Well cosnidering that the mafia is basically neo-fuedalism, they were probably less concerned with the names of the person or persons at the top.

I imagine it was a more immediate thing. Like you were "with" the guy who had seniority, and he was with his crew, who were with the capo all the way up the line. I mean they prolly had some idea there were five families and what territory certain crews held and the like.

But look at the Genoveses today. Alot of them don't really know what the fuck is going on within their own family. I figure it was alot like that before the media got interested in LCN.