When was the height of the Mafia?

Around what decade would you say the American Italian Mafia hit the peak of its power and influence? I would say the 1960s myself, but the Gambinos were huge until Gotti - Castellano was doing business even as far as the Middle East and there were 25 or so Capos and around 500 soldiers when he was killed.

The 1950s. A lot of people would say the 1960s, but in the 50s there was no spot light on them till after Appalachian in 1957.

It really wasnt until the the early 80s that the mob started to weaken. Even in the 60s and 70s they were just as powerful

If we're talking nationally, the 50s were the peak.

Technically the 1930s-50s, but it's not like the mob was that much, if at all, weakened in the 60s. I think general attrition is something that started in the 70s and at first only affected the smaller families.

I'd say the average member is about 5'9".

Oh wow, that was a Moe Tilden type joke. I sincerely apologize.

My jokes aren't that bad.

The Fifties. The FBI was still ignoring the Mob, drugs were still a relatively minor source of income, and the Mob's penetration of unions was at its peak, and they were increasingly into legitimate industries like garbage and construction. Even Apalachin didn't have a major negative impact.

During Costello's time as boss

I would add their political influence was at it's peak. You also had involvement in casinos in Las Vegas and Cuba. And they had that window where the Irish and Jewish groups had mostly fallen off but newer groups hadn't really come on the scene yet.

I agree with the above, except to add the 60's and 70's to that era, as law and other criminal groups still had not reared their heads...only from the 80's onward was there any true scrutiny/pressure placed on LCN.

I agree the mob was still very powerful in the 60s and 70s. The decline was gradual, not immediate once it became 1960. Just that the peak was in the 50s. You did start to see attrition in the 70s even before law enforcement started hitting the mob significantly in the 80s.

For money, 1965-1985

75-85 alot of the new blood brought in there new schemes. Mass killings them years to .

I think the 30s-40s were even better for them than the 50s because there weren't even heavy sentences for drugs, in the 30s they usually got off with 2-3 years I think.

I think the peak was reached in the 50s, the slow decline began in 1963 when the witness of Valachi, Hoover could no longer say that the Mafia didn't exist, also in the 60s and 70s the different ethnic groups that had remained under the heel of the Italians,like the blacks and the Hispanics started to come out from the ghettos and to compete with the Mafia in the 70s the Irish with Danny Greene in cleveland and Bulger in Boston create serious damage and almost defeated the Mafia.

Except the 30s and 40s were still a building time for them, especially with their involvement in the unions. Also narcotics.

Despite the lack of law enforcement interest in the 30-40's, LCN had not even imagined its degree of power until the 50-70's.

Yea I would have to say the 50s were their peak bc of vegas, cuba not to mention all the politicaL influence and they actually controlled entire industries.

Id also add that the 60s were close 2nd along w the 40s..I think if u believe the mob had kennedy whacked which I do (not trying to sidetrack thread about jfk just an opinion)..but if they whacked jfk they were so powerful that they were able to actually do it and get away with it..pretty hard to argue when it was at its peak when if u believe it they had the most powerful man in the world executed

If the mob whacked JFK they did not do it by themselves. Rogue agents in one or more agencies took part and covered it up.