NYC and the surrounding area is big but has 8 families. Chicago has one family. Each of the boroughs by themselves is smaller than Chicago.
You're comparing loanshark cases in the past 15 years to determine loanshark activity 30-50 years ago?
Is there any hard evidence Tieri was the biggest loanshark ever? One statement by the NYPD before a trial means nothing without evidence backing it up. Did they provide any figures as to how they determined he had more money on the streets than anyone in the history of the mob?
As I said above, you have to look at the greater NY metro area, where the NY families have always operated. Even with multiple families there has evidentally been enough money and then some for them all. A family simply having a given territory all to itself doesn't mean that territory is as lucrative. The Outfit still has all of Chicago to itself today. If it benefited so much from being the lone family in the past, why do we see so few loansharking cases today? If there's any rackets that should have stood the test of time, it's bookmaking and the accompanying loansharking.
If you don't think there's enough "hard evidence" to think Tieri was the biggest loanshark, fine. But, as I keep saying, the fact that the NYPD thought so, and because he was known to be a major earner in the richest and most powerful family long known for having the biggest gambling and loansharking operations is a hell of a lot better reason to assume he was than any of the Chicago guys mentioned.
