The Gambinos are a strong #2 behind the Genovese. People have long underestimated them because of the hits they took during and after Gotti. The Luccheses, Colombos, and Bonannos are certainly not what the Genovese and Gambinos are, but they are considerably more "big time" than Families outside New York. It's also a different dynamic there because you've got five Families, as opposed to only one like elsewhere, and they often work together in joint operations. There is certainly a noticeable drop off when looking at the remaining Families elsewhere in the country.



Author George Anastasia has called the Philadelphia Family the "Simpsons" of the American mob, due to their disfunction. The LA mob was referred to as the "Mickey Mouse Mafia" back in the day because they were always small potatoes compared to larger and more powerful Families in the northeast and midwest.