Yeah, well, if everyone just decided that they're going to be independent wiseguys, with no initiation rituals or sense of brotherhood, where's the allure, where's the appeal? It's what makes the mob the mob, without it you just have a bunch of freelancers doing whatever they want. No structure, no strings holding everything together. Don't seem interesting to me, the "mob" loses all of its mystique at that point.

They will adapt to these times, but there will always be brotherhoods.

There easly be a brotherhood without structure or rituals,Buscetta said that Cosa Nostra was a way of life,values to follow etc he was inducted but for all his life he was a freelance preferring the Brazil to Sicily.

I think if they stayed in their lane, that is don't try taking any business from a connected guy and keep out of areas with a mob presence, they would be fine.

I am sure there are lots of gangs and crews that are similar to a mob crew all over the world that are not kicking up to any mob family, Just not in the remaining mob strongholds like New York, Philly, NJ, Boston or Chicago. They probably get less law enforcement attention than the mob, as well.

Definitely, unless they're dealing narcotics, or doing stupid cowboy shit to draw attention

as far as which families will survive i agree w/ posters about the nyc fams consolidating.
genovese,gambinos and bonannos will continue.
genovese is too strong and influential w/ a large membership and a legacy of actually being a secretive society.
gambinos and bonannos both have a historical connection back to sicily as well as some current connections to 'ndrangheta clans.
both families have also shown a current working relationship with each other as some past indictments have shown.

the colombos and lucchese do not have these connections.some past indictments show that they were together and in some cases w/ local street gangs.
the leadership of these families would compare to some capos in the other 3 families.
lucchese w/ a jailed for life boss and his on the street sycophants and basically the same kind of situation amongst the colombos.
these 2 families will some day be absorbed into the other 3 or combine to form 1 small family with little power or influence.
if either of these 2 had good leadership they would be trying to establish rackets in open cities anywhere near the east coast.
as a prev poster said what is to stop a group of random italians from starting there own family in a defunct city?
what is to stop an established family from doing the same?
oh right leadership,talent,ambition...etc.
why can't say the lucchese if they r so powerful a family not send an experienced group of some made members to pittsburgh to take over some rackets?
if these cities r so wide open it should be a cakewalk for a mafioso no.

VitoCahill the Gambinos taked what remain of the trafficante family and Thomas Gambimo what left of the LA family but just because had enought men and power while watch what happened to Stango when tried to expand the Decavalcantes in Las Vegas.

They would have to know who the gangsters are and be able to approach them and that would cause serious heat for extortion and they would be wrapped up quickly and for them to start theyre own operations they would have know enough customers to support a drug business or a shy business etc etc. it’s not grand theft and your not gonna kill a gangster and take theyre business..what are you gonna say as the previous guys murderer I’m taking over and how would you know who they’re customers were and if it’s a shy business, who they owe and where they live,there’s not gonna be detailed records like a spreadsheet for a company...

My point was if the Colombo lucchese decavalcante or other small families had the foresight to expand which it seems they don't it would be wise to start now or face the prospect of fading away.the Genovese and gambinos will eventually take over rackets and territory that the Colombos and lucchese don't have the man power left to maintain.

Colombos and Lucchese def have manpower. The quality of the Colombo guys leaves something to be desired that’s for sure. But both of these families have around 85 made members each and 600 or so hardcore associates each

No way,even with less men that FBI won't menage the US Mafia to rebuilt even with the small families like the Decav with Stango or the alleged resurge of the Buffalo mob.For sure the narcos,the bikers an the other OC gruops are dangerous but criminals gruops like the US that are active from more or less a century must must be kept an eye on because if it were perceived that the LE have lowered their guard also the other mafias (that still have their men in America) would compete to return not only to NY but throughout the country.

Each will continue for at least the next 20-30 years or so.

Eventually? Depending upon the total manpower left, they could conceivable merge..... or not!

Even if the Colombo, Lucchese, Bonanno, have even 20-40 men each left. Thats still larger than the vast majority of other families ever had all over America, even at their 1950s peak!

So I really don't think they are going anywhere, anytime soon.

Now as far as quality? Lol....well, thats another conversation altogether.

Organized crime thrived when this country was at its best, actually.

Tommaso Gambino is a businessman now with his wineries I would like to try his prosecco.

In my opinion Florida and the loosening of things in Cuba is the key to the existing made guys and the NY 5 to expanding what they have and possibly having a chance to get somewhere remotely close to where they used to be. Florida is absolutely flowing with cash right now.

The Colombo's are interesting they are small family because they are only present in Brooklyn.