Who In Your Opinion......

Regarding the level of control and underworld domination they exhibited over New York's waterfront rackets in what pecking order would you rank the Mafia Families active within the five boroughs?

In order of the role they played on the docks list the families who in your opinion held the most control, to the ones who exhibited the least amount of control, over New York's piers and waterfront dock rackets. How would you rank these Families?

a) Bonanno Family
b) Colombo Family
c) DeCavalcante Family
d) Gambino Family
e) Genovese Family
f) Lucchese Family

Genovese and Gambino as first and second for sure. I dont know the other but I doubt that all 5 families controlled part of the docks,the Lucchese controlled the JFK airport,dont know the others.

I'm not too educated on the subject, but knowing the little I do, I would have Genovese as 1, probably.

Genovese would be #1.
Do you think all other families wanting to get into any action on the Waterfront had to get approval from them first?

Over 212 views since yesterday and only 3 people took a guess and commented? Come on now folks, I would hope that you can do better than that?

Express your opinions. I promise they won't stand you up in front of a firing squad and shoot you if you get it wrong. Lol

West side is 1. They still have guys making $400K a year in there.

I have read the gambinos control some. And remember a west side guy got whacked because his trial made them lose control of a position to the gambinos so they have some power.

No clue on the other 3. If I had to guess the Colombo’s don’t have any.

In the 1950's Albert Anastasia, before that family was called the Gambino's. Now it is The Waterfront Commission, a group of politically appointed frauds who make big money by occasionally firing people for any infraction. They have fired workers who were not even Mafia affiliated over old minor shoplifting arrests. The Waterfront Commission likely makes more money off the Waterfront than all the families combined.

1. The Gambinos historically
2. The Genoveses
A wide margin of in-between
3. The Colombos
4. The Decavalcantes
5. The Bonannos

Some good guesses guys. But I think Don Pep is closest to the actual mark for NY waterfront mob domination. It's a tricky answer because depending upon what borough or section of the NYC docks we're speaking of different crews were the strongest. For instance;

On the Lower Eastside (and Lower Westside docks) the Vito Genovese Family's rule was almost 100% in control. The Upper Westside docks were actually under the dominion of the old "Arsenal Mob" which was a predominantly Irish mob of hoodlums. But they also worked in tandem along those docks with the Genovese mob so there's that.

Also having a presence along the LES docks were such Bonanno men as (Al Embarrato, Frank and Angelo Presenzano, etc).

On the Brooklyn docks without a doubt the old Anastasia/Gambino Family generally ruled the roost (think Tough Tony Anastasio, Tony Scotto, and Tony Anastasio). But on the South Brooklyn docks by the Gowanus Bay the Profaci/Colombo Family also had a strong presence (Tommy DiBella, Frank LoFaro, Harry Fontana). So Anastasia/Gambino shared power with Profaci/Colombo. For that matter several key members of the DeCavalcante Family's Brooklyn crew were also active there (Umberto and Angelo Gallo, and Jimmy Rotondo who was a top ILA official).

On the Staten Island docks it was all Anastasia/Gambino who ruled through a capo named Alex DeBrizzi ran a dock union with his nephews.

So here's my take on it;

1) Genovese was strongest in Manhattan
2) Gambino was strongest in Brooklyn & SI.
Don Pep's assessment of a wide margin in-between is correct I feel
3) Colombo and Bonanno tie for 3rd place (although I give the edge to Colombo who had a heavier presence I feel)
4) DeCavalcante
5) Lucchese had virtually zero presence whatsoever along any docks. It wasn't their neck of the woods.

PS: [on NJ's docks it's Genovese because of sheer numbers, but the DeCavalcante Family also held major sway through a dock union local they've controlled forever.]

1) Genovese
2) Gambino
3) Colombo
4) Bonanno
5) Decavalcante
6) Lucchese

The Profaci family had a lot more power on the docks than most people think, once Joe Colombo became boss he neglected those docks, not the unions, to where we see the Gambinos taking some slices here and there. The Decavalcante owned a lot more piers than the Bonanno, Colombo, and Lucchese, but nowhere near what the Bonanno and Colombo families brought in in NYC. The Lucchese had Oak Point as far as I know which brought in money to them but after Lucchese died the control slipped with a few exception, but not like it was with Gagliano and Lucchese at the helm.