If you say that the Hong Kong Triads operate on a far smaller scale than the Five Famalies, then you're forgetting the fact that they come from hong kong. That they have international influence.

Thats the cool thing about the russians to, they have all this international influence and have only recently come to america. They deal in alot've gas fraud and the like. The asians and russians deal in some BIG scams (those little computer chip things, counterfeiting, etc) and I don't think they're confined to just shaking down local businessmen. Ok sure, they don't have a hold on waterfront rackets or other things that require political influence but I think thats mainly because they're minorities and minorities have NEVER had good political influence. I think the main reason the italians have so much of that is because they're white and the italain community is alot more mainstream (and if theres one thing politicians like, it's mainstream).

I also don't agree with how you say that drugs have been the ONLY area where the mob's lost ground. I remember in "The New Ethnic Mobs" that it said that the mob's lost ground in bookmakeing and numbers and other day to day operations to even the blacks (but really only in their neighborhoods) sure they don't have an edge on extortion or waterfront rackets, but the day to day stuff the mafia keeps getting chilsed away at more and more. Espiclly nowadays.