The main distrubution of drugs to the US goes through Mexico and they've also seized control of the methamphetamine market as recently highlighted by the big Outlaws MC bust in Philly.
They're the most powerful force in organised crime in America today on a street level and they do have members in and outside the prisons. They exert their influence because the criminal fraternity at one point or other will have to negotiate jail at some point and to do so they will feel the wrath of the Mexcian Mafia if they do not do there bidding on the street.
The Mongols MC as well as all the Mexican street gangs in the California area are under the sphere of influence of La Eme. They are top of the food chain and the only organised crime syndicate seriously capable of going to war if need be.
La Cosa Nostra barely even carry out hits anymore, if at all and are into semi-legitimate fraudulent ventures where they keep a low profile. They scare no-one and Le Eme barked them out of LA years ago like the Mickey Mouse Mafia they were.
The only thing that keeps the wiseguys going is politcial connections. on the street they are a laughing stock.
i definitely wouldnt call the mob a laughing stock. They're still the #1 criminal organization in the us. just because they dont deal in drugs which most families didnt do until the 70s/80s doesnt mean they are not powerful
In LA the mob is/was definitely a laughing stock. But on the other hand, while the power of street and prison gangs is increasing, they still are very territorial. Prison and street gangs ( the more organized sets. 90% of their sets are worth shit, but there's 10% that's really hardcore) are often very powerful within their own territory, but on a national level they have far less influence. LCN's influence still spans across a couple of states. The Sicilian and American mafias are also the only gangs that have succesfully blended with the everyday civilians. You often wouldn't tell the difference between an everyday civilian or a Cosa Nostra-member. Camorra, Albanians, Street gangs, Prison gangs, Russians,...the practising members of these organizations often still look like dangerous gangsters.
But yeah I agree that it's the politics that keeps LCN going and that still makes them the major crime syndicate on a NATIONAL level. Because in terms of violence they would be toast in comparison to other groups ( and especially LA Eme).
