since this forum enjoys talking more about the almost "Extinct" mafia. I will add this, which i found very important.

"The mob used to maintain order with a strict hierarchy and rules. One was the 'code of omerta'—no talking," Century said. "But as the old guard goes, the old rules go with them. Guys talk now. Probably what happened is some underboss got caught, and he's helping the feds solve a lot of old murders to get leniency."

After the recent arrests, George Anastasia, a veteran reporter and organized crime expert, told ABC News that although he had never seen such an extensive FBI operation, the mob will likely never truly vanish — and perhaps that's for the better, as other ethnic gangs would fight to fill the power void.

"They're all players in the underworld. As the traditional Mafia declines, these different groups will fill different vacuums," Anastasia said. "It may be worse that way... because what we may have is disorganized organized crime, which is more violent and more disruptive than organized crime."

What is the source of this quote? Can you provide a link?

Decent Article but some parts were sensationalized, "The mob used to maintain order with a strict hierarchy and rules. One was the 'code of omerta'—no talking," Century said. "But as the old guard goes, the old rules go with them. Guys talk now.

There still is a strict heirarchy and always will be a Boss, Underboss, Capo, Soldier.

Also the whole thing about Omerta not being there anymore that is a double standard, the fact is that the guys young and old who keep their mouth shut and do prison time is far larger than people who become informants.

"Each family used to have 250 or 300 soldiers"

The Gambinos and Genoveses still have around 200 and the three smaller families, Bonanno Colombo and Lucchese's haven't had that many guys since the 50s way before law enforcement started going after them. Also the New York's family membership have been around the same for 20 years, all the families have gotten smaller but the numbers you see right now aren't gonna change much in coming years because they're at the point where they can find just enough guys.

"The young assimilated American guys aren't interested in joining anymore - they've got too many options." So if the show's mostly over, why all the recent arrests?

The assimilation gig is way over played, yeh there aren't those tightnit Italian communities anymore and many don't need to be gangsters but we are talking about a whole race of people here there will always be criminals and people who wanna join the mafia of Italian descent. The mafia won't be able to be as picky anymore about who they make in the future but they will always be able to find guys that don't rat and can make money

"Many of those arrested are "past the age where they could file for Social Security," New York organized crime investigative reporter Douglas Century told Life's Little Mysteries. "These are traditional guys who grew up in the real heyday of the Italian-American organized crime scene." A scene that, according to Century, is slowly dying.

Another fact is when you join the mob your in for life unless you rat or die so of course mob guys are old and this ins't something new you can go to any period of the american mob and the majority of the upper admistration of a family and capos and soldiers were older. Also the guys who grew up in the heyday of the mob that are in their 60s,70s,80s are passing down what they learned to the newer guys who are in their 30s and 40s

I don't think it's a matter of "enjoying" about talking about this or that. Rather, when the topic of specific families comes up, or when talking about the Mafia in general, an effort has been made to be accurate. In other words, to say that the Mafia still exists in the U.S. is correct. But to say it still consists of 24 families across the nation is not.

A Canadian journalist also wrote about how dismantling the mafia in their country has caused more violence from street gangs. There will always be people willing to commit crimes, even our government. The only reason the government gets away with something illegal, is because they are crafty at labeling the crime something like an undercover operation or it is a corporation. For instance, passenger airlines also make fast money flying cargo and by law they do not have to find out what the cargo will be, as long as the cargo is coming from a reliable client. So stop and think before you get on a plane next time, because you might be sitting above a huge stash of cocaine or crystal meth. Or perhaps how the US justified, never questioning the people in the US for being, international arms dealers for the Hutu tribes in Rwanda, which led to the bloodiest genocide in the world.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/...t-invisible.ece

the underboss from boston jerry A. said it best, theres no money in crime unless its organized or something like that he got caught on tape dummy. he was rite the tighter the rope the better the stucture. some gangs who have a 100 nmembers, the head gets cut off and they fall apart quick. thats why the mob gets money, there smart and understand you will get pinched and are prepared since 1930 with a structure. there inroads in the big money is corrupting the union leaders, well they own the construction companies. nothing has changed.