So basically the modern LCN had become more and more like your average street gangs?
I wouldn’t say that.
The NY5 stand on an undeniable higher pedestal than not only your average street gang, but also a significant number of other criminal organizations in the Tristate area/northeast. Their manpower, connections and diversity of activities keep them extremely relevant.
It’s the percentage of those who make a *great* living through mob activities that has shrunk compared to decades ago. This cannot be unnoticed.
The higher ups I mentioned in my opening post do exist and have the legit connections to make things happen, there’s just much less of them.
The mob “middle class†is the one that suffered the most. They have to hustle for real this time and the booty might not always be worthwhile.
The bottom feeders, on the other hand, have always been animals, nothing really changed there...
Perhaps you could make that argument with certain lower tier families. That said, those small outfits are operating under a larger family (DeCavs under the Gambinos, Philly allegedly under the Genovese) so they can live off and benefit from their handlers’ clout.
As for biker clubs shoving around the American LCN, I don’t think so. Never forget that in Canada (especially Montreal, the Prairies and BC) they have always operated on a higher level than their American “brothersâ€. America is a much larger playground and I don’t believe that these two criminal subcultures will ever clash as much as it’s happening up north.
