone out now if they don’t pay why bother that’s gambling . Loansharkings is a bit different beatings still go I on constantly
Only case in New York where there has been an exception was when carmine scrinda got shot in 2005 by a ex cop bonanno soldier carmine could have had him whacked but he settled for.money
The fear is enough in most cases even if each family only whacks someone in New York every few years no one wants to be that one guy people are still terrified
It’s still dangerous look at bruno in Springfield or Lawrence ricci or seccfico or many other cases
Even the decavs are still violent plotting to blow up a soldier with grenades in 2005
Detroit capo and solider beat a man nearly to death because he would not pay street tax couple of years ago plus look at jerome the blade they whacked him
Philly mob been mob hits look a raymond or johnny gomgs or ginio
New England mob plenty of shake downs violence beatings and plots to kill and a guy got shot dead over a dispute in a strip club few years back guy went on trial won
Nothing in buffalo not since the capo got heavy sentence for arson I mean a guy gets shot by drug dealers in 2003
You need to stop chasing a dead family
Even in today’s mob its still violent hit an administration member and ser what happens
You can never write Chicago off. I would say in my personal opinion that they were bigger/stronger at their peak than any New York Family. They had pretty much everyone in their state in their back pocket from Capone till at least 93 when Accardo went. I find it hard to believe such a powerful force dwindled so quickly after Accardo died. They’ve always been one step ahead. That’s my opinion. Got a soft spot for the outfit mind you! Detroit are also quite shrewd. If theres no one informing on them as historically not many have I suppose we’ll never know for sure
the outfit i agree at its height was very strong and dont get me is a very secretive family few informers within the outfit and i still consider to be a powerful family. They also control alot of the unions and have several crews operating all over the place with mikauakee crew for example. at the family secrets trial in 2005 they lost some big players and that hurt them really bad and for that reason i believe they have weakenend. I will say that though the Outfit is smaller it will always be here and is still a stable organziation and have moved to the surburds of the city not because they have “pushed out” but more that these days there is more money for them to make in these places and less police attention.
the reason i voted Jersy over them is that New Jersy mob is the only family on that list i would consider “on the rise” because the FBI are now focusing on other mob families philly mob and New York families and other crimanl group they are ignored and allowed to grow and might one day reach the power they had in the late 90s. Chicgao though will always be here and probably always a money making machine but will never regain the power they had and i cant see them having a stronger future not saying they will be weaker but not stronger future
Maybe I just have a soft spot for them! From what Ive read on the new jersey mob is that any up and comer in the state is usually snapped up by the Genovese or luchesse crews. Anyone meaningful in them circles anyway. Always struck me as strange why a state with such high percentage of Italians never really had a big mob presence so to speak. (independent from new York I mean) Philadelphia has always been dictated to by New York. there another family who were never overly big. Think 80 made guys at their peak. Ive tried to find a few things on Detroit but theres not a lot. They seem very shrewd though. Quite happy to stay out the way. Can never find any new books on mobsters this day and age.
that was true till the 90s because every mafia family in New York had been weakened and this saw New Jersy become very powerful even some New York families began to even recognize them as a family and treat them with respect. But in the late 90s due to the sopranoes showing the New Jersy mob alot of power it got FBI attention and the early 200 trial ripped there family apart and alot of old territory was lost to the Gambini,Genovese,Bonnano and Luchese familys which is why apart from the Colambo family all the New York family s are operating in jersy as our philly. Though the last 5 years they have grown in power and size due to the New York families losing alot of terriorty in New Jersy. The Gambinio family has lost huge amounts of rackets and respect when nick stefaneli flipped causing alot of gambinos to go to prison. Some of these rackets the Decavanclte family now has and the have grown in size inducting new members yes they lost some of there up and comers a few years ago but last couple of years they have ot really lost anyone to New York. Also any mobster who really is seen as a upcomer wont be in New Jersy they go to New York because thats where all mob power
is.
Philly has not been big since Bruno era because there mobsters are not good at being wiseguys. Under scarfo they were ruthless but made huge amounts of money they practically ran Altanic City after Scarfo and his crew all went to prison. After that they had guys like Stanfa, Joey Merlino and Ralph Natale they are just a bunch off hjackers and drug dealers. After that Jo Ligambini was a good boss but even under his reign you can only run a family with what you have got
Detroit are sherwd no doubt about appartently according to what you believe they make some deaths look like sucides and overdoses so they dont get FBI scrutiny
i know some books on the mob what type of family are you interested in and what era ?
