1. Most of us (including me) tend to romanticize the "old" Mafia. But there's never been honor among thieves, never will be. Plenty of wiseguys broke omerta long ago, to buy favor with cops and to derail other Mob guys who were in their way. Charlie Luciano supposedly ratted out a partner in a drug deal when he was young, to avoid jail. Joe Valachi wasn't the first guy to break omerta--he was the first to do it on TV. The difference now is that with better surveillance, plus stiffer penalties for drugs and RICO offenses, there's more incentive for Mob guys to rat out others. But it's hardly new. As for titles: who knows? Mobs today operate with fewer "made" guys, because being "made" is an invitation to get new, close "friends" in law enforcement.
2. Henry Hill isn't in the Witness Protection Program anymore. He's all over like dog s**t. He's been on radio and TV; any minute I expect to hear that he's going to replace Jay Leno or host Saturday Night Live. He has his own website, http://www.goodfellahenry.com/home.html,
where one can show adoration for him by buying his merchandise. He visited the UK recently; I expect he stood for Parliament from Winston Churchill's old district. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he's listed on NASDAQ. Once a con man, always a con man.
3. Very few gangsters have big estates in their own names. Some of them have learned that having such gaudy property makes them sitting ducks for income tax evasion charges. This is a slam-dunk conviction in the US--the government doesn't have to prove that you committed any crimes to make your money, all they have to show is that you're living beyond your means. The famous Aniello (Mr. Neil) Dellacroce, underboss to Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano, and John Gotti's patron, went to the can for five years because he lost $30k gambling in Puerto Rico after declaring only $10k in income. So the mobsters put their property into others' names and hope for the best.