Size matters, obviously, in Tier 1. But, era matters, too, especially since you specified 40s through late 60s. Bonannos fell apart after the Commission removed Joe in the early 60s and replaced him with DiGregorio, triggering a long, destructive internal war, a series of mediocre Dons and the loss of their Commission seat. They didn't get back into Tier 1 until Massino stabilized things in the 90s, and they got back onto the Commission with help from Gotti.

Trafficante could have been near Tier 1 until '59, when Castro nationalized his casinos and cut him off from his source of money and influence. Then he became strictly regional.

DeCavalcante may have been more powerful in the 60s than most thought.

I'm gonna use this thread to post some old mobfacts. Sonny good to be back, thanks for recognizing an old face

I would love to do an art project of the US Map that shows just a little bit of the Carribbean and mainland America. Different squares could be used to denote territories for the families. An interactive Cosa Nostra map. The cool thing is, this is very easily done.

TB I agree. The Bonannos and Colombos and Gambinos have always been strongly Brooklyn-based. After the Bonannos were weakened (which you may or may not agree, was due to Joe's non-leadership or lack of leadership) and became aimless, Gaspare DiGregorio was in charge and was a very weak don. His successor, not a lot of people have heard about was Paul Sciacca. Sort of the Underboss to the side of the family that was against Joe. Reading old newspapers, when Joe Colombo came to power, both of them being racketeers from Brooklyn, Colombo horned in on Bonanno rackets, figuring Sciacca was weak. The three families were ebbing back and forth at that time for space in Brooklyn.

It goes to show how rife with drama it was back then.

Co-signed 100%

Some have said that the reason about half of the Bonannos went with DiGregorio was because Joe made his son Salvatore (Bill) his consigliere, even though Bill had never made his bones formally and was part college educated. Also, about six weeks after Joe's supposed "kidnapping," he began making calls to Bill over a prearranged network of pay phones. Bill never told the remaining Bonanno loyalists that his father was alive, which caused more of them to defect to DiGregorio.
Gaspar was certainly a weak Don, and Sciacca even weaker (Bonanno called him "a nonentity" in his autobiography). Rusty Rastelli wasn't exactly a powerhouse, either.

Rastelli had the Persico effect where he couldn't stay out of prison. Worse, he lacked the dark charisma of The Snake. Say what you want about Persico, but he knew how to make an impression. The Colombos wanted him DESPITE his proclivity of getting arrested. He was on record as once asking a young Sammy Gravano to bring him someone's ear using a cleaver who owed him money. Persico's a legendary figure and Rastelli is just the guy who had his family taken from him and barely won it back. Indeed the Bonanno golden age would be under Uncle Joe and silver age under Massino. But they have a history of very weak dons.

I really enjoyed the Bonanno biography. Even if it was self serving it was filled with rich literature, descriptive vacations around Sicily, and smoky rooms where bosses held Commission meetings. Just appreciate it as history. It reminds me a bit of Amore by Roger Friedland, and you have to wonder if life imitated art when the words on the page feel Puzo's writing.

I don't think that anyone overlooks Chicago's impact on Italian OC, they are recognized by most as the most powerful or second most powerful family during Cosa Nostra's golden age, you can do much better than that.

Well put, Barrett. I'm sure you know about the war the Gallos declared on the Profacis ca. 1961. Eldest brother Larry went to a sit-down at the Sahara Lounge in Booklyn, where he was garroted, and saved from death at the last second by a cop who happened to walk in (it was the inspiration for a famous scene in Godfather II). Some say Persico wielded the garrot.


So did I--an excellent read, thanks mostly to his co-author. Bonanno had the last laugh on his fellow Dons. Rudy Giuliani, when he was US Attorney for the Southern District of NY, read "A Man of Honor" [sic] and saw in Bonanno's description of the Commission a perfect example of a Racketeer Influenced Corruptl Organization as per the RICO Act. It resulted in the famous Commission case, which put Persico and two other Dons away with 100-year sentences.

A few posters here tend to act like nothing exists outside of NY and Philadelphia.

Chicago may not be very active today but in the mob's prime years they were right there with the 5 families, even more powerful in some eras. It was that way from the start. Torrio-Capone-Ricca-Accardo-Giancana-Joe Doves and so on. They had contacts in as high of places as bosses anywhere in the country.

Early Cleveland was very strong. It's even speculated that Frank Milano, the Cleveland Boss (and whose gang is recognized in the Godfather Part 2 as the Lakeview Road Gang I believe) was a founding member of the Commission, making 7 not 8. They had rackets in Kentucky.

Without a doubt, regarding GF2. The Mayfield Road gang was actually originally called the Lakeview Road gang. Lakeview is the name of the cemetery that runs adjacent to Mayfield Road. Forlenza family in the novel has to be based on the Milanos.