The New York mafia has seen its power and influence continue to dwindle over the years due in large part to increased law enforcement efforts.
The five families of Cosa Nostra in New York have shown a remarkable level of resilience and an uncanny ability to adapt over the years. Although the American mafia has taken plenty of hits and diminished in power from its heyday the reports of its demise over the years have never proven to be accurate. The New York mob was once a prime target of the FBI, although that began to change around 2013 when anti-terrorism became the main objective with more federal resources being devoted to that battle.
At one point there was an FBI squad dedicated to each and every one of the five families of the NY mafia. But with more resources needed to fight terrorism and budget cuts over the years, these squads had to be condensed along with a cutback in overall agents investigating organized crime. Now only two FBI squads remain one code-named C-5 which is responsible for the Colombo, Bonanno, and Genovese families and C-16 responsible for the Gambino and Lucchese families. There were even cutbacks made at local levels of the NYPD in the number of detectives assigned to organized crime cases. This cutback in resources has given the mafia in New York a chance to reorganize and rebuild at least to an extent.
As the NY mob stages a sort of comeback over the last few years, some families have benefited more than others. The Genovese crime family known as the “Ivy League” or organized crime has remained stable and many agree has been the most powerful of the NY mob families for some time now. They remain one of the more low-key families and it’s believed they are currently run by a rotating panel of leaders controlling the day to day operations of the family. They are believed to have approx 200 made members leading the way in overall manpower. The family has remained stable over the years, even before the reorganization of resources by the various law enforcement entities. They have had some bumps in the road and along with the rest of the family have seen their overall power and influence decrease, but they remain the most stable and well organized of the bunch.
Many believe the Gambino crime family may have benefited the most from the diminished FBI efforts over the last few years. After being hit hard by the prosecutions of the families, administration between 2005 and 2008 they have slowly regrouped. The Gambino family is considered by many to be the second most powerful family in New York at the moment with a stable hierarchy being put into place in the last few years. They are believed to have approx 150-180 made members and to be now run by the families Sicilian faction and have seen key members make their way back to the streets.
The Lucchese crime family was decimated by internal turmoil during the late 1980’s and into the 1990’s during the Amuso and Casso era. The family was hit hard by indictments again in 2009 and suffered major setbacks to its hierarchy. But the Lucchese family has also seen itself rebound with the installation of new boss Steven Crea and a more stable administration. They are believed to have under 100 made guys but have once again become one of the most stable of the New York families with many key players on the streets and back active. Many believe they may now rank as the third most powerful family in New York even if numbers wise they still lag somewhat behind the floundering Bonanno family.
The Bonanno crime family has continued to be in disarray after the arrest of former boss Joseph Massino which led to him turning rat. The family has been unable to get a stable and functioning administration put into place in the last few years as some of the other New York families have. Multiple acting and official bosses were put into place after Massino all of which have been unable to avoid convictions and establish any kind of stability. The Bonanno family is believed to have between 100-150 made members making them one of the larger NY families in size, but continue to lack and been unable to take full advantage of this rebuilding period.
The Colombo crime family has always been the smallest of the New York families, but have been one of the most decimated families over the last several years. Internal wars from the 1970’s into the 1990’s have severely hindered the families power and growth. At one point things had become so bad surrounding the Colombo family that it was proposed the family be dissolved and merged among the other NY families. The Colombo family installed new acting bosses as official boss Carmine Persico sits in prison and made attempts to establish a new administration throughout the 2000’s but convictions continued to dismantle their efforts. Although the family has not made the strides of late that some others have and remain as the smallest of the NY families with only 60-70 made members they do seem to be stabilizing some. Some of the families key players have begun to make their way back to the streets and rumors of a small influx of new blood may have them in the best shape they have been in years even if that isn’t saying a whole lot.
So which New York mafia family do you think has had the most success taking advantage of the resources shift and reorganization of the FBI’s organized crime efforts?
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An interesting poll. I think it has to be between the Gambino and Lucchese families as to who has made the best use of this Fed down sizing. Both have added new and very stable leadership bases and both seem to be back on an upward swing earning wise. I think the Colombo and Bonanno have done the worst jobs as they seem to still be struggling to get it together.
defo the gambinos and lucheses. I think colombos are reogranzing well its the bonannos who have struggled
the gambinos would be my vote. Lucheses have done well
you cant put the genovese family because they have been the same last ten years
colomobos are reorganzing plus andry russos kid is a major power
bonannos are the most disorganized
I was def split between the Gambino’s and Lucchese’s and i went with the Lucchese family as i think size etc considered they had a bit harder time regrouping then the already more well established Gambino family.
it was a hard decision the lucheses and gambinos have had it really good lately i picked the gambinos as i felt they have gone very low key which is good for business. The lucheses are defo done well latley louie dadione deserves credit because he sorted out that mess after casso and amuso.
