i think you downsize the mafia too much and hype other groups too m uch, i don't see a single new criminal group in the states even close to the mafia of even 20 years ago
that's coz i say i think the italian mob is still the most powerful at national level although in many part of the country is not even present
but most of the other groups are just local and their influence is limited to a city or a neighbourhood
i doubt for example that blood and crips or mexican gangs have any sort of cooperation national-wide, they just operate at local level
I never said there will be one new group that will be as influential as the Mafia has ever been. It's just that a lot of different criminal groups have muscled in on the drug and arms trade especially. None of those groups have a monopoly position over this, but they all want to have a piece of the pie.
But I think that the old American Mafia is beginning to show its signs of aging. Like Irish-American OC has greatly diminished or Jewish-American OC has almost completely disappeared, I'm beginning to think the the American Mafia will be going down the same road in the next 25 years or such. There's no denying in the fact that a lot of families aren't very active anymore or that even the membership of the more relatively powerful Mafia groups has fallen dramatically ( take a look at the Outfit for example).
I agree that the other groups are mostly local and they have a limited influence. And as far as 'homegrown' American OC goes, the Mafia may still be the strongest even though Biker Gangs, African-American OC ( not talking about lame gangs consisting of 12-year olds, I'm talking about the real deal) and White Supremacist and Chicano Prison Gangs are gaining strenght in their areas.
And in terms of labor unions, racketeering,...yes the Mafia is still the one and only. But drug and weapons trafficking ? I really don't think they still have a lot to say in those departments.
