I've heard some posters here comment that the black street gangs are giving the mafia a run for their money in certain U.S. Cities, or they ask if the Mafia could hold their own against such gangs. That the "Black Gangs" are overtaking the American underworld.

Not to insult anyone, because that is not my goal with this post. But I find it both humorous and short-sighted at best.
---
There are many distinct differences between what's been referred to as "Traditional" organized crime, the mafia, and the type of crime perpetrated by black gangs such as the crips and bloods throughout the U.S. Starting back when the Italians were first attempting to establish themselves into American culture in the early 1900s, up through today, the differences are striking.

What follows is a very "short" list of some of those differences;

A) Regardless of the era, the Mafia has always had a very strict hierarchal structure; Capo, underboss, consigliere, caporegime, soldiers, associates. Overseeing it all is of course the "national" Commission. (although they have basic, simple leadership positions, black gangs do not. Nor do they even come close to the formation of the Mafia)

B) Echoing basic Italian culture and also drawing from the Roman Catholic Church, Italian criminals who ally with the mafia show a reverence and respect to their superiors that no other crime groups show (with the exception of the Japanese Yakuza). And because of the "tight-knit" nature of Italian family culture that they have learned from; fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents which is inherent to Italian life, this "respect for family" if you will, transcends to their affiliation with their crime Family, their borgata. They truly operate "lock step" with the hierarchy as "soldiers" if you will. (unfortunately, blacks know no such culture, so they cannot draw from this "well" of knowledge, or feelings of solidarity for their organizations pecking order).

C) The Italian mafia is the most sophisticated organization the world over has ever seen. The wide smorgasbord or rackets, and their unmatched ability to infiltrate big business, the national labor movement, and to even be able to infiltrate and corrupt the highest levels of the United States government have been well documented over the decades time and time again. (black gangs on the other hand know no such sophistication, 99% of their racket activities engaged in are various forms of narcotics, or simple gunpoint robberies or thefts).

D) The Mafia, Black Hand, Cosa Nostra, N'drangheta, Camorra, Stidda, etc., in all its various forms, is an age-old organization. An self-perpetuating "organism" if you will. They have permeated the very fabric of society not only in Italy, Sicily, and the United States. But the world over; Canada, Australia, Germany, South America, England, etc., etc. (black street gangs are just that. Street gangs, who when matched against the mob fall woefully short, and have a very short history indeed. They are going nowhere fast as far as ever catching up to the deeply established Mafia).

E) Mafia members are well entrenched into all neighborhoods, and they mostly operate in a surreptitious manner. They are often "pillars" of their community. Often times even when they are known to be mobsters, after having been "outed" by the newspapers to the public, they are still embraced by the general public because of their "Robin Hood" type image. The live and operate from lower blue collar neighborhoods, to middle class and upper class neighborhoods, to multimillion dollar areas. (black gangs are feared and know no such larger acceptance by the general public.) Even law enforcement view them as being different and show no such respect for "Gang-Bangers." Even when placed under arrest, police show a certain "respect" if you will, when taking Italian mobsters into custody. Some are even half apologetic when slapping the cuffs on them. Many cops will even refrain from cuffing wiseguys. But Black street gang members know of no such reverence or respect.

F) Mafia members own, operate, or have pieces of major businesses, the breath and scope of which is breathtaking. They is literally no business, or industry that is immune from their ownership or infiltration. Because of this fact, the power and influence the exert on society is unparalleled. (black street gangs have never, do not now, nor will they ever, even come close to achieving what Italian organized crime has achieved. The Mafia has literally put the word "organized" in organized crime. Even the very concept of this is completely alien to black street gangs. Remember too that "street gangs" are just that..... at a very low level who operate in the street).

G) If you place a typical Italian mafia member next to a regular citizen, you wouldn't be able to tell who's who. They look, dress, carry themselves, and operate much the same as a normal citizen.... It is part of their allure. (But if you have a uneducated gangbanger with his tattoos, hair styles, mode of dress; baggy pants hanging off his ass, sloppy oversized tee-shirts or sweats, sneakers, and gaudy gold jewelry, swagger, matched next to a normal citizen. The contrast is shocking to say the least.... there is NO blending in. And citizens are afraid of them. They immediately realize what they are dealing with).
----
I could go on and on about this subject. But I think the reader gets the idea. And regardless of whether its Crips and Bloods, or the El Salvadoran MS-13, or other type ethnic gangs regardless of where they may hail from. These types of street gangs will never approach the level of sophistication or racket activity that the Mafia enjoys... period.