An outdated image of the Chicago Outfit is held by some people, more than any other LCN family. I think part of it was due to certain unique factors about the Outfit back in the day. Beyond that, most mob books cover the distant past. So we tend to use the news and more recent cases to shape our view of how things currently are. But, at least compared to the NY families, there hasn't been as much activity in Chicago. So I think an image is frozen in people's minds of the Outfit they read about in Roemer's books or whatever - the Outfit of the 1950's or 1970's.
This, this, this. One thing about Chicago is the
lack of recent news on the family, except Family Secrets, which took out guys in their 70's. I'm curious to see the size of the FBI squad on Chicago. I know the Genovese get their own, I think the Gambino's do too. And I've heard that the other 3 NY families
have to share a squad --- which shows the manpower and strength of those families.
Michael Sarno's work with the Outlaw Motorcycle gang does show some strength, contrary to what some may think, i.e. why would a "large" family with it's own man power hire out someone else, wouldn't that show that said family needs help? My opinion, this show that the family, or at least Sarno's crew is large enough or violent enough to warrant the Outlaws not to try to screw over the crew, which is an indicator of the strength and activity of the family, or at least Sarno's crew.
What I really want to know is the size of FBI squads for each Midwestern family, as Ivy says, that'd be a great indicator on the activity of the mob out there.
