How active is it now days as far as wise guys go? I live in a part of the USA that would only have Wiseguys if they are in the Witness Protection Program so I have no clue.

I know in the Sopranos they showed a scene ( I believe in "the weight") where Johny Sack trounced a guy in Ralph ciffaretto's crew outside a bar on Mulberry street.

Ive also read that a few Wiseguys still own restaraunt's on Mulberry street.

As far as active crews, etc, Do they still operate on Mulberry street? I read that social clubs are all but extinct there but what about the LCN still having their hands on the rackets there?

besides whatever money they shave off of the feast and legit things like restaurants I doubt there is too much going on. maybe a card game or something.

the type of people that own shops on Mulberry now, especially the stuff on the stretch between Houston and Kenmare, are the types of people who would go to the cops if the slightest thing was off. the rest of the neighborhood was swallowed whole by chinatown on one side and yuppies on the other years ago.

I believe the place you're talking about in the Sopranos is one of the 'Benito' restaurants.

I have a similar question about the Lucchese family's "Prince Street Crew" though . Always wondered if that was still in existence?

all the old social clubs have long since gone from mulberry street. plenty of mobbed up restaurants mind!

i believe both the gambinos and genoveses still have little italy crews that are active though. however the only social club near mulberry i am aware of is on thompson street, between spring and broome.

"Little Italy" doesn't exist anymore, in terms of Italians living in the area, anyway. The tourist trap restaurants will always be around, though. Manhattan realtors just refer to the entire area as "SoHo" now. I recently posted this stat in another thread:

According to the December, 2010 census, out of the 8600 people currently residing in the area once known as "Little Italy," less than 5% of them are Italian-American, and not a single one of them was born in Italy. With those numbers you can't expect the Italian mob to thrive in an area like that. They always depended on neighborhood people to be their "eyes and ears," in terms of looking out for strangers (read: law enforcement).

Today, even if they weren't a shadow of their former selves, who could the Italian mob depend on to watch out for them? The Yuppies? The Chinese? Not likely. Old Manhattan is gone for good, a fact that I lament here quite often .

Yeah, there seems to be quite a few mafia owned restaurants there. There's Kid Blast's restaunt Casa Bella. Vincent "Vinny Butch" Corrao owns something there. And then there's Da Nico which is owned by Bonanno soldier, Perry Criscitelli.

I spent some time in NYC last summer and little Italy see to be chalk full of Asians. I also spent some time in Astoria and Woodside, it seemed to be chalk full of Indian/Pakistani types, Arabs, and white yuppies. The areas I spent time in were heavily genrified and there was no Italian American presence to be seen, let alone a mafia scene.

Yeah, Astoria used to be pretty much all Greek, with a few Irish and Italians in the mix. Today it's mostly Middle Eastern, but there's still a large Greek presence there (cafes, restaurants, etc.).

In one of the last Sopranos episodes didn't we see Butchie walking through Little Italy almost surrounded by Asians?

Yeah, Oli. I always thought that was deliberate, because Butchie gave a look like he was almost lost, showing that times were changing for the mob and for the neighborhood.

They say that at its height in the 1950s there were a couple of thousand Italians living there. This also really suprises me, because I would have guessed that there were once something like at least 10.000 Italians living there.

that scene with Butchie walking down mulberry, then looking up confused as shit when he gets near or below Canal was one of my favorite scenes in the whole series. the genius of the show is in subtle scenes like that...gotta love it

Yup, great scene. Gentrification was a recurring theme on the show. Remember when Patsy and (I think) Paulie were trying to shake down a Starbucks type of chain coffee shop? They were practically laughed out of the place. Patsy said something like, "It's all over for the little guy."

yeah that was great too. "what if it wasn't a window? what if, god forbid...it was the manager?" LOL

