Late 90's - '02. Bonanno Family under Joe Massino. Begins the decline 2 years before Massino turns when high rankers suffer house arrests and minor convictions.
While one can make an argument about the Gambinos from the 1960's through the 1980's, the Bonannos were never the top family.
Agree, however it's the Chicago Outfit's role in politics and corruption, urban legend or real that makes me put a lot of weight behind it.
Obviously the Genovese has always been #1, but it's typically the Gambinos that are compared to be the runner up, where I don't think that was always the case.
I'd say the corruption in New York and New Jersey (especially New Jersey) rivaled Chicago's back in the day. Frank Costello had as much clout as anybody in Chicago ever did.
