Okay.. lately as I've read current news on todays new york 5 mafia families, it appears that they have weakend a GREAT deal since years and years ago. Of course we all know why, but yesterday after reading an article about Joe Massino's trial in 4 days, and today after reading an article on Mario Gigante (vincents older brother) being released in June to take over the Genovese family, it confuses me. Some think if Joey gets put away (which is almost 100% likely to happen)that the mob will pretty much be dead, while others are now saying that the Genovese family is re building itself with strong leaders like quiet dom (which we never hear about and is acting boss currently), and Mario Gigante who is very well respected by fellow wiseguys. My question is, what is your opinion.. do you see the mob ever becoming even MORE powerful than say, the days of Carlo Gambino, (because they are now getting into even more sophisticated illegal operations involving computers, stocks, etc) or do you think things will remain on and up and down , swining back n forth ( semi powerful ), or do you beleive they will eventually weaken and just die out, and all that will be left are young thugs with no real brains to lead the organization?

The mob will never be anything like it once was because of one simple tool brought about by the government in the 70's and heavily implimented since the 80's. RICO.

Sure scams are getting more advanced, but so is crime fighting (although they'd do a lot better using the equipment at the CIA's disposable. The only reason they don't have their equipment is because everything the FBI or Police use has to be shown in court and would not then be "secret"). The best thing of all with the stock fraud and other white collar crimes is that they have good monetary returns but carry less harsh penatlies as say drugs would. You're generally put in minum security prisins too if caught instead of the harsher places.

The fact is, they havn't really had any brains or good leadership since the 85/86 Commission case.

You said it all, right in that phrase, Turi! There was a time when Italian-Americans were the most discriminated-against white group in the nation, and had limited opportunities. The Mafia was an "employer of last resort" in some neighborhoods (as the telephone company used to be in some WASP neighborhoods). Some Mob leaders, like Charlie Luciano, Frank Costello, Carlo Gambino, could have been successful in business, the professions, the arts, if they'd had the opportunity. Today, Italian-Americans are going to college in record numbers, and the Mafia is left with the John and Junior Gotti's.

The recent round of corporate frauds and malfeasances have shown that greed and dishonesty aren't the exclusive property of the Mob. Some of those schemes were indeed sophisticated--but the perps didn't have to join a Mafia family to pull them off.

Its a shame, with these police officials making mafia life so hard. There used to be a time when you could worry if you were going to get whacked, but now the made men are more worried about getting caught for tax fraud...

But seriously, it is kind of sad. The mafia, while it does do MANY bad things that I would never approve of is the most justful crime there is. When they kill someone, its not totally over money or drugs or anything. I mean sure, money, in the end is the reason but when someone dies its because they did something they should not have done. The cops should be more concentrated on other things and leave the mafia alone for a little bit.

Don't get me wrong, I am not siding with the mafia, all I'm saying is that the current status of the mob, is kind of sad compared to the power the families had in the good old days.

I can already see the rants I'm gonna get about this post...

No, AllAbout, I know what you mean. I am not supporting the mafia or saying they are friendly,either,but when you consider what they used to be.... The commision was somewhat of a major corperation of today, although (hopefully) CEO's dont have each other killed. The Mafia is the lesser of a lot of evils in todays world. I dont think it will ever completely dissappear, but it will never have the power it once had either.Like Turnbull said, Italians were in the mafia for the most part because they had nothing else, why not be a "family"?

If only the mafia was legal...and of course the mafia didn't kill people of course, but then what kind of movie would the godfather be if no one killed anybody?

Michael Corleone tried to become legit in The Godfather Part III, I mean the mafia has lost it's power. Maybe now they'll be hidden by legal enterprise by unethical practices in the legal business world.

They already do that...

When you factor in the number of serial killers, and child rapists, and terrorists in and out of this country all the time, the Mafia doesn't seem all that bad. God knows, I live in Maryland, and last week I saw on the news that three kids were found in Baltimore with their heads missing. Mobsters kill people who have done wrong to other mobsters, they kill the ones who know good and well that what they did is justified by murder, in the Mafia's code of ethics. They don't go around murdering children and blowing up skyscrapers and building nuclear warheads and biological weapons to use against other countries. This country should be more concerned on the more impending dangers than ridding the nation of one of it's most valuable corporations.

the mob current status is a small gang now all the good boss are dead.

New York-AP, July 30, 2004) — Bonanno crime boss Joseph Massino was convicted Friday of murder and racketeering charges - some dating back 25 years to the era when FBI agent "Donnie Brasco" infiltrated the family. Massino, 61, a former 400-pounder known as "Big Joey," stood impassively as the litany of guilty verdicts was read. His daughter, sitting in the courtroom, whispered, "Oh, God."

Betrayed by his ex-best friend and seven other mob turncoats, he was also convicted of arson, extortion, money-laundering and other charges as the jury convicted him on every count. The once-powerful mob boss and close friend of late Gambino family head John Gotti faces life in prison at his sentencing.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Eh, what did he expect?

alot of the mobs now adays are either small or none at all like one of the boston mafias dont know which family it was but the most recent thing anyone has heard bout em was bout 6 years ago when they shot a nightclub owner in the head for not paying protection. that club has since been closed and re-opened as a new club

Why do you think the Italian mafia is so weak right now, while the Russian and Asian Mafias are so powerful in America right now?

^ The Italians own those organizations. If they decided to whack those entire groups, they'd be whacked.

Doubt it

The "alleged" Mafia is almost completely on the straight side of the law now. They made tons of money in the good old days with bootlegging and heroin. With all that cash they could open up any Fortune 500 business they wanted, and did. Vegas is a gold mine with legal prostitution and gambling, so there's another money train. The mob is still extremely powerful due to family names and respect that still stands for the pioneers of the trade, but we will never see the tommyguns and trench coats again, sadly.

If that was true Joey Massino wouldnt be in jail, and they wouldnt be digging up Queens. As for legal prositution, are you sure? I could be wrong, but I thought it was illegal everywhere.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that in Nevada prostitution is leagl. They have the famous Bunny Ranch and that's what they do. Howard Stern has had pros from there come on his show and talk about.

Yes Prostitution is legal in neveda

**I wouldn't take ANYTHING from Howard Stern as being real**

Mafia is still there and still in illegitimate businesses, but now more like fraud and such, heres a mediocre site on present day LCN: Gangsters Inc

No the mafia is very weak
now

Oh, I don't take anything he has to say seriously. He is funny at times, though.