Im not talking about the big cities like New York or Chicago. But cities like buffalo, the people that are running shit up there are no more than a gang.

Who here wants to agree or disagree with me? These guys are desperate and will involve themselves with anything that generates a profit.

One thing that comes to mind is child pornography and sex trafficking of underage girls and even boys. If memory serves me right there was even a crew from one of the five families who went to prison over sex trafficking of minors in recent years.

It wasn't what I would call recent years, but yeah I think it did involve the Gambinos and Russians. Funny how the article made it a point to talk more about the Italians than the Russians, if memory serves me right. As far as being desperate and will do anything for a profit, it's always been like that. The mob has always been involved in any kind of crime to turn a profit, from the lowest street-level shit to the biggest most sophisticated capers. I don't understand why we act like it's all brand new. Whenever I hear "the old days" or "these days" I often roll my eyes. And no, the Magaddino Family isn't anything like it was back in the Stefano Magaddino days, but I wouldn't categorize them as a street gang either.

Don't know what's going on with the mob in any cities.My interest is just the history of its beginnings

But I think you are right about the different mobs being merely gangs.I think to be more than a street gang that the mob has to have politicians and police on their side,if they want real power

The mob today in smaller cities is sort of like that gang that is portrayed in the movie starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken titled At Close Range. Great film btw.

The mob isnt exist anymore in some of the small cities and what rest are criminals sons of decesed made men that run street rackets.

Exactly my point. Small little gangs of men running rackets whos fathers were made.

That's completely far from the case in Buffalo, NYC, New England, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. It's been confirmed to have fully functional LCN Families there, just because they are no where near what they once were doesn't mean they're nothing more than street gangs either. Too many people seem to have an all-or-nothing or black-and-white thinking when it comes to the mob.