Shows of desperation. A dirty racket that results in instant, severe prison sentences. Most of the families were happy to play middlemen between the cartels and the streets, mostly moving powdered coke, "yayo", that would be made into crack by the street level dealers.
Yes but Galione sell directly the crack wasnt a middleman.
Seems like a desperation move. The mob has historically had the privilege of avoiding the risk that comes with low level drug dealing.
"...the successful annihilation of organized crime's subculture in America would rock the 'legitimate' world's foundation, which would ultimately force fundamental social changes and redistributions of wealth and power in this country. Meyer Lansky's dream was to bond the two worlds together so that one could not survive without the other." - Dan E. Moldea