I think that was the same episode where Tony sold the live poultry shop to Jamba Juice? It was interesting to see him struggle with his feelings about how the neighborhood (and America as a whole) was changing, versus his feelings about turning a quick buck. Ultimately we see what won in the end

the scene of Paulie and Patsy is in the first season, which Tony sends them to seek the car of theacher of his son, stolen by two gay car thieves , 30 years ago would have been easy to find the car, because everyone feared mafia, but the two barely knew who were Paulie and Patsy.

actually there is an italian headquarters like mulberry street in 50's n the entire nyc area?someone said Bensonhurst also is no longer an italian neighburough

The south shore of Staten Island is still an Italian stronghold.

the south shore of si is loaded w italians... All italians.. young italian kids all trying to get involved...

there are still some italians in bensonhurst i been banging this broad from my school who lives in the area and around her apt there is some type of hangout where a bunch of old italians chill and at night you hear all these noises (sound like gunshots) but I dont think its a social club type of place its more of a cafe

NYC is a depressing place, it is subrubia in the big city, a micrcosim of the modern world, phony and expensive. The people who live and migrate there now only care about money. I don't want to hear you idiots talking about how that is how it always was either. Immigration of today is nothing like it was 60 years ago, let 100 years ago, so don't even bring it up.

Always the dollars, always the f--king dollars.

Honestly, I respect your opinion Gerry, but I feel that the opposite is true. At least in NYC there is cultural diversity at every turn. True, there is a starbux on every other block now. But it is still the most heterogenous place on earth. I would rather walk 10 blocks in NYC, pass an Italian, Indian, Russian and Korean restaurant and talk to people with these backgrounds at said starbux than get in my car in true suburbia and drive 20 miles to get my paper from Trip Gladhander...The Third.

You asked us the difference between Staten Island and Long Island and here you are calling us idiots. I don't mind it when people criticize my opinions, but when people start calling me names I feel differently. You need to have a little more respect for the people who post here sir.

As far as NYC goes. I think it's greatest fucking place on earth. I think the people are great, I think the food is exceptional and it's got the best strip club on the planet, Scores.

Yeah, its a big deal, like no one ever asked the question before, the guy who responded right behind me wanted to know the same thing. You're by far the biggest and most vulgar troll on this forum (the mods here seem to be in agreeance with me), there is not even anyone close to your level. I wouldn't be questioning peoples intelligence either, you think Semite is a race. The fact that you brought up a different topic on this thread leads me to believe you're a sensitive kid. NYC is not close to being the best city in the world, maybe in the past it was, but now its just a run of the mill overly expensive genrified melting pot.

Where are you from, Gerry?

I happen to like Vinny's quips...keeps it light. There are many great cities in the country and NYC is easily one of them. I respect people who "could not see themselves living there." BUT I do not respect the opinion of someone that cannot recognize its greatness.

And for that matter, why call other posters "idiots?" We are having a conversation and debate here. There is no need to criticize the people engaging in a constructive argument.

That's not very nice, Gerry. The overwhelming majority of posters here would disagree with you. Just the fact that you mention it being overyly expensive tells me that you probably can't afford to live here. Sour grapes maybe?

I don't agree I agree with your belief that diversity is a great thing. Studies have shown people in diverse neighborhoods are less likely to talk to their neighbors, have civic pride, work together, etc. Things aren't diverse as they seem either, that is why you have "little Italy's," "Chinatowns," "little Koreas," etc. It is not like the different groups are really associating with each other, they stick to their own kind, frequent their own businesses, etc.

It's my opinion, saying NYC is the best is an opinion, its not like math where 2+2=4, and that is that. Your assumption that my dislike of NYC has to do with finances is wrong. My dislike is that it's a sterile genrified place, it is a city full of transplants and new immigrants, who are just passing through. It is grossly over priced place to live, I don't think that is up for debate. I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be tough, whats with all the hyper-sensitivity here? Take little Italy in NYC, its a microcosim of the city, and over priced tourist trap, its about as authentic as Gucci shirt I bought from the African street vendor last week.