Like I think its true the Genovese have been the richest family, but not always the most powerful. This is something Chin and his click really took seriously once they were in full control. Notice how Chin was more focused on Cosa Nostra rules than money? I find it striking in Leonettis book how he says Testa was Boss, Narducci was rich as hell, but neither of them were more powerful than Scarfo. This is why i scratch my head when people say the Genovese were always the most powerful, to me power in New York in the 30s to like the 60s was very much in flux...
For one, the Genovese family
started out as the most powerful during the Morello/Masseria years. The Gambinos rivaled them at times, perhaps even being #1 and #1A, but never supplanted them. The Genovese family was always more sophisticated and had a deeper talent pool. Look how many of the big names - inside and outside of the LCN - in the early years were connected to the Genovese. They always had the strongest political connections in NY. Always had the most labor union influence. Always had the biggest gambling operations. And it was they who represented many of the east coast families on the Commission and had the strongest ties to other families around the country. One can argue Gambino was the top boss at his peak, much like Massino was later on, but the Genovese have always been the richest and most powerful as a family.
"I consider the Genovese family to be the Ivy League of the underworld. They more or less invented labor racketeering."
Joseph Coffey, NY Police Department (2003)
"The Genovese family was, I think, in many ways the most powerful family in the country in terms of it's domination and exploitation of labor unions and legitimate businesses."
Michael Chertoff, former NY federal prosecutor (2000)
"The Genovese family has probably been the most powerful La Cosa Nostra family of the last hundred years."
Gang Land News website (1996)
"I've always considered the Genovese family to be the most powerful LCN family in the United States."
Al D'Arco, former Lucchese acting boss (1994)
"I've always felt the Genovese were the more powerful of the two." (between them and the Gambinos)
Ronald Goldstock, Director of the NY State OC Task Force (1992)
"You keep hearing all this crap about Gotti being the Boss of Bosses but the Genovese have always been the country's most powerful family."
Richard Ross, FBI (1990)