Are they figures for membership accurate? such deviation between sources….very confusing. I have read the genoveses have 280-300 members?…. Also what do you think the membership numbers were in the hey days or the early 80s? cheers
The numbers from various sources are always pretty much a crap shoot from as far back as 80’s to now. Majority of the sources are nothing more the estimates and pure guesses etc. Most of those above seem to be fairly close to the numbers from the feds which i guess are a decent measuring stick. I would imagine the Genovese family is closer to 200 made guys then it is 300 today. The over all sizes of all of the families are def still in decline from the heydays.
ohkay, yeah i saw something about gotti and how he had 800 guys under him at one point [maybe late 80s] what you think about that?. So much bullshit articles around i know what you mean
Yes that big number of 800 seems to be quite a stretch.
never 800 ever the numbers have changed little from the late 80s the gambinos still have 180-200 genovese 200+ the lucheses and bonannos have not gone down much i mean the lucheses have around a 100 from what i have read well at there height they had 120
colombos have defo lost the most in terms of made guys but they are recruiting
They might have included associates. Then 800 is fairly accurate, made men, no. I’ve heard Carlo gambino had around 500 made men, but I don’t know for sure.
carlo gambino had 300 made guys at his height people dont realize that the numbers of made guys in the 80s till now is the same they have simply inducted new guys
Like I said the fbi got paid off guys in the government by the Sicilian/Italian mafia. They took there eyes off it to fight war on terror just another reason to let you know the mafia has always got something you want just make it look good when something else real is going on.
they are mainly italien amercians the only family with loads of siggs are the gambinos but even they are lacking compared to the old days new generation
the mob dont need to pay of first of they lack that influence and number two the feds have better things to do eg terrisom than chase the mob there squads are decreasing they have to deal with the cartels fraud russian and albanien groups the mob are not the only fish in the sea anymore
genovese family have allie shades kid he is one to watch as is billy russos kid with the colombos a capo might even be street boss the feds press no one has even mentioned either of them two things are defo underground some guys making some major money underground these days its better to go underground out in the limelight your going to end up in the can
hahah paid off the fbi? i think your living in a another planet. Surely the lack of law enforcement scrutiny is down to the fact theyre arnt killing like they used to. Like in the 70s-80s you had so many psychopath serial killers in the mob….. and so many missing people brang alot of heat
when did i say that? it was that anthonytodarotheboss guy who said that
was talking about him haah
And in the city I live at there is more then 180-200 guys hollering out Genovese family. But go ahead believe in what the fbi is giving you numbers man.
where do you live? i live in New York what city would that be
I’m assuming crazyville USA
I will trust fbi numbers more than yours. As its their job to know. I agree it’s more like 250 for genovese. But not thousands as I’ve seen in your previous rants.
He is right ,, I live in his city and cant get any sleep at nite,, all the hollering!! Genovese !!!! Lol I love this guy ,, thought he left
I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the law enforcement shift , the gambinos and the lucchese families have been rebuilding and powerful for years before the Feds reduced the sizes of there FBI squads combating the mob , the gambinos have basically benefited because they took a leaf out of the genovese families book and went underground , they also changed leadership cutting all ties with the previous gotti regime , the lucchese family became more powerful because they basically teamed up with the genovese family in construction and r making millions
I def think those two families smartened up and made some key changes that played a big factor in the regrouping but it def had to help only have half or less of the fed investigators up their butts constantly.
before the 2008 bust gambinos had a decent thing going nicky c lenny d jackie dom c frankie not bad
On the poll since the Genenovese Family was always good at being “secret” so it gave them more time to go deeper. So b/c the Gambinos were able to get everything,top to bottom,stronger they’ve definitely benifitted the most. Now if only someine would stop talking about what they are doing, they’d stay rising. Also,how do and who counts as a member of a crime fam.? Are associates incl.,since i find it hard to see any fam having 300-400 members. Especially in NYC or Tri-State area,or am i wrong? Just asking,don’t put me down
the feds latest estamites put the gambino family at 200 made guys genovese 200-250 made guys bonannos 100-130made guys lucheses around 100made guys colombos around 60-80 made guys
none of the five famliys have had 300-400 since the 60s. associates are impossible to count and i mean impossible the feds said the gambino family had 1500assoiates but think about it what determines an associate? it means anyone associated with the mob so anyone paying street tax or a lawyer or a mob doctor that could be seen as a associate
NYC and New Jeresy there is alot of mob activtity and i mean alot it has not changed much in 20 years only less violent
lucheses have done very well got some key players in the bronx making it work like anthony hooks(to be fair hooks is aging big time) steve joey g joey dinaploi
only bad thing for the mob is garbage and rececyling the feds are going hard all mob garbage guys been kicked out of connecticut and new york all went to new jeresy where laws are more lax but they are making new laws dont know what the mob are going to do i think it could be the end of any mob influence in garbage ten years it will prob be gone
only bad thing for the mob is garbage and recycling the feds are going hard all mob garbage guys been kicked out of Connecticut and new york all went to new jeresy where laws are more lax but they are making new laws dont know what the mob are going to do i think it could be the end of any mob influence in garbage ten years it will prob be gone