The bad always heavily outweighed any of the good. If there is one way to kill your own community's economic future- corruption, extortion, etc are the best ways to do it.

But there is no doubt that many of these guys either for their self-interest or because of sentimental feelings helped out people in the neighborhood and gave out charity to local kids. Basciano and Wild Bill were both examples of that. That sort of extreme duality.

You could also argue there were some rules at some time, and regardless of how many times they have been broken since then- they are far, far better then the other kinds OC or gangs out there. The kinds that have 13 year old slinging on the street or shooting civilians indiscriminately in their apartment buildings.