its hard to relax when i just got done crying for 2 hours because of ur hurtful remarks!!!!! u need to start being funny again!

Anyone who does not think that Joe Massino had a great deal of power is wrong, in MY opinion. I am not talking about Joe Massino back in the Pistone days,I am talking Joe Massino when he got out of the can and until he got pinched again days, 10-12 years I believe.

When you talk about "most powerful" you certainlly have to talk about era's and time frames. Because if you dont, then its Al Capone first and everyone else second.

With that said, from around 1994-2003ish Massino was very powerful, overall terms of power.

See Vinny is right, some people think if power within the family vs power "reach" beyond your family. I happen to be the one that thinks of power from within your family and how you are held in regard by the other LCN families.

Is Massino the most powerful boss of all time? Hell no. My point was that if you are having a conversation about powerful bosses, his name should be brought up.

It would be interesting to see what the results would be if you asked the same question to Selwynn Raab, Jerry Capeci,Gene Mustain and a few wise guys who have flipped over the days and see what they say. Ask the question the way it was asked though, not the explination that Vinny gave us about his def of power.

My point is that even though Vinny is probably right, thats what true power really is, I think if you ask the same question without the explanation, you will get many names you wouldnt expect, including Massino.

Although Frank Costello is on my list of the most interesting mob figures, I'm not quite convinced about his power.

In many stories written about him, they all explain that the power he had within his own family was limited and they he had to rely on other strong figures to provide him with muscle.

For instance, how could a guy like Genovese move him to the sideline so easily if Costello was that powerful?

However, all things considered, also explained by Vinny earlier on, he was certainly a very powerful "person", but we talk here about the most powerful "mob boss".

I would say Luciano and Gambino come first, then most likely Accardo.

ANTHONY ACCARDO
BENNY 'SQUINT' LOMBARDO (the real Genovese boss)
or
DON CARLO GAMBINO

TAKE YOUR PICK - THOSE ARE 'THE' CHOICES...PERIOD

The reason I bring up Costello is because he had more people than his own family. This is the guy who probably bribed more politicians then any other boss. He owned judges and mayors. At one point, he had direct access to the White House. His influence was felt on almost every level. Costello started to have problems after the Kefauver Hearings and that is when he started to lose power. Then came Vito's little rebellion and we all know what happened next. The years I am looking at are the ones between 1946 and 1950. Lucky had been deported and it appeared to be very difficult for him to run the family from another country. Costello was now the guy to see. The most politically connected man in the mob was now the boss of the most powerful mob family in the country. A strong case can be made for Luciano, but a lot of empires had been built after his incarceration in 1936 and because of his incarceration, he didn't get to enjoy the power of a free man. His fame had also become a problem. After all, not many people want to be associated with a known mafia boss, especially if you're a politician with great ambitions. Between 1936 and 1950, Frank Costello was not only a free man, but he was virtually unknown to the public.

You certainly make a strong point. But shortly after his deportation, Luciano was still running things for a while and Costello was officially just acting boss right?

I say Philip Lombardo for many reason,he was thereal boss of genovese family for maybe 20 years,his true position in the family was not known to law enforcement until years after his death. Through the use of front bosses Lombardo was able to keep a low profile and run his family from behind the scenes for more than twenty years. His ability to stay out of the limelight is a trait that many other mobsters wish to possess,sis only conviction was for drugs in the 50s,when his health began to get worse, he retired to Florida, leaving the power to vincent gigante, who continued to use front boss.


(yes,my 100th post) Furio from Naples

costello was a genius with gambling & labor rackets but when it came to muscle he wasnt that great.....

Well said and succinctly put. It would have taken me at least 1 or 2 paragraphs to make the same point.

It is said he preferred diplomacy over violence. Problem is diplomacy doesn't always go over too well when you're dealing with criminal psychopaths. It's amazing he lasted 20 years at the top. He's one of the few bosses who could have been successful in the legitimate world.

In regards to Costello, isn't it generally accepted that a lot of his muscle came from Albert 'The Executioner' Anastasia? Apparently, Albert was furious with Vito after the bungled hit and this was one of the reasons that Vito and Gambino collaborated to have him whacked? Of course, Gambino then turned on Genovese and apparently had him framed...twice!

I think you have to look at historical context when discussing who was the most powerful mob boss of all time. The Chin would spring to mind as far as post-RICO bosses go. Carlo Gambino would have to be up there and I am also going to throw Big Paul Castellano into the mix. Granted, we all know what happened to him but let's not forget that Gotti and his supporters were scared shitless of Paul's power...particularly the fact that he had Roy DeMeo and the Westies at his beckon call. People berate Big Paul as supposedly being soft etc but let's look at the facts here...this guy had one of his daughter's boyfriends taken out because the boyfriend apparently said he physically resembled a butcher that Castellano knew.

He relied on Willie Moretti and Albert Anastasia for muscle, but some people fault him for not keeping Vito in check. He also had strong allies like Luciano and Adonis, but as they diminished in influence he became vulnerable.

Amazed most of you disregard Capone. At his height no one was even close in power and wealth. At one time he walked into a police station and said does anyone in here want to arrest me for anything. This is when his war was at its height. Nobody wanted to mess with him. He had police, judges, politians and newspaper on his payroll. It was hard to find any one who would say something bad about him or try to arrest him.

There are to many NY 5 family lovers in here. Yes the 5 families are strong. Yes they have had some great and powerful bosses. There has always been power struggles within those families. You never had that within Capone family

Capone's reaction to the Albert Anselmi uprising was basically an early 3 capos murder. Most of what you say is true, but the 5 families didn't have to wipe out entire rival gangs either. The same thinking that led to sinister power struggles helped bosses in the 5 families end external wars quicker than Capone. Unfortunately, don't have any facts on his power or wealth at the moment. How much influence did Ricca inherit from Capone?

Tony Accardo because of so little jail time
Carlo Gambino because of sheer number of rackets he controlled, and again so little jail time
Vinny Gigante because of this day and age, the little jail time and holding the family together in the age of rats

John Stanfa was the powerful boss, ha you know that's joke how about Rocco Perri the bootlegger.

1. lucky luciano
2. frank costello
3. carlo gambino
4. tony accardo
5. tommy lucchese

J Geoff is the most powerful mob boss of all time.

I certainly agree that Capone in his prime was one of if not the most powerful boss but he certainly had rivals. George "bugs" Moran was at war with Capone. Why is an internal struggle any worse than a struggle with a foreign faction? How many foreign factions have openly tried to go to war with any one of the 5 families?

Wow, good call on Rocco. I'm surprised you know of him as not many people outside of Ontario have heard of him before. He was most definitely the most powerful boss in Canada during his prime which was a good 20 years.

Case in point. When Capone was asked if he had ever heard of Rocco Perri he replied "I don't even know what street Canada is on"

I'd say at his peak Carlo Gambino had that city locked up more then any other mobster up to that point. Gambino had the political connections second only to maybe Costello imo. Lucchese is another one who had the politicians in his pocket but Gambino and Costello used them like no other.Gambino was one shrewd guy who built an empire only to leave it to Castellano and then to Gotti who practically turned the Gambino's into a second class family by the time he was done. Carlo must be spinning in his grave watching what that idiot did to his empire.