It will be interesting to read about today's "Mafia history" ten years from now.
It seems like many years after the fact we hear the details of how the ins & outs of the scams pulled resulted in millions of dollars.
To be honest, this is exactly what today's LCN is the least interesting to me. The pieces aren't there. Murders are committed, but we don't know why, and scams are as well, but we don't have details. The less you know, the less interesting, I say. Which is why my most fascinating mob times are...
60's-80's Chicago.
Frighteningly brutal, rackets everywhere, and the murder toll of the entire outfit has been compiled several times.
30's-70's LA Family.
The image of the Mickey Mouse Mafia always left me wanting to know more. Research raises so many debates that I always go back for more. Did Frank DeSimone rape the wife of his Underboss, or was that rumor? Was Nick Licata even weaker than DeSimone? Was Jack Dragna a weak Don or was he respected, but doing things differently? And finally, the most interesting questioon of all. If Jimmy Frattiano was the first to realize that the image of the LA Family was a poor one, could he have succeeding in making them respected once more? It's especially interesting to me because the whole history is very cohesive, much more so than the other families. One boss follows the other follows the other, and the same few guys stick around.
50's - 80's. Russell Bufalino Family.
What can I say, it's my favorite subject really. It makes a good story because they were involved in non-traditional rackets that really give you a feel of what Northeastern Pennsylvania was like. It also gives perfect examples of how the mob never misses a beat when it comes to making money. There's a lot of history with coal union corruption, including all out war, but Russell Bufalino held things down well and made a lot of money. When the coal mines drowned up, he seamlessly transitioned to garment industry racketeering, and gave all his men front jobs as managers in his dress businesses. Also, something we should all know, Russell Bufalino lieutenants were manufacturing our nuclear warheads in Vietnam. By the end of it all, he was so respected he served as acting boss for the most powerful family in the United States. The Genovese.
