Pretty odd question, but I have been racking my brain for topics that haven't been hit on this board. So my question is, after the boss, who is typically number 2 in terms of money made in an organization? I know intuitively one would say underboss, but is that necessarily true? From what I can discern there tends to be capos on the street that earn big money in a low profile fashion who prefer being a crew chief because a, they are earning great and b, it's lower profile.

Food for thought.

I think it's the UB. He get's a cut from all the capos. Though a capo can definitely earn a lot of money, the underboss should make more money. That's the way the organization is structured. Those on top make the most money. If a capo makes more money than a UB something is clearly wrong in the organization (e.g capo withholding money etc).

Like Tony Soprano said" since the beginning of time in our thing, money runs up hill and sh*t downhill.

Since time in memorial shit runs down hill money goes up,,,I think he said lol

Whoever the richest captain/soldier is. Boss doesnt always make the most.

Wasn't franzese Jr. Only a soldier when he was making all the gas tax $

He was a capo I think.

That's it, good one Meff-

Yeh but did Tony have anyone under him taking a cut of his take from the captains? Larry boy Barese's crew was the biggest earnering crew, and Ralphies crew (richies, vitos, gigi's and then Carlos) were bigger earners than Paulie. Paulie was said to be the underboss, even though he couldent "come near the kind of cash" RAlphies crew brought in.

Dont use the Sopranos for a reference on real life. Ask yourself if David Chase would have any actual knowledge on how the administration of a family was run? More even ANY illegal business? Hes a television writer! He talks about having an uncle who was connected to the boot. Who doesnt? Its jersey, everybody fucking says that. The only thing imo he got right was the clothing.

Yes.

The underboss (and probably the caporegimes) have to spend a lot of time around the Don, kissing his ass and waiting on him hand and foot. Sure, they get a cut from everyone under them, but the Don takes a big cut of that from them--they're right in front of the Don. And, there's really no way an underboss or a caporegime can keep accurate tabs on just how much everyone under him is earning.

A crew chief, or even a soldier, who spends 100% of his time hustling, theoretically can make more. Sure, he has to kick part of it upstairs, but if he's clever (and ballsy), he can hide most of his earnings from those above.

Respect Skinny. The reason I was talking soprano is because somebody brought it up with the "shit runs down hill money goes up" Sopranos quote.

What do you think is the average percentage a capo has to kick up to the boss? I know it varies among families but just a ballpark average figure. 15%? 20%? 25%?

And how about the % a soldier has to kick up to his capo? Again just a average ballpark figure.

I think that the standard split is as follows:
1)Associates kick up 50% of all profits to whichever soldier they are with.
2)Soldiers kick up 50% to whichever Capo they are under.
3)Capos kick up a weekly or monthly amount that is set by the Boss,and is whatever the Boss says it is.

Of course there are exceptions. Joe Pistone states that although the customary soldier/captain split is 50-50,captains,like anyone else are greedy and can set any rules they want for their crews.
Like much in the OC world,this is info that only true Made Guys can verify and I'm sure there are tons of exceptions.

In the Castellano documentary, they said instead of the usual 10% bosses usually demand from everyone, he demanded 15%, which made alot of the troops in the family resentful. Not sure how much truth there is to that tho.

I've also heard that Big Paulie was a greedy SOB. Supposedly Gotti found out that he was taking a $5,000 "tribute" every Xmas from the life savings of an elderly Capo who ran a small crew. This was one of the reasons Gotti cited to support his move on Paul.When you're a Capo,I think you can tell your soldiers,"instead of the usual 50%,I want 60%,you don't like it,tough" or words to that effect. It also seems to be that way with Bosses. They can tell the Capos "I get $25,000 a month",but on a whim can up it to $30,000 a month. As long as the Capos can kick up the desired amount, everything is nice and smooth. And of course,if a Capo stumbles onto a really huge score,there will most certainly be a "special assessment" due. I have no way of knowing for sure,but the conventional wisdom is that Gotti,although he expected to get his end ,was not an overly greedy Boss,and was more well liked than Paulie ,because the street guys saw him as one of their own.

I bet a capo sending dom cefulo 2k a month is suficent .

$2g's, doubtful...maybe $5k

Dom Cefaulo is just happy to sit in his recliner with some weathers originals and a pair of warm socks

Try a week.

right cause even new jersey would make somebody a captain if they're unable to kick up at least 10 grand a month

It's clearly capos or soldiers with big associate crews. Roy DeMeo and Nino in their prime were banking more than most of the administration. Same with the guys in the gas scams. I also wonder about guys like Anthony Spilotro with large crews- I bet he was pulling down more than anyone but the boss back in the day.

According to Sammy Gravano,he was kicking up over two million a year to Gotti just from his union activities,not to mention any sidelines that he had going. Makes you wonder what the Bull was putting in his own pocket,even without a little chiseling now and then. Of course, the two things we know about Mob guys are that they are extremely truthful,and that they would never hold back even a penny from their dear friends in the Family.

Gravano kicked in 1.2 million a year. Not 2 million. It was $100,000 a month. Read the transcripts.

Oh, You mean like in the Donnie Brasco Movie where the made guys were cracking open parking meters to try and earn some money? Or when they went down to Florida and opened up a Casino that was closed down in less than one week and the Feds confiscated $300,000 Dollars? You mean that kind of earning? Don't tell me it was only a movie either. It was hard core reality based upon F.B.I. infiltration into the blue collar Bonnano Family in the late 1970's when things were still good! I think some of you New York fan boys have a huge inflated idea of what some of these guys earned and what power they really had in the long run. Watch the movie again and get a more realistic dose of reality.

I tell you imho 10% really isn't that bad at all. For getting to fly the families flag has to earn that 10% back over what a non made guy would make. Consider it a franchise fee.

elmwood parker referencing movies to make his point again.

Chicago Outfit - "the real life Corleone family"

NY families - Donnie Brasco brokesters

Haha watch A MOVIE to get a dose of reality...you Chicago fanboys are delusional

Larry had the biggest crew, but Ralphie (and later Vito) was the biggest earner due to his control of unions.


Can we stop using movies and TV references to get/understand info on the Mafia? It makes no sense.

I'm willing to bet that the highest earning Captain of a family makes more money than the Underboss. An Underboss has it easy since he always gets a cut from below and maybe a profitable racket or two, but a Captain with a large crew for earners under him and some union control will make a shitload with only a percentage being kicked up.

And 50% seems WAY too high for a associate/soldier to kick up to a captain or for a captain to kick up to the administration.