As the feds once again make cut back in their once-prized organized crime squads many believe the New York mafia families are primed to try and take advantage.
At one time the feds had organized crime squads assigned to the Genovese family, Gambino family, Colombo family, Bonanno family, and Lucchese family each containing multiple agents keeping tabs and conducting investigations. How times have changed as now the latest downsizing efforts by the feds have left only two organized crime squads in operation containing only about 25 agents assigned to all of the mafia families in New York. Many believe this will open up a window of opportunity for the mafia to be able to stabilize and even begin to rebuild and regain some of its power base lost over the last decade plus. The New York mob may never reach the heights it obtained during the peak of its power in the 1960’s and 1970’s but it has a knack for taking advantage of even the smallest of opportunity to be able to adapt and rebuild.
It may be more than coincidence that reports of new bosses being appointed for multiple New York mafia families have started to appear over the last year or two. With a now shrinking law enforcement presence the New York mafia may believe the time is right to begin to rebuild its ranks and strengthen its leadership positions. Recent reports have Steven Crea being named new Lucchese crime family boss, Domenico “Italian Dom” Cefalu as new Gambino crime family boss, and Michael “the Nose” Mancuso taking over as Bonanno family boss. There are even reports that the Gambino family may be set to once again make a move and appoint Frank Cali as new boss as the family moves in a younger direction. So three of the top New York mafia families now have bosses active and on the streets running their respective organized crime families something that hasn’t been seen in New York for quite some time. Even the beleaguered Colombo family which has been decimated by indictments and turncoats over the last few years seems to now be somewhat quietly stabilizing.
There have also been varying reports of new guys being “made” into multiple mob families adding more manpower on the streets as they rebuild. Many law enforcement sources also believe this cut back in manpower by the feds and the lack of focus on organized crime could very well open up a new period of organization and growth for the mafia. It will be interesting to see if the downsized organized crime squads will be able to put the squeeze on any of the new mafia leaders in the near future or is the heyday of the feds dismantling efforts against the mafia now the past.
