But you need #3 to protect the operation. Since it's illegal business, they can't go to the cops when someone steals from them.
I do believe the brains at the top are the most important, however. Every strong family has an intelligent boss, if not they're in their final days. See the Gotti era of the Gambinos.
"...the successful annihilation of organized crime's subculture in America would rock the 'legitimate' world's foundation, which would ultimately force fundamental social changes and redistributions of wealth and power in this country. Meyer Lansky's dream was to bond the two worlds together so that one could not survive without the other." - Dan E. Moldea
