If you believe Russo's book, and it's pretty well sourced, it's hard to believe that any other family was as powerful as Chicao at its peak. We've had this discussion on here before. They dominated the city with corruption; you are talking about dozens upon dozens if not hundres of corrupt cops, there was at least one Alderman who was a made member of the Outfit and far more than that who were their patsies, there were countless politicians in their pocket. They controlled an absurd number of unions and their tentacles stretched to arguably dominate Vegas, Hollywood, the jukebox industry as well as, as pointed out above, a fair amount of international ventures in other countries.
It's also hard not to believe that they were at some level involved in the election of Kennedy and collaborated wth the CIA on things like the Bay of Pigs and asassination attempts on Castro.
This is not even mentioning the army of, what, thousands or tens of thousands under Capone? (It was probably a numberically superior but not as viciously subervsive a mob.)
It's not really bragging rights; Chicago's corruption is somewhat embarrassing. But it makes sense that it was easier than in other places, as it was pretty much a Wild West town in the early part of the 20th century.
This is almost like a P4P boxing debate; you'll never get a srtraight answer but in terms of scope of power I'm yet to hear a convincing argument that any organization rivaled the Outfit under Ricca/Arcaddo/Giancana/Humphries.
Obviously when it comes to today, I am probably one of those posters who would peg it as being borderline defunct.
I'd argue guys like Frank Costello and Tommy Lucchese had as much political clout as anyone in Chicago ever did. New Jersey has always been just as corrupt as Illinois, and the Genovese family were the main benefactors there. People also forget that up through much of the 1960's, police corruption was widespread in NYC, with many departments on the pad.
Before the families outside the Midwest started selling their interests in the Las Vegas casinos, the Genovese family's presence there was second only to Chicago. They also had interests in Havana before Castro, as well as in Florida and Louisiana. But the casinos in any place were never the routine moneymakers that numbers and sports betting were; and nobody was bigger in those rackets than the Genovese.
I'd argue the Genovese family has always been the most powerful and diversified in terms of labor unions and legitimate industries. The ILA, the Teamsters, the Carpenters, the Mason Tenders, Fulton Fish Market, Javits Center, garbage hauling throughout the tri-state area, trucking, construction, the entertainment business, vending, the garment center, Times Square adult businesses, restaurants and nightclubs, food wholesaling, etc.
Lastly, the Genovese family had the advantage of operating from the mob's "ground zero" - New York - and represented several of the families east of Chicago on the Commission. And the east coast was always more important than anything out west.
