Mulberry, Actually they did have a small family in Denver that was one of the 24 Mafia Groups in the nation. They did more than what you stated.
It was structured around the Smaldone's. They were represented by Chicago years ago on the Commission.
They ran the usual rackets in Denver and also Pueblo.
If the Denver Family had a problem they couldn't solve on their own, they would contact Spilotro in Las Vegas who would contact his Boss in Chicago who was Lombardo.