As an aside, I may be the only one but I've always thought that the importance of there being "Italian neighborhoods" as a base for the Mafia was exaggerated. The Italians moved, in large measure, to the suburbs years ago. While it can certainly be seen as a symbol for the very real assimilation of Italians into mainstream American society, practically speaking, it's had little impact on the Mafia's ability to recruit new members - at least in New York. Though one could certainly make an argument about the quality of those new recruits.