There is no doubt in my mind that conducting illegal business, without being caught, use to be a lot easier from the beginning , until the 1960's but, I am kind of surprised that the new generation hasn't developed new effective strategies to combat law enforcement.
I think the legends of LCN came up with some good ideas to always be 1 step ahead of the law but this generation is lagging only because common sense outsmarted their foes where today, you must be tech savvy!

(Anyone know who was first to use these 2 counter moves?)

#1 The walk and talk, with a personal spotter standing close by - this makes it basically impossible to ever hear what they are saying, unless the guy you are talking to has a recorder in his jacket pocket.

#2 Never mentioning the boss's name - Physical touching lets the guy you are talking to, know who you are referring to.


The thing I am trying to figure out is, even though technology is extremely advanced in 2014, why is it that all of the advantage should be on law enforcement's side?.......These guys have money at their disposal and should be able to beat these guys at their own game and stay a step ahead or at the very least, even!

For instance:

The boss of the family has his meetings at his designated spot, where ever but, his meetings are NEVER done in his voice....AND, the guy he is talking to is wearing headphones.....Something like this:

Gotti

Incorporating stuff like this would never allow a bosses voice to ever incriminate himself.

OR, they could both just communicate to each other with 2 computers that are not connected to any online connection AND, they just read each others words.

OR,

What if the LCN guys got some tracking devices and hid them behind the bumpers of the agents they knew were tracking them?.....That way they would always know when they were coming.

Obviously I know that there is no full proof way to never get caught AND with so many low ranking guys that would rather flip than do big time just says to me that the underworld is in big need of a tech savvy boss who can pave the way for the next 50 years...Someone to acknowledge the mistakes of the past and LEARN from them because as it stands now, Law Enforcement is womping LCN! and has been for the past 20 years.

I think a lot of times they get caught because of rats. Some guy gets caught with drugs, and flips to save his own ass. Then he starts wearing a wire, and guys go to jail. A walk and talk won't protect you if the guy you're talking face to face to has a wire. And recording devices are so small now they can be hidden in anything. And judges have ruled the government doesn't have to tell the defendants where the recorder was hidden.

Besides, first you have to get to the top without getting 25 to life.

I also wonder why more mob guys don't invest heavily in anti-surveillance and counter-surveillance. Just like there's very small bugs nowadays, there's also very advanced anti-surveillence devices to help them find bugs, recording devices, wires, etc.
Counter-surveillance is more tricky as they would have to track the FBI vans and it's pretty difficult to outsmart the feds in their own game, but it can be done.

My guess is they haven't got the means to get the latest devices? They obviously have the money and some of the bosses have the brains. I know for a fact cartels use these devices, along with opposing political parties in other 2nd and 3rd world countries.

I still think that there are still smaller mafia crews in different areas today working there rackets and crimes but they don't operate with in the five families and don't have the heat on them. I think if you want to be a mobster in todays age you should try to not act like a mobster and try to stay out of the spot light. Does this make sencse? It's just a theory I have, but there have to be some smart guys out there that want to still do there rackets and make money and stay out of jail. The guys I think about aren't guys like Joey Merlino.

I don't think not getting caught is the objective for many of them.

They don't call prison "college" for nothing.

It's as if they actually plan to illegally earn and hide millions of dollars, go do a prison stint, and then get out and find the money stash.

Would you do 20 years in prison for 20 million dollars?

30 million? 100 million?

The problem is going to jail for too long for the more heinous crimes.

The problem is also in law enforcement allowing someone to commit a laundry list of offenses until they finally have not only enough proof, but also enough to put these guys away for a long time. Longer than these guys planned for.

they really have never been able to beat the system, the only way they ever got to where they were was to buy off the cops. if they can't buy off the cops, or kill rats, they can't win. now you have bosses turning stoolie [casso,messino ] and that's just the ones you know about. it's all about getting to the cops and rubbing out the rats. now, they can't do that.

