FBI: New York Mafia stage comeback – More powerful than they’ve been in years

Despite the waves of prosecutions, each of New York City’s five families — the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno and Colombo — are now as powerful as they have been in years said Richard Frankel who supervises the FBI’s organized crime squad.

According to a report published this week in the Wall Street Journal, the New York mob have adapted to law enforcement’s tactics and techniques and moved on to a more old school low level approach to doing business.

Mr. Frankel said he believes the city’s Mob has quietly staged a comeback and is now more powerful than it has been in years.

Unlike the in-your-face approach that media mob star John Gotti adopted in the 1980s, today’s mafia has reverted to its roots and tried to become as invisible as possible, officials and experts say.

For instance, the Genovese family, which has traditionally been the largest, most powerful and most secretive, now likely uses a rotating panel of leaders to run day-to-day affairs to avoid any one boss from being targeted by prosecutors. Other crime families use a “street boss” model where lesser-known mobsters carry out the orders of imprisoned leaders, he said.

Today’s crime families are also less territorial and more open to collaboration than the mobsters of past decades, said Inspector John Denesopolis, the commanding officer of the New York Police Department’s Organized Crime unit. “As long as they are earning, they are less concerned,” he said.

The numbers of made members are less than years ago but not substantially so.

The Genovese lead with close to 200 such “made” men, while the Colombos and Lucheses are the smallest, with about 100 each said Jerry Capeci who operates the website Gangland News. There are also several thousand additional family associates.

One of the most powerful mobsters on the streets today is Liborio Bellomo. His exact role in the Genovese family is yet to be revealed but the feds believe he is one of the top gangsters of New York.

Source: http://mobdaily.com/fbi-new-york-mafia-stage-comeback-powerful-theyve-years/