They seem like a laughing stock according to whom? Internet dwellers? Which family?

The reason why they don’t go after rats has been discussed a lot on this site. No need to repeat it.

Violence doesn’t always equal to power. Street gangs kill hundreds of people annually in the northeast alone, but they don’t have the influence that the LCN still carries in the same area.

The American Mafia would have disappeared for real if they kept acting like they did up until the early ‘90s. The worst mob takedowns happened *because* of violence. Violence doesn’t pay for our mobsters, this isn’t Canada. It was a smart move on their hand to take the quiet road. Their #1 skill is how adaptable they are.

Obviously there are people out there who take their cues from dumb action tv shows where you see guys getting gunned down every five minutes and think that’s how a serious OC should be. It’s just pathetic really. If these people were in the life they’d be gone (arrested) in a week time.

As for your claim of them being a “laughing stock” I have yet to meet an individual in real life who thinks that. And I live in a traditionally mobbed up area. I know cops, p.i.s, civvies that work in mafia influenced industries (construction, food distribution), and a few felons. They’d say the mob isn’t what it used to be, which is obvious!, but they admit they’re still fear them, would never deal with them and god forbid cross them.