The main reasons they get caught are greed and stupidity--factors that trip up all lawbreakers, Mafia or not. Decades ago, when there was more discipline, the Dons were able to keep greed (mostly) in check, which reduced the risk of stupidity. Today it's no longer Cosa Nostra, it's Cosa Mia.

Joe Massino used to have his social club swept for FBI bugs. He found one, and actually returned it to the FBI who planted it. Later he was smart enough to close his social club, and to decree that all members of his family do likewise--the better to prevent surveillance.

#1 The Walk and Talk: This has been used by virtually every family/crew since recording equipment was embraced by law enforcement. A great technique when used with covering up (covering the mouth so agents can't efficiently use lip-readers). The only problem with this is that a bug these days can be placed practically anywhere. Parked vehicles, benches, lights, garbage cans, signage and so on. Reminds of an episode of The Wire when Herc and Carver put a small bug in a tennis ball then just let lay in the street. Granted this was used to catch an idiot and his amateur supplier but you get the idea.

#2 Not Using a Name: Genius in a way but it only takes cooperation from one or two individuals who know the technique and signal to spill it to the feds. I believe it was Joe Massino who would tug at his ear when approached by a member as a reminder/signal to not mention his name. After all if a name isn't mentioned than it cannot be caught on a wiretap and therefore also cannot be added to an indictment.

* There is also much more to counter-surveillance than just the gadgets in terms of who has the advantage. It's also about spacial and directional awareness. Experts in this field know geographically (AT ALL TIMES), which direction they are facing (more important than you would think), their distance from a possible escape route, have specific viewpoints from a place in which they would eat, sit, stand, hold court or even take a shit so as not to be surprised by law or an enemy. They use reflections to look in certain directions for a possible tail rather than simply turning around to look (which would obviously alert authorities in knowing the subject is aware of the search). Also deception in basic human mannerisms (change in body-tics that tell others why/what/how this person is feeling (which could determine their next move). My explanation on this is pretty basic and these should be in every gangsters repertoire but when used correctly and with other skills someone can last a long time in that world. Spain based Irish drug kingpin Christy Kinahan has been rumored to be quite the expert on counter surveillance but even he gets nabbed every couple of years. I suppose everyone 'gets got' at one point or another.

https://news.vice.com/article/how-the-ge...-walkie-talkies

Also your post reminded of a few busts in Mexico relating to off-the-grid communication. These guys had it on point until it all went to shit. Not the first (or last I imagine) to use this technique.

I agree. You can do all the counter-surveillance you want but if somebody is singing to the boys then it doesn't matter.

Rats are particularly a problem if you have a pyramid structure to your "organization" like Cosa Nostra does.

Other groups like N'Dranghetta and maybe the cartels from south of the US border have a more lateral structure that is compartmentalized. Everyone is arranged into cells and one cell doesn't really know too much about the next cell or who is in it. So there is a reason Cosa Nostra in America took a big hit and the cartels and N'Dranghetta are still hard nuts to crack to this day.

No, they have always used anti surveillance stuff. Remember Ruggierio used some private eye to sweep his house and phones. Which is why he was caught on them tapes. He thought it was clean

joey Massino found a bug in his social club and even gave it back to Pat Colgan FBI agent I think it was

Most mob guys periodically have their clubs swept for bugs even in the 60s/ 70s

But as u can see, its not easy. Plus no matter how good your big detector is, the Feds prob still have better equipment. And don't forget, the Feds routinely turn off their bugs when they know there's a sweep about to take place.

some of these guys aren't so smart, and law enforcement is getting more sophisticated plus there are rats all over

Yeah but you'll never eradicate crime when LE is the one recruiting new gangs to move their dope.

Most guys since Gotti ended up in jail because of rats, not bugs. Massino, Gigante, Rizzuto, Vic & Gas, Family Secrets etc

Oh c'mon now Alfa, our government loves us so much they'd never do that to us.

its a game of luck and cleverness. one guy on the bottom of the food chain goes down and decided to snitch bam there is the rico act and the bosses are fucked.