How many shooters does the mob have?

I know that every made man or associate in a family isn't necessarily capable of carrying out a hit, some might have never seen a gun. I would like to know how many shooters or 'button men" a family has particularly in their peak.

I read in an earlier post that a genovese capo was heard saying on a bug that the family has about 40 shooters, what would they have back in the LCN's heyday?

I guess it depends on what you consider a 'shooter'. I think that particular Genovese guy mentioned they had about 40 'good guys' or something to that effect. But I find it hard to believe that a 200+ soldiers and 1000+ associates family like the Genoveses only had 40 guys capable of violence.

Basically there's a difference between someone like Tommy Pitera or Harry Aleman and your average tough guy. Traditionally most crews(in New York or Chicago at least)have always had a lot of young tough kids willing to pick up a gun and shoot it out(there were a lot of those in the Colombo war in the 90s), but fewer pros.

So I guess the answer is a lot(during better times). But the majority of those would have more in common with Bloods and Crips than with 'professional hitmen'.

How many shooters does the mob have?

416 and a half.

I feel like the average person seems to think the mob has a lot more heavy shooters than they actually do.. Not every guy with a button is a killer, honestly I think there's a small number of go to guys who are shooters.. Especially in this day and age.. Being an earner and a thinker is a lot more valuable to a family than a shooter.. But shooters are also necessary to have.. There's guys like frank cali who I've heard has never even held a gun is his life let alone hit anyone..
Then there was crews like tg grazianos who had great earners like porky and then had some shooters who didn't have a dollar to their names..
I think its rare for a guy to be a huge earner and also a capable killer.. Plus these days killers aren't needed as much.. Killing seems like an absolute last resort now so having 100 members who are only good for killing isn't really a great asset to the family.

Anyone can be a shooter if they have to be dude... not hard to kill somebody.

I don't know about that one..

Good post, Junior.

And don't be such a f'n stranger. It's good to see you posting again .

I really don't see the mob as some gang that engages in turf wars or drive-bys, believe me, I know a fair amount about the mob. All I'm try to gather from this topic is how much the mob changed in terms of use of violence and how that correlated with its power. But as you informatively mentioned, today murder tends to be the very last resort.

The Camorra, have among their ranks, some shooters, forming various "fire groups" that respond only to the boss and have no other duty ,in the numerous feuds, than that of kill the enemies, while other members are thinking to business and make money.
In these days the Mafia prefers the great eraners, and prefer use for muders low key men so if they flip,can't make trouble to the family.

Yeah, as George Freselone said, if a guy is a good earner, the family doesn't care if he's never seen a gun. It's not like the mob needs hundreds of shooters in this day and age anyway. For what they need in terms of carrying out violence, they appear to have enough.

Always wondered what George fresolone looked like ? Got the book blood oath , I enjoyed it

Never saw a photo of him. But he was a big guy from what I understand. He did from heart problems at a relatively young age after all.

300

And a half.

What do you mean by shooters?do you mean the guy having no responsibility except holding the gun?i dont think there is going to be many.Raab said that every mob guy is a business man and i think most of the guys are running something. but cant a guy put a bullet into sbs head if he carries some business? i think they can carry a hit if theres an order. guys like Tommy Dasimon and Jimmy Berk are business man as well as hitman. why do mob families need a full-time killer?

I have no clue about this but some people on here say the same about Barney, even though he's ordered guys clipped no doubt, exactly the same with Gotti.

"I have no clue about this but some people on here say the same about Barney, even though he's ordered guys clipped no doubt, exactly the same with Gotti."

Didn't Gotti spend time in jail for killing someone for Carlo Gambino? I think it was at a night club on either staten or long island.

Gotti wasn't the trigger-man, if that's what you mean.

No comment on the other guy.

Gotti wasn't the one that pulled the trigger, it was Ralph "Ralphie Wigs" Galione at Snoope's Bar & Grill on Staten Island. That was for the kidnapping of Emmanuel Gambino. Gotti did do some time for that murder of James McBratney.

Mob tries to avoid hits whenever possible--makes for bad blood (no pun intended), brings down heat and costs money. Sometimes they farm out hits to cover the trail leading back to the family.