Ive pretty much read everything on new York and Chicago from their hay days (before Gotti and Accardo) so if you can recommend any on the other families that would be great. Ive read a few. The silent don, the mafia and the machine, made men and to kill the irish man to name a few and there aright. Not much of an insight on them though. As for newer stuff bar this site and another called gangsterbb theres not much out there I know of to keep up to date with. You could say its a sad hobby being entertained by criminals, horrible ones at that but the whole network they had and the power they once had really blows me away. I find it astonishing. Which side of the atlantic you from then?
Yearh i know what you mean i have a facination with mob as well.
A book about all mob families is called
“Complete idoits guide to the mafia”
By jerry capeci
Well books for philly i advise these books
Blood and honour ( Bruno and scarfo era mob 70s and 80s)
Mafia prince (phillp leonetii scarfo neiphew who flipped really good book book 70s and mainly 80s)
Last gangster( Stanfa/Natale/Merlinio era of 90s early 2000s)
New York books
Mob killer(about a mob soilder who was infamous about the mob 1970s to late 2000s)
Mobstar the story of John Gotti by Jerry
Capeci and Gene Mustan (john Gotti life on streets and a bit about him when he went to prison)
Making Jack falcone(a fbi agent who inflirtated the Gambinio family during the 2000s 2000s mob only)
King of the Godfathers (About Joe Massimo boss of bonnano family and his life 70s to 2005)
Surving the mob (a Gambinio soldier life in the mob 80s to 90s)
Donnie Brasco (famous mob inflitrator who managed to pretend he was a mobster and his life in the Bonnano family. He talks about alot of mob trials
About mob boss of the 50s,60s 70s
Trafficanes
About the trafficanes family in Florida
I heard you paint houses
About notorious hit man
Some absolutely great reads here !
The Outfit was such a powerful organization in its heyday as you mentioned and it is quite surprising to see they have lost so much ground in Chicago these days. They def have lost a lot of the police and political protection they enjoyed back then an even though corruption is still rampant there they have def fallen a long ways in that short period of time. But like we always see with the mob many families like Chicago and ones in NY adjust on the fly and find a unique way to adjust and survive so i don’t think they are going anywhere any time soon and still have a grip on certain area’s and rackets.
I would say Philly , wen all the problems are sorted out , they still have a solid structure and more made guys than other families ouside New York . Not sure on the decavalcante , there not the most powerful family in there own backyard , the genovese , lucchese , gambino and Philly all seem to be stronger than the decavalcante family there . Coppola, Dentico, Gatto, Bruschi, DeVita, LaScala) have genovese crews there , lucchese have the powerful perna crew the gambino’s have the mitarotonda crew . Even the bonnanos have the Sammartino crew in Jersey . The only family that don’t really have a crew really based in Jersey r the colombos
the outfit still have alot of ground and have move to the surburbs where they are at there stongest and now operate alot differant how to they had been operating before by having crews all over the country for instance Mikuakee crew.
Decavcatles are on the rise they have inducted alot of members and its membership has nearly douled from having 30 made guys in 2004 to having 50 now because if you look the Gambions have lost huge amounts of former ground which the Decavanctles have taken back yes they are not the stongest in New Jersy but i would put them way head of philly there north Jersy crew is on the verge of collapsing they lost nearly all there ground there when guys like Antony Stanio were convicted. Philly is the weakest family in New Jersy. The order of strongest familys in Jersy goes
lucheses
Genovese
Gambinio (lost alot of ground but still strong in Jersy)
Decavanctles
Bonnanos
Philly ( Lucheses have moved in on most of there former ground)
Detroit are still very stable though you have to wonder how much they have going on. One of there capos is on trial for beating up a restuarent owner with a baseball bat but apart from that i dont know anything there really up to
I don’t agree that the lucchese family is more powerful than the genovese family in Jersey . The genovese family have 5 strong active crews as opposed to the lucchese families one . There defo the two dominant families in that area though . I know joseph Miranda made some new guys but to say they have doubled in size is wide of the mark for me . In the current climate with the recession , your saying that the decavalcante family r prospering wen pretty much every other family r in decline , also they were banned from making guys from New York . I agree about the Philly North Jersey crew , however scoops licata has a dominant crew in South Jersey
Well none of the New York familys except maybe the colmabo family are in decline the New York families are getting stronger because the FBI have to deal with alot more these days the mo is stronger than it was 10years ago its why many are worried the mob could rebuild itself because the FBI are cutting funding and amount of agents on the mob.
