Two questions here really.

Firstly, do top 3 guys ever run private crews? Like an underboss or consigliere (permanent, not acting) that has guys reporting directly to them? Seems to make sense for their personal earnings, but would it throw the whole structure out of whack?

Secondly, are the guys that surround top dogs day-to-day all made? I've often wondered about drivers, bodyguards etc. Its a menial job that takes them away from earning on the street, so seems wasteful to use made guys, but equally its a privilege to get that close. A bit like how top Dukes and Earls saw wiping the King's butt as a seriously good job in the 1400s. Plus, you'd imagine drivers and bodyguards would often overhear and occasionally even see pretty sensitive stuff. If it were me, I think i'd only want the most trusted of my made guys around me day-to-day.

Sal avellino was tony ducks driver and he was made and big in unions.and in the book gaspipe casso said he answered directly to luchesse consigliere christie tick so yes to your questions

John Francis was Bufalino's driver and was pretty big in his own right. He was ex-IRA and had links to the West Side of Manhattan as the Bufalino family business around PA and New York. What he cashed in on real estate alone was worthy of a small crew.

John Sullivan was Fat Tony's right hand man. He could never be made but he made alot of things happen. I always thought Tom Hagen in the Godfather book was based on John Sullivan as his background and influence on things was vaguely similar I thought.

Sometimes soldiers are assaigned directly to the administration or one of its members. Their job is to oversee some racket that belongs to the administration member. A boss or an underboss is not going to deal with his loansharking business for example, he controlled before being upped. Therefore a soldier assaigned to him, collects the juice and handles the business on the street. This soldier is often a very much trusted one and is somebody the administration member has personally known for a long time.
Not always, but sometimes, these soldiers are made captains to boost their status on the streets. But they do not have a crew, which enables their full concentration and dedication to the administration members´s racket. In many cases these captains wields great influence within the Family because they are extremely close to the administration.

When their world is in order and there is harmony, there is no need for a boss to move around with bodyguards. Some bosses do have people driving them around and I guess these drivers can serve in a bodyguard´s capacity. But bodyguards are generally for wannabees.

lol. john sullivan was not his 'right hand'. who claims this? john sullivan? fat tonys guy was always either the big guy, the 'lion', or 'di'. not some irish shmuck.lol.

to the question at hand...there is no 'one' answer. the answer is they are in the top spot and can do what they want. if they wished to take all the top soldiers and put them into their crew, they could. [they wouldnt be there very long tho.lol]. gotti had that contractor who invested in da nois who answered directly to him. benny squint had a under but he had a lot more too. fat tony gave orders to three guys. the chin had two guys,and eventually only one. that is the 'smart' way to do things. if you read about tv,you would find he was giving orders not only through a.c. but even guys like hector pagan.

your driver is just your driver. hes not necessarily your protege or your enforcer. he opens the door for you. period. you shouldnt be talking shop where anyone can overhear you anyways. now a days, if you get caught, its your own damn fault.

long story short.most guys that are in an administration position should not be there for the money. look at who runs the westside. since vito's days, nobody needed the job. nobody has wanted it. they are there out of a sense of 'duty'. thats the difference btween the genovese and the gambinos. the 'little guy' and 'the suit' could have both had the job but they turned it down. so a certain 'friend' nominates 'the greaseball'.lol. and the rest is history.

John Sullivan ran lots of operations on the West Side for Salerno. He also did plenty of work for Ianniello and Gigante. It was his role to organize the take down on the West Side when Fat Tony needed those contracts.

You think Fat Tony would have given this responsibility to a schmuck? Get real.

im not saying he was nothing. but he was never his [salernos] 'right hand'. like i said,he had about three fucking right hands and none of them were irish.