Burke was never part of the irish mob.. Burke was a legend by the time he was 20. After his first jail stint he got a union job where he mulligan, both Queens natives. Biekw was offered boss after mulligan because he was loved and respected by the hells kitchen guys, they idolized him. Burke thought bigger and by the time mulligan retired burke already had one of the cities most notorious crews and he was the boss. His crew was afffiliated with the luchese fam. His representatives to the commission were vario and dio, who he met in jail and forged a life long friendship/partnership with. Burkes earned incredible money from many different rackets and always gave a cut out of respect to the family bosses. He to this day is the only non-italian to run a crew in the mafia. Meaning an italian with aspirations to become a made man can do hhis apprentice even though he is in a non italians crew..