Sort of a spin off from the previous thread about powerful admins in 1985. I wanted to switch it up a bit and ask who were some of the most powerful admins of any time frame, any other families besides NY and Chicago. We can even include Canada in the discussion too if need be.

The mob in New Orleans.

Old man Patriarca had as much power as anyone, he had deep and respected ties with all the New York families but was probably most tied in with the Genovese

true

We really don't know much about the inner-workings of other families, we know about popular stories about popular members but that's is...I would love to know the inside details on the relationship between trafficante and his underlings...but for the sake of this thread my choice would be Stefano magaddino and the buffalo family

Good point. I'd actually like to know more about Trafficante and his hierarchy. I wanted to do this thread just for that reason. I feel that we focus so much on the 5 families and chicago that it would be interesting to get deeper into the other families.

yeah i always find the rest of the families interesting too

Yeah Marcello was a powerful guy.I would go down and fish the Pontchartrain and see some of his soldiers around.Always enjoyed those trips.I think Nick Civella was a badass.He pretty much handpicked the teamster president

Patriarca and Buffalino both ran families for decades and spent very little time in prison, and both were super respected outside of their own territories.

Detroit comes to mind. Zerilli/Tocco family from 1931 to 2014.

Buffalo up till the late 1960s.
Detroit from 1940's till Zerilli death in 1977.
New England all the way till the 1980s when many senior members in different fields and ranks, even retired members who were approached on some occasions for their advice had began to die out.
Cleveland, hands down the Scalish era, but did not start until the late 40s and ended with him dying in 1976, weak point in its career was Youngstown Ohio war with Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, Frank Amato reign helped to cement the family in gambling operations, fronts, construction, with John LaRocco continuing in Unions, and relations with other family, when he took over and Amato stepped down to Underboss, with Genovese becoming Consigliere. From 1956 to 1973, the Pittsburgh crime family administration was at the most powerful it ever was. They controlled Youngstown Ohio, helped Valenti in Rochester NY, Nick Civella in Kansas city, and Lima in San Francisco. It should also be noted that LaRocco held many grudges against members in the 1960s to where Amato and Genovese were taking in the complaints and trying to settle disputes, even Michael Genovese was acting like the boss for a short time in the 1960s.
New Olreans, much has been said about this family.
Tampa. Trafficante administration was so powerful that when he allowed other families to operate in Miami and other parts of the state, they all paid tribute to him. He is also credited in saving a half a dozen or more members in other families lives, with at least two transfering to his family. What is known about his reach of power indicates the family had mass power. Also buying his and an unidentified mafia member out of Cuba during Castro's reign just adds to his legend.

Detroit went purposely dormant starting in the 1990s and they’ve been semi-defunct since the early 2000’s.
There have been more “cases” out of KC (in 2009, 2010 and 2011), and KC is long gone LCN-wise.

Back on topic: Philly was pretty up there during Bruno’s reign.

The West Coast families have always intrigued me. I feel like they get over looked alittle. Cause the Midwest families had great bosses that had a lot of influence nationally. And I think alot of times the West coast families were flashes in the pan. Like LA, San Fran, San Jose, etc. Plus its fun to connect who from the East Coast had ties out there or moved there under someone elses flag.

i love the west coast families too
i can imagine the la family had nice run till the late 80s - early 90s when tons of gangs
started to arise in la

The 1984 to 1989 was bad days for the Patriarcas.after Patriarca sr death his son was very weak plus the rogue FBI agent Connolly thank to the help of Bulger and Martorano arrested the underboss Jerry Angiulo e Ilario Zannino and the family split in two faction until the death of wild bill grasso.

late 77 78 79 was good years for patriarca and anjuilo. but then ray starts getting indictments lleft n right. all the bosses had good terms if you think about it

Los Angeles, Jack Dragna as boss, Tom Dragna as Consigliere, and Girolamo Adamo as Underboss, this set up from 1930s to 1956 was its most powerful administration it had in the family. Jack and Tom, took care of Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside, while Adamo took care of San Diego, and operations across the Mexican border. When Frank DeSimone, became boss the family went downhill, and two members became informants to the FBI, the Weasel was not giving any valuable information he was privy to, and Roselli was with Chicago. Frank Bompensiero San Diego capo became disenfranchised with the family when Desimone became boss and continued after DeSimone was boss, and Salvatore Piscopo became an informant when the feds twisted his arm so to speak.
San Francisco and San Jose are interchangeable mainly because you had so many Italian gangs operating in the bay area, that eventually when the crime families were sanctioned by the commission, their territories overlapped in many areas, so it was not uncommon to misidentified members belonging to different families.
San Francisco, 1946 to 1961 was the family's most powerful administration, when Jimmy Lanza became boss, he did not make that many members, and turned down some lucrative enterprises that members of the family came up with on partnerships with other families, and had alienated some of the older members in the crime family and angered others in San Jose, Los Angeles, and New York City.
San Jose, 1941 to 1959 was when they were the most powerful. When Cerrito became boss, he made a few mistakes, lost Prestige by a few other bosses around the county.

Giac, I think read somewhere where it was either Cerrito or Lanza who wanted to whack Barboza when he went out west?

The Marble Guy, Bardozo was using the name Joe Donati out in California and was stepping on some mobsters toes out there who trying to figure out who Donati was. Bardozo befriended Chalmas in San Francisco who owed the Boston mob a large sum of money. Chalmas reached out to his friends in South Boston about knowing where Bardozo was and the name he was using. Lanza gave the ok for Boston to kill Bardozo and depending on who to believe, Lanza ordered two blocker cars and a backup shooter, or the mobsters in the area wanted in on this hit without Lanza telling to do so. The actually shooter was New England mobster J.R. Russo.

If I'm not mistaken Larry Baione (Larry Zannino) was with Russo on the hit but Russo was the actual shooter.

Old man Patriarca was definitely powerful in his prime and he stayed on top for a long time.

think your rite dixie he was picked up on a wire tap giving a play by play like he was the driver of the car. when jr russo plead guilty in 1991 or 92 his lawyers asked for coverage for that killing. so its safe to say he did it