There's a lot of that going around. And to be fair, it's not just in Chicago.

Even in New York (and the Northeast in general), where the mob is still pretty viable, there are certain people who actually get angry when you tell them that it's not nearly what it used to be. I will never, ever, understand how some people have their self esteem tied into the strength of their local criminal underworld.

As for Detroit, it's like I always say: What do I know from those places? I'm from the frigging Bronx.

The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. But just having read a bit about them, I wouldn't completely discount all of those blood ties. And I personally don't think they're "extinct" for that very reason.