According to all accounts the five families were making hundreds of millions a year at one time. What are these guys making nowadays? Also, anyone have any idea what the smaller families (Patriarca, Decavalcante, etc.) were pulling down during their heyday and what they're pulling down now?

The only article I've read on Mob Wealth is the 1986 Fortune magazine article titled "Top 50 Mafia Bosses"

I'm sure the FBI has announced it in their respected region after a high profile bust

Philly among the lowest earning...still profitable, but weak. Detroit profitable, but no comparison to its heyday, not sure on NJ, Patriarca's in shambles, Chicago still makes the cheese, but not like it once was...no family is earning like the old days, political and law enforcement corruption is much more closely monitored, not that it doesn't happen anymore, it's just severely reduced and there is more awareness. The more corruption, the more $$

The richest guys both past and present made the majority of their fortunes legitimately. Not saying these guys were straight shooters when it came to legit businesses, but the money was legit. Look at Barney with schaivone con and back with the castellanos cement and meat biz

The FBI estimated in 2002 that the entire American Mafia earns $50–$90 billion a year, but that is almost certainly bullshit.

Fifty billion sounds high even for their most profitable days let alone 2002, but what the fuck do I know. I wonder about this mostly because of the scrutiny they're under. If the money isn't there what's the motivation for being involved in such a high risk lifestyle? That leads me to further wonder if the allure for most of them is simply being part of a much romanticized organization. Growing up In an Italian neighborhood in Rhode Island i definitely looked up to the guys who looked like gangsters, whether they were actully connected or not i don't know but i certainly wanted to be like the guys i thought were gangsters and money had nothing to do with it.