As we begin to make our way into the new year we take a look at the status of the New York Mafia families and which of them is currently the strongest.
The American Mafia also known as Cosa Nostra remains a viable criminal enterprise with the five families of New York leading the way. The mob’s overall power and influence has diminished over the years but the reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated especially in the Big Apple where the most powerful mafia families remain. Even as the traditional values of the mafia fade away like the once sacred code of silence known as Omerta it continues to find a way to adapt and survive. Before we get into more of the mafia news 2018 we take a look at which of the NY Mafia families is currently the strongest heading into the new year.
Over the past few years, the feds have shifted a lot of its focus and resources away from organized crime and into the fight against terrorism. This has seemingly allowed at least some of the five families to begin to restabilize and strengthen their ranks to an extent. These reports have sparked an interesting debate as to which family has benefited the most from these developments and which is currently leading the way in Gotham. With new hierarchies and 2018 mafia leaders in place, it is clear that some of these organizations have more momentum going into 2018 than others. So let’s take a short look at the current status of each family and you can take the poll at the end and decide which of them you think is the strongest today.
Genovese Crime Family: It was reported back in 2016 that Liborio Bellomo was the new boss and he continues to lead the way although the rest of the hierarchy remains a topic of debate. The Genovese family is probably still the largest of the NY Mob families in terms of numbers although its unclear as to whether or not that still makes them the strongest. While they continue to find a way to avoid the turncoat problems some of the other families are dealing with they did have some bumps in the road over the last year. The families Springfield crew was taken down by the feds and a couple of the families captains Pasquale Parrello and Eugene O’Nofrio were snared in the ongoing East Coast LCN Enterprise case. With an established boss in place over the last few years and the lack of any major hits to its hierarchy last year it’s still pretty easy to make a case for them at the top.
Gambino Crime Family: Many believe the Gambino family is now the most powerful family in NY although it remains a topic of debate as to who is in control. Some speculate that rising star Frank Cali has taken the reigns from the aging Dom Cefalu but regardless of who’s actually the current boss the Gambino’s are clearly gaining in power. Behind Cali and Cefalu they have strong Sicilian ties and have one of the more dominate Zip factions in NY. In 2017 the feds exposed links between them and the Ndrangheta in Canada showing that their international ties could be expanding. They continue to take an old-school approach to things which aided them in 2017 as their hierarchy was able to avoid any legal setbacks and the family as a whole took very few hits. It seems clear that a case can now be made for the Gambino family!
Lucchese Crime Family: It seemed like the Lucchese family was once again on the rise behind their veteran filled hierarchy which included Steven Crea, Matthew Madonna, and Joseph DiNapoli. But the family has seemingly taken a big step back after a rough 2017 which included a massive bust by the feds leading to indictments against nineteen mobsters and associates including the current leadership. The families ongoing rat problem played a large role in the current case which includes racketeering and murder charges that could completely decimate the current hierarchy. The progress they have made could be wiped out in 2018 and the organization as a whole could now be heading in different direction.
Bonanno Crime Family: It’s pretty clear that the Bonanno family is not on the rise as they remain one of more dysfunctional of the five families. Acting boss Joseph Cammarano Jr. is in control of the families day to day operations while official boss Michael Mancuso remains a guest of the government. The Bonanno’s probably take the prize for one of the worse blunders of 2017 allowing the feds to secretly record both audio and video of a Mafia induction ceremony. The add salt to the wound the man being inducted into the Bonanno family is believed to have been a confidential informant. So coming off a less than banner year it seems obvious that the family has plenty of work to do as we head in 2018.
Colombo Crime Family: The smallest of the five families had a fairly quiet 2017 but may be one of the more interesting families heading into 2018. Many believe the family may be getting closer and closer to the end of an era as the Persico family continues to slowly lose its grip. Longtime boss Carmine Persico saw another of his sons Michael Persico sent to prison last year decreasing the number on the streets of those still loyal to him. The family has been stuck in the past for far too long and its ability to remain as a viable organization may depend on its ability to finally break free from the Persico regime. There is already plenty of debate as to the families existing structure and whether or not there is enough talent remaining within the family to competently rebuild its ranks.
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