Yearh Joe inducted 12 members in 2005 but Frank Guarraci inducted new members over the last couple of years plus they have aload of moade guys back on the streets for example Charles Majuri and they have increased there earnings big time with philly losing alot of ground as did gambio family.
They have also lost two very powerful guys last year jimmy Palermo who was the official underboss and captain sal timpani both died , however I believe louis eggs consalvo was made a captain takin over wot was left of the Phillip abramo crew , I still don’t think they have 60 made guys on the street
Jimmy had been kind of semi retired for awhile true they don’t have 60guys they had 30made guys on the streets as of 2004 and now have 50made guys.
I agree i think the numbers thrown around recently by some people on the DeCavalcante family are way out of whack. Just don’t see it happening that the family has doubled in size and added more capo’s etc in last couple years. Some people can quote all the imaginary sources they want to common sense seems to point to that being very inaccurate. Has the family stabilized of late sure i can buy that but not the growth in capo’s and made guys to those extents.
Plus your right the Decavalcante’s have to deal with the NY families Jersey crews taking a piece of the pie which is getting smaller and smaller. So it just doesn’t seem viable for them to ever reach their previous high mark much less get bigger and more powerful then in the past in this day and age.
I agree sharp , the story that was going round about them having 70 made guys and 7 captains was just ridiculous to me , I defo agree with u on this , I’m not saying they ain’t rebuilding but those numbers don’t seem viable
true they do not have double in size but they have inducted alot more members look at the member count of the early 2000s they have inducted more members so making them a larger and stronger organization though they still dont have more than 50made guys and true alot of the big rackets are operated by New York out there i just believe they are growing size which brings stablity whic makes a stronger organization though i agree some reports about the family are unrealstic
The Rizzuto Crime Family based in Canada is pritty active aswell. With the remaining leaders staing loyal to Rizzuto and carrying on his orders after his death. Is their any presence of a structured family in Los Angeles or Las Vegas?
Rizzuto family is very strong but they are based in Canada.
Well there is not really much influence they do sometimes use Vegas for online gambling part from that not much but alot of mobsters still go out to vegas for holidays and to reitre but no nothing like used to be out there
Los Angeles the whole.Milanio family has been wiped out there could be a couple guys still operating but its not even a crew anymore. Though there has been according to the FBI mob actvity in Los Angles due to alot mobsters are moving from New York to Los Angeles where they are operating mainly the Gambino family
It is a very good debate as to how powerful the Rizzuto family was at its high point under Vito. Considered to be part of the Bonanno family for years its really unclear if that was case for the last several years once they rose in power. Def a extremely high earning family with a reach not only in Canada and the U.S. but also back to Sicily etc.
As The Mafia mentioned there is little activity in LA these days but still a spot or two of organized crime action here and there like many other areas. Vegas about the same always someone doing business but on a much smaller and lower key level then in the past.
New York Will always dominate organized crime in the United States. Even with the increasing number of street games, the Italians continue to dip into virtually every racket…not just drugs, which seems to be the only form of profit for african american and hispanic street gangs. Outside of New York, there is no reason Chicago, Philly, New England, New Jersey, and Detroit will go out of business anytime soon. Yes, New England has been hit hard with indictments and informants in recent years but it’s really only the Providence faction that is starting to deteriorate. Boston is too big of a city to leave un-claimed meaning even if the Patriarca’s were to be fully decimated, I’m sure New York would send people up there to run the rackets. Chicago and Philly have run into recent RICO trouble however, their power structures are so big that they will always find a way to rebuild. Detroit (having stepped it up the past few years) should be fine too in the near future considering the amount of corruption in greater-Detroit. As for New Jersey (The DeCavalcante’s), I believe they are the most significant family to potentially perish in the near future considering they are essentially in the Five Families territory meaning any of the Five Families could easily swoop in and steal their rackets with the backing of the the other New York families. With all this said, I would say keep a close eye on New England in the near future considering the power faction has shifted from Providence to Boston for the first time in decades.
The answer is Chicago, by a country mile. No one has ever been close to NY or Chicago at any time in the history of American LCN. Both are considerably less powerful than before, but it doesn’t matter. Organized crime is ingrained in the culture of those 2 cities and will always have a presence.