Hmmmm....I'm gonna side with the great PMAC. Yes, I think Previte was a major player in the Philly underworld. Was he made? I don't think so. Was he a capo with a crew? Again, I don't think so. Who was in his crew? What was their base of operations? What area did he control? None of these things were ever explained.
My best guess as a Philly Mob amateur expert? The mob was in total disarray and Ron Previte filled a void and Stanfa, Merlino and Natale used him for their own gain and told him what they needed to in order to get money from Ron.
PMAC? Am I close?
The real question is, "does it matter" if he was made? No. I think most people will agree with that.
It was all about the money, the shkadol, the dinero.
He had his own crew for his shy and book.
One thing to remember about those old articles that mention Ron being a capo. George Anastasia has said numerous times that Ron was a source of his while he was still active. It's possible (and maybe even likely) that Ron was telling George he was a capo and George ran with it.
