You're absolutely correct Bensonhurst. If the "clan" is still bringing guys in then they are active. But if a clan only has a few stragglers from years back who are in their sixties, seventies, eighties, and those men are not active any longer...then its over! Regardless of whether they're still upright and breathing or not!

We both come out of NYC and we know that things are vastly different from the way it used to be growing up. Our neighborhoods are a mere wisp of what they once looked like. Old Italian strongholds look like the fucking United Nations nowadays. That sea change has given way to a mass exodus over the last three or four decades to the outer boroughs and out of state locations. It's just not the same anymore.

Couple that major change in demographics with the fact that most young Italian-Americans today have moved on to higher eduction and legit activities, and the fact that the government has mostly gutted the mob's presence from all the major vital industries and labor unions they once had sway over, and now "legalized" 90% of the rackets that once served to line the pockets of knock-around guys, and there you have it.

No more horse bookies; 99% of the numbers game is kaput; no more neighborhood floating crap games or high-stakes card games like blackjack etc.; slots machines are a rarity today; shylocking has stiff competition from banks, cc's, private lenders, lines of credits, etc.; truck hijacking and cargo theft off the piers is no more; cigarette smuggling has diminished 90% and whenever is left is small potatoes and is sold retail by foreigners who run delis; counterfeiting of currency, credit cards, stock certificates, and other negotiable's is no more; all the major labor unions have been seized from the guys; etc., etc., etc.....what's left is a fucking joke today!

And THATS in New York City, the mob's traditional stronghold and base nationally!...It sure as hell ain't any better in smaller, lesser controlled cities and towns out of state.

Now that NYS has legalized both sports-betting and they also legalized marijuana this year what the fuck is left to do?? Lol. It's over!

In the last ten-fifteen years sports bookmaking, and selling pot, had become two of the last few ways guys could earn out there. The mob was never big on marijuana but moved into that field as harder drugs got you heavier jail time. Now that gambling and pot is legal you gotta believe that the state is gonna compete for those dollars as well they they did with OTB and Lotto.

What's left? Selling Heroin? Cocaine? Some pharmaceutical drug diversion sales? Each of those rackets is fraught with trouble and the competition from every Tom, Dick, and Harry, is ridiculous. Blacks, Hispanics, Chinese, White independent dealers, etc., etc....it's stupid already (not to mention that the drug game is loaded with rats and weaklings and traitors who'd flip in three seconds on you given the chance).

It's a whole different ballgame today! The smarter Italian wiseguys and associates say who the fuck needs it? Most of them have gone into more legit, or semi-legit, endeavors. More profitable and less dangerous to their health and liberty. The idiots who can't see their nose in front of their faces are mostly the guys left today, and some of the younger guys who have no clue about todays reality of the mob and think there's still "glory" and "riches" to be had in it. (and of course the old-timers who are set in their ways). But thats it.